TorontoPlanning ApplicationsEvery planning application

Minimum Backup Power Guidelines for MURBs

Published by City of Toronto

This is the City of Toronto’s document, as published on its website on 20 October 2026. The municipality may have changed it since: check the current version at the source. Legal notice

Type: Guide
Published by: City of Toronto
Date: October 2016
Also called: City of Toronto (2016) Minimum Backup Power Guidelines, Voluntary Performance Standards for Existing and New Buildings
For: designer
Building types: All building types
Pages: 17
Agencies: City of Toronto Environment and Energy Division

Overview

The Environment and Energy Division's voluntary performance standards for backup power in Toronto's multi-unit residential buildings, existing and new, drawn from a study with the Hidi Group. It separates emergency power for life safety from backup power for occupant well-being, then sets performance standards for essential loads beyond life safety — additional elevators, domestic water booster and sump pumps, hot water boilers and pumps, common areas — 72 hours of supply, natural gas generators and load management, with a One Bloor case study and a MURB archetypes appendix.

What it covers

Introduction
Emergency Power vs Backup Power
Purpose of the Guideline
Performance Standards
Essential Loads in Addition to Life Safety Requirements
Case Study: One Bloor
72 Hours of Backup Power
Natural Gas Generators
Additional Resources
Appendix: MURB Archetypes

Check this against the municipality before you rely on it.

DocHub collects what a municipality published; it cannot tell you what is in force today. A newer version may exist, may be titled differently, or may not be posted publicly at all.