To achieve Canada’s GHG reduction targets, building performance must be improved. Enabling
buildings with Smart and Ongoing Commissioning (SOCx) applications will help to achieve
peak performance in energy use and improved occupant health and comfort, at minimum cost. A
comprehensive literature review highlighted the viability of Brick and Project Haystack
ontologies, prompting a quantitative comparison of completeness and expressiveness using a
case study with an industry ontology as the baseline for comparison. Additionally, a qualitative
comparison was completed using key ontology qualities outlined in literature. A
recommendation of Brick is made based on results. Brick achieved higher assessment values in
completeness and expressiveness achieving 59% and 100% respectively, as compared to
Haystacks 43% and 96%. Additionally, Brick exhibited five of six desirable qualities, where
Haystack exhibited only three. If used by SOCx applications, the appropriate ontology permits
the optimization of building performance. The recommendation of the appropriate ontology
forms the basis for longer- term SOCx prototype development, which will support innovative
approaches to sustainability in building operations across scale, as well as next- generation
building controls and automation strategies.