News Release: October 18, 2005

Energy Efficiency Programs For Existing Commercial And Institutional Buildings Renamed, Renewed And Expanded

Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) has announced a major new federal government program to fund energy efficiency improvements in existing buildings. This coincides with the winding up of the Energy Innovators 'Energy Retrofit Assistance' (ERA) program.

The salient points of the announcement are:

1. The new program is named EnerGuide for Existing Buildings (EEB).
2. The program will provide a total of $210 million in new funding for energy efficiency over 5 years i.e., until 2010.
3. The EEB will continue to help commercial businesses improve energy efficiency in existing buildings with a total of $53 million committed over the next five years.
4. A new component of EEB, the Community and Institutional Buildings Program will expand on existing programs. Specifically, it will target community buildings and hospitals, schools, universities and other institutional buildings and help them reduce energy use and improve the energy efficiency of their facilities. A total of $157 million has been earmarked for the Community and Institutional Buildings Program, which should lead to energy saving retrofits in over 8,000 institutional buildings.
5. With both components, EEB financial incentives will help pay for energy saving retrofits. Eligible organizations will receive up to 25% of the cost of the project to a maximum of $250,000 for retrofit measures that lead to verified energy savings. Training and information on energy efficiency are also provided.
6. The previously announced deadline for applications to the predecessor ERA program (January 31, 2006) has now effectively been removed.
7. Funding for planning activities (previously known as ERA [P]) will remain, however any funds provided for planning will reduce the total amount available for retrofits.
8. All applications for EEB incentives for energy retrofit implementation projects or for planning activities must be reviewed and approved by the Office of Energy Efficiency (OEE) Director-General before any contracts are signed or work is begun. This change, which applies to all applications received starting Monday, October 17, 2005, is expected to increase processing time by up to three weeks.

 

For more information on these and other energy efficiency incentive programs, and how Energy Advantage can assist you in the process, please contact Peter Rowles at 905-319-1717 extension 230, or Shannon Turnbull at extension 299.