By Laura Gibson & Kevin Watt

Another hot summer is expected meaning another strained summer of cranked air conditioning. Demand for electricity and other energy sources rocket during this period, as do accompanying carbon emission rates. In terms of climate change, this issue of temperature control in buildings is recognized by Mayor David Miller as the biggest challenge facing the City of Toronto. The simplest way to reduce this strain on energy supply is for energy users to implement energy conservation measures – for temperature controls as well as other classic energy sources including lighting, ventilation, industrial processes and more.

Many companies and organizations wish to take action on demand reduction projects, but are hesitant to make required initial investments. It has been recognized that retrofitting the entire city will cost tens of millions of dollars. With this in mind, Mayor Miller has harnessed the support of the Clinton Foundation, which will provide Toronto with these tens of millions of dollars to renovate and retrofit buildings with the latest energy-saving technology. While not attracting as much press as the announcement from the Clinton Foundation, Building Owners and Management Association (BOMA), Toronto Hydro and Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) have launched financial incentives to organizations that successfully cutback their energy use this summer. These incentives will allow companies to fully justify implementing energy conservationstrategies. As well as experiencing a reduction in their own energy costs, participating organizations will contribute more widely towards supporting both the environment and maintaining the long-term economic sustainability of the Greater Toronto area. These measures will keep Toronto as a forerunner of progressive green values in their global race to be the greenest city in the world

BOMA Conservation & Demand Management Program

BOMA has teamed up with the Ontario Power Authority (OPA) to develop the Conservation Demand Management program (CDM), which was launched spring 2007 in preparation for the heavy summer electricity loads. BOMA expects the CDM program to reduce energy use by 150MW over the next three years in the Toronto region. To meet this target, the CDM program encourages retrofit projects to achieve sustainable savings in commercial buildings by offering attractive financial incentives: $400.00 per kW on-peak summer demand reduction or $0.05 per kWh of annual energy reduction, with incentives capped at forty percent of the capital cost of the project. The OPA is funding $75M to ensure the success of this venture.

BOMA CDM Example: