Conservation Measures

Ontario benchmarking

Smaller buildings spared Ontario benchmarking

Owners of smaller commercial and multi-residential buildings in Ontario will still be welcome to voluntarily share energy and water consumption data, but a looming deadline for mandatory disclosure has been withdrawn.
environmental approvals

Friendlier CHP environmental approvals welcome

It's still unclear how the process of securing environmental approvals for combined heat and power systems will be streamlined, but the Ontario government's recent pledge has been greeted enthusiastically in the buildings sector.
energy efficiency programs

Alberta won’t rescue energy efficiency programs

The move concludes the process begun five months ago when the newly elected United Conservative Party government repealed the carbon tax and eliminated the funding source for the incentives.
climate action

Energy efficiency primed for climate action

Few signatories to the Paris Agreement have specifically listed energy efficiency targets in required national plans for meeting their commitments so Three Percent Club founders see plenty of room to capture untapped emissions reductions.
Alberta energy efficiency programs

Alberta energy efficiency programs in question

Ontario draws on the legacy of more than a dozen years of programming, while Energy Efficiency Alberta has had little time to capture public or capital planners' attention.
Ontario to offset electricity costs with fixed rate for global adjustment in April, May and June

Nova Scotia to dim focus on lighting incentives

With the largest share of relatively inexpensive lighting upgrades completed, finding additional energy savings gets more complicated and costly. However, significant paybacks are projected from the increase in upfront program costs.
retail plaza

Canada invests in deep energy retrofits at Edmonton residence

The Government of Canada announced it is investing $2.5 million towards clean energy upgrades at 59 Sundance Housing Co-operative in Edmonton.
unpaid building code advisors

Ontario spurns unpaid building code advisors

The 2019 Ontario budget lists the Building Code Conservation Advisory Council among 10 provincial agencies deemed to be unnecessary or imprudent expenditures.
Toronto community housing

A new dawn for Toronto Community Housing

Toronto’s crumbling community housing stock is receiving some much-needed financial support to the tune of 1.3 billion, making it the largest federal housing investment in the city's history.
OREA

Renovating your apartment: Is it worth it?

Renovations or retrofits to an investment property that increase rents and/or decrease operating costs may also increase a property’s value. Cost and value, however, are not synonymous, and not all renovations are as profitable as one might expect.
Green Energy Repeal Act

CDM mandate survives Green Energy Repeal Act

Selected provisions enabling some of Ontario's key energy and water conservation programs will be transferred to the Electricity Act.
time-of-use electricity rates

Time-of-use electricity rates spark debate

The Ontario NDP's proposed plan would focus efforts to manage peak demand more narrowly on the Industrial Conservation Initiative and voluntary residential programs enabled through smart grid technology.
conservation costs

Ontario candidates overstate conservation costs

The upfront costs of Ontario's electricity conservation programs are lower than some candidates for provincial office are alleging.
Long Term Energy Plan

Long Term Energy Plan reframes CDM incentive

Ontario's newly released provincial Long Term Energy Plan, now updated to replace the 2013 version, rescinds favoured status for combined heat and power systems that rely on fossil fuels.

Thermal metering regulations coming to Canada

While oversight of electricity and gas metering has been in place for quite some time, thermal metering has remained unchecked in Canada. But not for long.
Alberta

Alberta rolls out energy conservation programs

Commercial business operators and broader public sector entities such as health care facilities, schools, universities and colleges can claim for partial refunds of applicable purchases made since March 24 of this year.
commercial real estate

Top 14 stories to watch in 2017

Last year, the commercial real estate industry faced a number of diverse challenges and successes that are expected to develop throughout 2017. Here, REMI’s award-winning