Ontario Housing Co-ops: Energy-Efficient Growth

Enbridge Gas offers a program that will mean energy savings for Ontario housing co‑operatives (customers only) that are planning to add new units.

The Savings by Design Program is for new-construction projects, either low-rise or multi-family elevator buildings. The goal of the program is to integrate energy efficiency into the building, beginning with the design.

This program provides free design consulting and energy modelling, along with financial rewards for achieving better energy efficiency than the Ontario Building Code (OBC) calls for.

For low-rise construction, such as walk-up apartment buildings or townhouses, Enbridge aims for energy efficiency that is 15 per cent above the OBC requirements and seven per cent for elevator buildings. Enbridge will help with services and grants worth up to $120,000.

Before getting started, we recommend that you contact an Enbridge Energy Solutions Advisor for more about the programs and how to apply. You can connect with an Energy Solutions Advisor at https://www.enbridgegas.com/business-industrial/incentives-conservation/energy-solutions-advisor?program=IncentiveConv

Program Steps:

1. Visioning Session: initial meeting between Enbridge’s agent and the co-op’s design team. The agenda takes you through the following:
   1. Discuss project and sustainability goals
   2. Identify priorities and areas of interest
   3. Decide what experts you need to talk to at the IDP workshop. The initial design information will be used to create a baseline energy model for the IDP workshop.
   4. Visioning Session Summary

2. IDP Workshop: a free facilitated workshop to help with your design. Energy modellers and experts in sustainable design will help you plan your building to use less energy. Live energy modelling shows how the suggested design improvements will benefit your co‑op. Strategies, savings and the results from energy modelling are documented in an IDP Workshop Report. Your co-op will receive

• a Workshop Report
• a Technical Assistance Incentive ($)

3. Construction: When construction is complete, your co-op will receive

• a Savings Verification Report
• an Energy Performance Incentive ($)

4. Commissioning

• Commissioning Report, after construction (confirming that your new construction is at least seven per cent or greater above code, meeting a post-construction certified energy model)
• Commissioning Incentive ($)

Financial Incentives

* x = the level of energy efficiency achieved above OBC requirements.

† Per-unit incentives available to a max of $120,000

Remember to contact an Enbridge Energy Solutions Advisor before you apply: https://www.enbridgegas.com/business-industrial/incentives-conservation/energy-solutions-advisor?program=IncentiveConv

For more information, please check Enbridge Gas’ website: https://www.enbridgegas.com/business-industrial/incentives-conservation/programs-and-incentives