What is Energy Efficiency Alberta?
Energy Efficiency Alberta is an agency that was introduced by the Government of Alberta to help Albertans become more aware about their energy consumption, to help create more efficient means of consuming energy, and to help the province save energy overall while also ensuring that the quality of life remains the same in a province whose economy is so intrinsically shaped by the energy industry.
In addition to raising awareness about economic and environmental consequences of high energy consumption, the agency mandates the promotion, design, and delivery of programs and activities that will help Albertans achieve energy efficiency and conservation. The agency also has ambitions to contribute to the development of micro-generation and small-scale energy systems within Alberta, as well as to develop an industry around energy efficiency services.
In other words, the aim of Energy Efficiency Alberta is to create programs that will make energy conservation more accessible and affordable, so all Albertans can begin to experience the benefits and savings of energy efficiency.
How it all began:
The foundations for Energy Efficiency Alberta began in 2015 with the Climate Leadership Plan, a strategy for simultaneously reducing carbon emissions, diversifying the economy, and creating jobs that involved reinvesting revenue from the carbon levy back into Alberta’s economy. By June of 2016, the Alberta Energy Efficiency Advisory Panel was established, and in January of 2017, the panel’s final report, titled Getting It Right: A More Energy Efficient Alberta, was released to the Climate Change Office.
The report advised that multiple products and programs be created to help spread the ease and accessibility of energy efficiency to Albertan residents and business owners. These included Residential Direct Install; Consumer Products; Business, Non-Profit, Institution Incentives; and Small Solar PV.
Energy Efficiency Alberta’s program was designed, and the agency was officially established in January of 2017.
By the spring of 2017, a series of initial programs were launched, including: · The Residential No-Charge Energy Savings Program, which will provide 150,000 registered Albertans with more energy efficient products, including lightbulbs, shower heads, faucet
aerators, advanced power bars, and smart thermostats. Alberta is expected to save close to 1 million gigajoules of energy per year as a result of the program, in addition to reducing more than 50,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions and saving 4 million cubic metres of water. · The Residential Retail Products Program, which provides residents with information on the online rebates, instant savings, and home improvement rebates they can access. · The Business, Non-Profit, and Institutional Energy Savings Program, which provides reimbursements and other incentives to encourage organizations to choose high-efficiency products. · The Residential and Commercial Solar Program, which provides homeowners, businesses, and non-profits with rebates when they install solar photovoltaic (PV) systems. The program is expected to support the creation of 900 jobs in Alberta’s solar sector; cut solar installation costs by 25-30 per cent for businesses, non-profits, and residences; and reduce Alberta’s greenhouse gas emissions by half a million tonnes by 2019.
Other energy efficiency programs offered include:
- Non-Profit Energy Efficiency Transition Program (NEET)
- Growing Forward On-Farm Energy Management Program
- The Municipal Climate Change Action Centre (MCCAC)
- The Alberta Indigenous Community Energy Program (AICEP)
- The Seniors Home and Adaptation Repair Program (SHARP)
For more information about the energy rebates, incentives, and initiatives near you, visit energyrates.ca.
