Ontario is one of Canada’s largest provinces and areas that is working on improving energy efficiency and creating better workplaces in larger commercial and institutional businesses across Canada. The Existing Building Commissioning Program (EBCx) in Ontario is a program that is designed to help owners, operators and managers to better understand and improve their managements and companies, while reducing carbon footprints and energy waste.
If you’re in Ontario or are looking for ways to help increase business while creating a healthier atmosphere, the article below outlines what the program is, who can benefit from it, and what it entails to apply and be involved. There are more retrofit programs in Ontario currently, some even that are residential users as well, instead of solely business and commercial users.
Who is this program for?
This program is designed to help owners, operators, and managers of commercial and institutional buildings in Ontario improve their energy management, implementing building management best practices to help reduce energy waste, enhance occupant comfort, and increase profitability.
It is for owners/operators/managers of commercial or institutional buildings looking to hire qualified commissioning providers to recommission at their facilities to realize energy savings from improved facility operations and maintenance (O&M) business practices. The EBCx program offers financial incentives to do so. Anyone in that position to reduce environmental impacts, better impact their workers’ comfort, increase profits, and optimize their current working setups.
Who can apply for the Existing Building Commissioning Program?
The ones that can apply for the EBCx Program are owners, operators, or managers of a commercial or institutional building, while also meeting the following requirements:
Facilities must include:
- A minimum of 12 months of consecutive energy data
- Have consumed a minimum of 750,000 kWh per annum, not including energy consumed by industrial and manufacturing processes
- Have baseline models meeting the minimum standards – (Refer to the Measurement and Verification (M&V) Guidelines or speak to the commissioning exercise in the last two years
- Not having undertaken a commissioning exercise in the last two years
- Not be participating in a building accreditation system that requires EBCx as a pre-requisite
- Be connected to or behind the meter of an electricity customer connected to the IESO-controlled grid or a distribution system
- Meet any other eligibility requirements as outlined in the M&V Guidelines.
Any projects must include one of the following measures as well:
- Occupant behavioural measures
- Set point and scheduling optimization
- Air and water balancing
- Other operational and maintenance changes
- Equipment repairs and minor replacements
It is also recommended to anyone who wants to ensure all measurements are properly in order to speak to the commissioning provider for technical assistance or further information.
How it works and what it offers
The EBCx Program has three phases and incentives that are available to participants who complete each one.
- Investigation Phase
Hire a CP to investigate your facility, prepare a report, and draft a commissioning plan of action.
- Receive up to $0.06 per square foot of the building area, subject to a maximum of $50,000 per facility and/or 75% of the costs paid by the participant to the commissioning provider to undertake the investigation.
- Implementation Phase
Implement energy-efficiency measures identified in the commissioning plan.
- Receive an incentive of $0.03 per kWh of confirmed energy savings, subject to a maximum of 30% of the facility’s annual electricity consumption (kWh) calculated using the baseline model or $50,000, whichever is lower.
- Persistence Phase
Receive training from your CP to maintain and monitor the system for one year.
- Receive an incentive of $0.03 per kWh of persisting energy savings, subject to a maximum 30% of the facility’s annual electricity consumption (kWh) calculated using the baseline model or $50,000, whichever is lower. Savings are calculated and verified after the 12-month period.
The EBCx’s Program offers financial incentives to commercial building owners to hire qualified commissioning providers to undertake building recommissioning at the facilities, helping to realize energy savings from improved facility operations and maintenance (O&M) business practices. The building commissioning process is carried out by an accredited building commissioning provider who will identify potential energy conservation measures and work with the participant to implement recommended building improvements.
It also provides pay-for-performance incentives for savings achieved through the implementation of these practices. The commissioning provider will train participants to engage in ongoing commissioning and integrate this process into their standard management practices.
The benefits of participating in the program; it can:
- Increase profitability and property values by reducing operating costs and prolonging equipment life for higher profits and property values.
- Reduces environmental impacts as a commissioning provider can help identify ways to reduce energy use and achieve a lower carbon footprint.
- Develop a continuous improvement mindset as the program provides training on how to improve building management practices and how to implement a continuous improvement process, making savings likely to persist and continue over time.
- Enhance occupant comfort with better indoor air quality, thermal comfort, reduced noise, and more – employees and occupants, everyone, will benefit from improved building management practices.
Other ways you can save on your business energy costs in Ontario
After learning about some of the available energy efficiency programs in Ontario, you may be wondering about other ways you can save on your business energy costs.
EnergyRates.ca can help with that. The website is a free and unbiased cost comparison tool that can help you find and compare the best energy rates in your area, regardless of whether you’re a residential consumer, small business consumer, small commercial consumer, large commercial consumer or industrial energy consumer.
If you’re looking for a more green and sustainable way to save, we can help with that too – our team EnergyRates.ca can help you compare various green energy solutions, including renewable energy credits (RECs) and carbon offsets.
