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Funding Opportunity: Energy Saving Grants for Businesses in Alberta

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Emissions Reduction Alberta’s (ERA) Energy Savings for Business

UPDATE: Applications submitted after April 1, 2023, were added to a waitlist and reviewed in the order of receipt. Therefore, If you wish to submit a new application, your project will be added to a waitlist and they will contact you if funding becomes available. According to the website, any projects submitted to the waitlist are not guaranteed funding.

The Energy Reduction Alberta (ERA) Energy Savings for Business (ESB) is a funding opportunity to support small, medium, commercial and industrial businesses in Alberta. It will help Alberta businesses to reduce emissions, decrease operating costs, grow their operations and become more competitive while creating skilled jobs and boosting economic recovery.

The ESB program offers streamlined application so that businesses will have fast access to energy efficiency incentives, funds for emissions reduction projects or other projects intended for reducing energy costs, natural gas usage or electricity consumption.

UPDATE: The Energy Savings for Business program was upgraded by ERA in late 2021. The program was extended and the incentives limits increased. The completion date for projects funded through the program is now March 31, 2023. The incentive for parent companies has doubled from $500,000 to $1 million.

As of October 6th, 2021, the program budget is $55,000,000.

Up to $250,000 is available per project and up to $1 million per parent company is available to cover the cost of products and services. The minimum incentive amount is $500.

The registration page can be found on the official program page.

What is Emissions Reduction Alberta (ERA)?

Emissions Reduction Alberta is a registered tradename of the Climate Change and Emissions Management (CCEMC) Corporation – the ERA was created in 2009 to help deliver on the province’s environmental and economic goals. ERA acts on climate change and supports economic growth through investing in the pilot, demonstration and deployment of clean technology solutions that reduce GHGs, lower costs, attract investment, and create jobs in Alberta.

To date, ERA has invested approximately $607 million in 183 technology projects worth over $4.1 billion.

Which businesses are eligible for the ERA program?

Eligible organizations include, but are not limited to:

  • Individual businesses
  • Non-profit organizations
  • Co-operatives
  • Private schools not eligible for government funding
  • The common spaces and equipment in multi-unit residential buildings
  • Farms registered as a business.
  • Manufacturing operations
  • Food processing
  • Agricultural sector
  • Warehouse / wholesale trade
  • Retail, restaurants, and food services
  • Building management companies
  • Accommodation sector
  • Energy (oil and gas)
  • Forestry/paper
  • Waste management
  • Non-profit organizations

Governments, publicly funded institutions, and private residences are ineligible. New builds are not eligible for the Energy Savings for Business Program, with the exception of solar PV, CHP, and geothermal at this time. All other facilities must have a non-residential electricity account in operation for one year or more.

For projects to be eligible, they must occur at facilities located within Alberta, meet project timeline requirements and follow the criteria outlined in the Participant Terms and Conditions.

Energy Savings for Business dates and deadlines

For projects that began before the opening of this program, any expenses incurred before November 2, 2020, will not be eligible in the program. Any eligible expenses incurred between November 2, 2020, and March 31, 2023, must be submitted to ERA via the Program Portal by March 31, 2023.

Submitting an application for project pre-approval is required to be eligible for funding, as funding will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. Projects starting after February 1, 2021 must submit an application before incurring any eligible expenses. Expenses incurred before the application submission will not be eligible and will not be included in the incentive calculations.

Pre-approval reservations are generally valid for up to six months from the date that the approval is granted. Large CHP, solar PV, and geothermal projects may request timeline extensions at pre-approval and will be reviewed and approved on a case-by-case basis. The longest funding reservation permitted within the program is 12 months. Any approved deadline extensions will also be clearly shown on the application approval form.

Energy-efficient products eligible for incentives by ERA’s Energy Savings for Business program

Motors and Drives

  • VFD for Fan or Pump Motor
  • Premium Efficient Motor –ODP
  • Premium Efficient Motor –TEFC
  • Notched or Synchronous Belt Retrofit

Compressed Air

  • VSD Air Compressor
  • Zero Loss Drain
  • Nozzles
  • Compressed Air Storage
  • Cycling or Thermal Mass Refrigerated Dryer
  • Dessicant Dryer Dewpoint Demand Controls
  • Low Pressure Drop Filter

Refrigeration

  • Anti-Sweat Heater Controls
  • Automatic Door Closer
  • Evaporator Fan Control
  • Night Covers
  • Strip Curtain

Lighting Systems

  • Downlight Fixtures and Retrofit Kits
  • LED Exit Signs
  • Troffer Fixtures and Kits
  • Refrigerated Case Lighting LED
  • Exterior LED Fixtures
  • Accent or Track Lighting
  • Linear LED Fixture Replacement or Retrofit
  • Bay LED Fixture

Lighting Controls

  • Daylight Controls
  • Occupancy Controls
  • Bi-Level Control

Onsite Generation

  • Solar PV
  • Combined Heat and Power

Geothermal

  • Ground Source Heat Pump

Other ways you can save on your business energy costs in Alberta

Whether you’re searching for more information about business energy efficiency or for energy efficiency programs in Alberta or elsewhere, EnergyRates.ca can help. For example, if you’re located in Ontario, this page on Save on Energy details how the Save on Energy website can help you save on energy costs and keep up to date on what rebates are available.

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