Benchmark Study on Green Buildings - Royal Architectural Institute ...

2005. The expanded program will help retrofit up to 750,000 homes and will include a
new supplemental incentive for energy efficiency measures in electrically heated homes,
averaging $250. Since its launch in October 2003, the EnerGuide for Houses Retrofit
Incentive has paid out close to 30,000 grants totalling $20 million. Over 130,000
evaluations have been performed since the launch of the retrofit incentive and the average
grant is about $750. On average, qualifying homeowners have reduced their energy use
by about 30 percent, and reduced the GHG emissions by four tonnes. To be eligible for a
grant, homeowners must have an EnerGuide for Houses evaluation of their home done
before and after making energy-efficiency improvements. The amount of the grant will
depend on the difference between the EnerGuide for Houses energy efficiency rating
before retrofits and after they are done.The EnerGuide for Houses Retrofit Incentive was
expanded to include owners of low-rise rental properties and assisted housing in June
2005.
In Canada, space heating accounts for 60 percent of household energy use. The High
Efficiency Home Heating System Cost Relief Program, a five-year $105 million initiative,
will provide incentives to Canadians to install modern, efficient heating systems to offset
heating costs over the long-term. Incentives will average $150, ranging from $100 to
$300. Using the latest high-efficiency furnaces can lead to significant energy and money
savings. For example, the efficiency of most older gas heating systems is between 60 to
80 percent, while the efficient systems currently available are rated between 85 to 95
percent efficient. Potentially, energy use could be reduced by as much as 35 percent,
which is the equivalent of saving $350 on an annual heating bill of $1,000. Details of the
program will be developed in discussion with utilities and other partners to build on
existing initiatives and explore the most cost-effective way to deliver the new incentive.
This initiative complements an existing program, the Accelerated Standards Action
Program, which seeks to have more energy efficient equipment in the market through a
combination of promotion, incentives, standards and regulations. This program will be
renewed for five years at a cost of $60 million.
Programs targeted at existing buildings are being renewed and expanded with a $210-
million investment over five years. The Community and Institutional Buildings Program
is a new component of EnerGuide for Existing Buildings (formerly the Energy Innovators
Initiative). It will expand on existing initiatives aimed at community buildings and
hospitals, schools, universities and other institutional buildings and help them reduce
energy use and improve the energy efficiency of their facilities. A total of $157 million
has been earmarked for the Community and Institutional Buildings Program, which will
lead to energy saving retrofits in over 8,000 institutional buildings. EnerGuide for
Existing Buildings (EEB) will also continue to target the commercial and industrial
building sectors with Energy Retrofit Assistance (ERA), a component of the EEB
program. A total of $53 million will renew this component for an additional five years,
which is expected to result in retrofits to 2,600 commercial and industrial buildings. With
both components, EEB financial incentives will help pay for energy saving retrofits.
Eligible organizations will receive up to 25 per cent of the cost of the project to a
maximum of $250,000 for retrofit measures that lead to verified energy savings. Training
and information on energy efficiency are also provided. In total, EEB will leverage over
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