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Incentive Applications

Demand Side Management (DSM) programs offer rebates to eligible utility customers who are contemplating installing energy saving technologies. Eligibility requirements are often challenging, even for the most sophisticated customer.

Finn Projects is thoroughly conversant with the (ever-changing) rules and regulations surrounding various DSM eligibility requirements, and help clients navigate the system.

Finn Projects is familiar with, and can assist clients with their applications for the following incentive programs:


Ontario Power Authority - saveONenergy Programs    

The OPA provides a province-wide electricity conservation program for multi-unit residential and commercial buildings with financial incentives for electricity efficiency retrofits, energy audits, and tenant education programs. The program is delivered by the local hydro companies and pre-approval is required.

Energy Audits

The incentives to complete energy audits of potential energy and demand savings from equipment replacement projects, operational practices and procedures, and participation in demand response initiatives are:

  • For buildings up to 30,000 sq. ft. the incentive for an ASHRAE Level II Energy Audit is $0.10/sq.ft. up to a maximum of 50% of Electricity survey and Analysis costs, whichever is less.
  • For buildings larger than 30,000 sq.ft. the incentive for an ASHRAE Level II Energy Audit is $3,000 for the first 30,000 square feet and $0.05/sq.ft. for each incremental sq.ft. up to a maximum of 50% of Electricity Survey and Analysis costs or up to $25,000, whichever is less.
  • For an ASHRAE Level III Energy Audit for buildings greater than 50,000 sq.ft. the incentive is $0.10 per sq.ft. up to a maximum of 50% of the energy audit costs, or up to $10,000, whichever is less.

Equipment Replacement

The program provides incentives for Prescriptive, Custom or Engineered energy efficiency measures. The Custom or Engineered measure incentives are:

  • $400/kW or $0.05/kWh for lighting measures (whichever is higher) to a maximum of 50% of the project costs.
  • $800/kW or $0.10/kWh for non-lighting measures (whichever is higher), including lighting controls, to a maximum of 50% of the project costs.

Existing Building Commissioning

The program provides incentives for large buildings (>50,000ft2) with chiller water plants. The participant incentives are broken down into four project phases:

  • Scoping Study: amount charged, to a maximum of $2,500.
  • Investigation Phase: up to $30,000.
  • Implementation Phase: up to $5,000 plus up to 50% of purchasing and installing equipment costs.
  • Completion Phase: amount charged, to a maximum of $2,500.

Direct Install Lighting (Small Commercial Buildings Only)

The Direct Install Lighting program offers up to $1,000 in free energy efficient lighting retrofits for the small commercial sector. Companies that participate in the Direct Install Lighting Program are eligible for a series of lighting upgrades between $300 and $1,000.

The Direct install Lighting program is being offered to small business customers who are located in targeted service areas of a participating local electricity distribution company (LDC) and have an electricity demand of less than 50 kW.

Ontario Power Authority - microFIT Program

The OPA's microFIT program is a stream of the Ontario Power Authority's (OPA) Feed-in Tariff (FIT) that it is intended to encourage the development of "microscale" renewable energy projects across the province. Owners of these projects will be paid a fixed price for the electricity they produce. Prices are set at a level intended to enable project owners to recover the costs of the projects, as well as to earn a reasonable return on their investment over the term of the contract.

The rate for rooftop solar photovoltaics (PV) is presently set at 80¢/kWh for a 20 year contract.


Enbridge Gas Distribution Incentives

Energy Audits (Hospitals, Long-term Care Facilities, Colleges & Universities Only)

Enbridge Gas Distribution offers financial rebates for energy auditing, based on:

  • 50% of audit cost (maximum of $5,000) or
  • $0.01/m3 of annual gas consumption for a portfolio of buildings (maximum of $15,000).

Buildings must consume more than 150,000 m3 of natural gas per year to qualify for this incentive.  The audit incentive application and audit scope must be pre-approved by Enbridge and must materially meet the requirements of Enbridge's Report Outline.

Equipment Replacement

Enbridge offers financial incentives for energy retrofits, calculated on your projected first year's natural gas savings using the following rates:

  • $0.10/m3 saved for energy retrofit projects (maximum of $100,000).
  • $0.15/m3 saved for condensing boilers (maximum of $30,000/building).

Incentives are remitted upon project completion. Enbridge pre-approval is required.

Enbridge Gas Distribution offers numerous financial incentives for a wide range of prescriptive measures. Please click here for complete list.

School Board Boiler Program

Enbridge offers financial incentives for non-atmospheric spacing heating boiler applications for schools. The incentives are as follows:

  • $1,000/elementary school
  • $4,300/per secondary school

Union Gas Incentives   

Energy Audits & Studies

Union Gas offers the following custom energy efficiency program financial incentives:

  • Energy Efficiency Feasibility Study (Industrial)- 50% up to $10,000.
  • Energy Efficiency Feasibility Study (Commercial) - 30% up to $4,000
  • Steam Trap Survey - 50% up to $6,000
  • Design Assistance Program (DAP) - up to $4,000 per project
  • Industrial Process Study - 66% up to $20,000

Equipment Replacement

Union Gas offers financial incentives for energy efficiency equipment replacement measures at 15% of incremental high efficiency upgrade costs, up to $40,000.

Union Gas also provides prescriptive incentives for programmable thermostats, condensing boilers, demand control kitchen ventilation, infrared heaters, energy recovery ventilators, heat recovery ventilators, destratification fans, pre-rinse spray nozzles, condensing gas water heaters and front-loading clothes washers.


Water Conservation

A number of cities and towns provide incentives for low-flow toilet and dual-flow toilet replacement and high-efficiency (HE) commercial washer replacement.

The Region of York offers the following incentives:   

  • Water Capacity Buyback Program for ICI provides a rebate of $0.30/litre of water. (institutional, commercial and industrial buildings only)
  • Free kitchen pre-rinse spray nozzles for foodservice facilities
  • $75 per 4.8 litre, low-flow toilet installed
  • $75 per high efficiency, dual-flush toilet installed
  • $140 per flush-valve toilet
  • $100 per front-loading washing machine