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:

IESO - saveONenergy Programs    

The IESO 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.

Retrofit Program

The program provides incentives for Prescriptive or Custom energy efficiency measures. The Custom 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.
• Social housing providers get double the participant incentive, capped at 50 per cent of the project cost.

Incentive levels are based on a predefined amount. Incentive amounts for lighting and other measures (which include lighting controls) are offered per unit of product.

Direct Install Lighting (Small Commercial Buildings Only)

The Direct Install Lighting program offers up to $2,000 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 of up to $2,000.

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 50 or fewer employees at the facility at any point in time.

Enbridge Gas Distribution Incentives

Commercial Custom Retrofit Program

Enbridge offers financial incentives for investing in capital projects that save natural gas. Examples of common projects include upgrading to energy efficient boilers and water heaters, installing make-up air units, or implementing building controls. Financial incentive of $0.20/m3 natural gas saved up to 50% of project cost to a maximum of $100,000 per project.

Affordable Housing Multi-Residential Conservation Program

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

• Up to $5,000 per building
• An annual maximum limit of $40,000 per housing provider applies

Equipment Replacement

Enbridge offers financial incentives for energy retrofits, calculated based on a one-time energy saving retrofit incentive of $0.04 per lifetime m³ of gas saved, up to a maximum of $200,000 or 50% of the retrofit cost (whichever is less).

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.

Water Conservation

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

The City of Toronto offers the following incentives:

• Water Capacity Buy Back Program provides a rebate of up to $0.30/liter of water (commercial and institutional buildings only)

The Region of York offers the following incentives:   

• Water-Use and Wastewater Quality Consultation Program, which provides a free consultation including a water-use profile of the facility, customized recommendations of potential water saving opportunities, information to help develop a business case for replacements or upgrades and a wastewater quality improvement plan, and access of up to $50,000 in retrofit incentives.
• ICI Capacity Buyback Incentive Program for Businesses, which provides a rebate of $0.30/litre of water. (institutional, commercial, and industrial buildings only, or up to 50 per cent of the total capital cost of the retrofit to a maximum of $50,000.

The Region of Waterloo offers the following incentives:

• The Water Efficient Technology Program (W.E.T) offers free water use reviews, identifying possible opportunities for savings.
• 50% of the cost of an in-depth water use audit to a maximum of $10,000.
• Up to $100,000 in incentives for installing water efficient equipment retrofits.

Peel Region offers the following incentives:

• Free Indoor Water Assessments, which includes recommendations for equipment/process changes.
• Rebates of up to 50% of the costs to make water saving equipment/process improvements, based on the recommendations of an indoor water assessment.

Utilities Kingston offers the following incentives:

• The Water Efficiency Retrofit Incentive Program (WERIP) offers up to 20% of eligible project costs to permanently reduce water consumption by more than 80 m³ per year.
• The Commercial & Multi-Residential Toilet Replacement Rebate offer $60 per toilet replacement of toilets that use 13 Liters per flush or more.