Canada's rocky road to decarbonization just got a bit clearer. As the country aims to reduce its reliance on carbon-emitting energy, its reliance on the electrical grid and the value of energy projects will increase. In many areas building owners are already feeling the pressure of the limited grid capacity with long wait times for service expansions and new connections. With this in mind, energy projects that reduce energy use and provide distributed energy resources are becoming more widespread with growing incentives and support from the government.
The Path to Net-Zero Carbon
In order to reach its goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, Canada has been pushing for reduced usage of carbon-emitting energy such as natural gas, and gasoline by promoting heat pumps, EVs, EV charging, etc. This is especially true in provinces like Ontario where grid energy largely generated by nuclear power and is very clean.
While on paper this may seem like a simple transition, the reality is a bit more complicated. In older buildings with grandfathered infrastructure that is close to its end of life, mandates for more efficient and newer equipment can often put building owners in tough situations. For the vast majority of building owners and managers, energy efficiency isn't their core business and isn't on their mind until the bills come in. While many organizations would love to reduce energy and operating costs and expand their business, it can be hard to justify the capital investment.
Distributed Energy and Decentralized Power
Today many building owners are now looking into energy projects for increased savings and available power in their buildings, but are avoiding costly and at times unavailable utility upgrades. We have seen a growing trend in our clients that many are considering energy projects to save on energy costs and meet regulatory mandates, however they do not know where to start.
As energy experts and engineers, we always recommend that clients start with an energy audit if they have never had one done, or do not know where to start. Each building, the way its used, and the goals of the owners/management create unique cases the must be analyzed to make accurate recommendations. From there, we can help inform them of the available solutions and build a business case for the project.
Available and Upcoming Opportunities
In late 2022 Canada announced the Canada Growth Fund, which is a $15 billion investment into decarbonizing the Canadian economy. This fund was made in response to the U.S.'s Inflation Reduction Act which invested heavily into clean energy, meaning we should be able to expect investment tax credits of about 30% of capital costs on energy storage and generation systems. Not many details of this program such as eligibility and timeline have been announced yet, but we are keeping a close eye on it.
Natural Resource Canada's Zero Emission Vehicle Infrastructure Program is planned to open its next public intake window in Spring 2023. This program offers up 50% funding of project costs for EV chargers, contact us or see program page for more details and eligibility.
How We Can Help
Mann Energy Solutions (MES) is a professional consulting engineering company that specializes in electrical and energy solutions, including engineering and implementation. Our experienced engineers can help work with your building’s unique profile to identify spare electrical capacity, energy saving opportunities, and design the best system for you. We have extensive experience with energy retrofits that make the most of your existing electrical capacity by optimizing building processes and equipment such as lighting, mechanical systems, electrical loads, and building envelope to reduce your energy use.
Our firm has hundreds of installed electrical and power projects and we have been in business since 1983. Some of our services include:
Free site walk-through by our experienced engineers and technicians to provide an initial site assessment
Engineering feasibility studies
Incentive study and application
Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) for a turnkey project
Coordination with utilities for distribution system upgrades, service size expansions, and microgeneration through solar PV , energy storage and cogeneration
Energy storage
For more information or a complimentary assessment contact us through the main site, info@mannenergysolutions.com, or call (905) 597-5855.
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