BEIC Summer E-Newsletter 2022

Welcome to BEIC's Newest Members!

We are pleased to welcome HydroFlow Canada as a new member.

Lessons from the United States on “Buying Clean” and recommendations for Canada

Governments around the world are increasingly using public procurement—the systems governments use to make purchasing decisions—as a tool to tackle climate change and support low-carbon jobs. From Canada to the U.S. to the EU, governments are using “Buy Clean” policies to incentivize the use of lowercarbon construction materials in infrastructure projects like roads, bridges, and buildings. Full story

QEA Tech has been selected as the vendor of choice to complete Infrared Thermography Imaging audits of 15 buildings for the City of Ottawa

The City of Ottawa released an RFP for a complete Infrared Thermography Imaging audit of 15 buildings on February 16, 2022. After a competitive Request of Proposal (RFP) process, QEA Tech was selected as the vendor for the project. The project will help advance the City of Ottawa’s goal of reducing the energy intensity and GHG emissions of its building portfolio. The city identified 15 buildings with high energy consumption as a function of operation and surface area. Full story

QEA Tech accepted into the NYC Acclerator Service Provider Program

QEA Tech is thrilled to announce that we have been accepted into NYC Accelerator! As part of NYC Accelerator, QEA Tech will be plugged into the NYC market and have the opportunity to contribute to the #decarbonization of NYC. QEA Tech aligns strongly with NYC Accelerator’s mission and vision. With the proliferation of local sustainability laws, especially Local Laws 11 and 97, and other drivers of GHG reduction in NYC, QEA Tech is excited to empower local building managers and owners with in-depth, AI-enabled analysis and data-driven insights to make significant reductions in GHG emissions. 

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Repeat winners figure in ENERGY STAR awards

The 10 recipients of the 2022 ENERGY STAR Canada awards for existing commercial and institutional buildings represent a balance of new and old, with five repeat winners from last year. This year’s honourees are drawn from the pool of 283 ENERGY STAR certified buildings Canada-wide, and include six office buildings, a multifamily condominium complex, a school, a long-term care facility and a hospital. Full story

Canada’s energy saving efforts lag U.S.

Canadian provinces fell far short of energy saving efforts in the top-performing U.S. states in 2020. However, the gap between the leaders and the worst-performing U.S. states was wider still. Evidence from Efficiency Canada’s provincial energy efficiency scorecard and similar scrutiny of U.S. states produced by the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE) show setbacks in both countries as the COVID-19 pandemic curtailed conservation programs.

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CDM could spell global energy-use avoidance

Conservation and demand management could deliver worldwide annual energy-use avoidance of 95 exajoules (EJ), equivalent to nearly 278 million megawatt-hours, concludes a report released last week at the 7th Annual Global Conference on Energy Efficiency in Sønderborg, Denmark. Canada is among dozens of national delegations in attendance to endorse urgent action on energy efficiency — recognizing it as one the most straightforward paths to easing reliance on fossil fuels and curbing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Full story

Retrofit aggregator tapped for GTHA region

Efficiency Capital will serve as a retrofit aggregator for Canada Infrastructure Bank’s $2-billion Commercial Building Retrofit Initiative. A newly announced commitment of $50 million in federal funding along with the service provider’s 20 per cent equity capital stake will create a $62.5 million pool to devise and implement projects to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Ehren Corey, chief executive officer of the Canada Infrastructure Bank (CIB) commends Efficiency Capital’s business model, which provides clients in the buildings sector with upfront capital to undertake required work in turn for a share of end-of-project utility cost savings. Full story

Comparative energy scores reset apartment hunt

Access to comparative energy scores could sway prospective renters’ evaluation of available apartments. Newly released study findings from the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) show a 21 per cent increase in traffic to the most energy-efficient units when scores appear on all rental listings, whereas there is little discernible uptick in interest when information is displayed only for the best-performing units with no comparative context. Results of the controlled experiment, involving 2,455 participants considered to be roughly representative of the U.S. population, also indicate prospective renters were more willing to consider units with higher rents if they were attached to better energy scores. Full story