NRCan has just announced its ISO 50001 energy management program will expand to include commercial and institutional buildings, with maximum funding of up to $40,000 per building that qualifies. This is a huge leap forward in regards to seeing more green and sustainable buildings in the commercial and institutional sector, which will help support Canada’s transition to a low carbon economy.
What is ISO 50001?
ISO 50001 is a framework that helps organizations develop their energy management systems. Read below for a quick checklist on what is required for ISO 50001 approval:
- conduct an energy review (analyze energy data, identify areas of significant energy use and identify areas for energy performance improvement)
- establish an energy baseline
- establish energy objectives and targets that are measurable and have timelines for achievement
- establish an action plan to achieve energy objectives and targets
- implement the action plan
- check performance
- monitor, document and report all the above
Organizations that implement ISO 50001 operate with lower energy costs and gain increased competitiveness through minimizing their environmental impacts.
How Can NRCan Help You
To help realize a low carbon economy in Canada, NRCan is offering financial assistance for commercial and institutional building owners to certify their buildings to ISO 50001 specifications. NRCan will provide up to 50% cost-shared financial assistance, with $40,000 being the maximum each building can receive for ISO 50001 approval. Furthermore, these costs can apply to metering software and metering products for your buildings.
“You can apply for financial assistance on metering software and metering products”
Why is Metering Important?
Metering is an important component of any energy management information system. With metering, you can isolate specific building loads, set baselines for each utility (whether water, electric, thermal, gas) and track improvements made to various loads throughout the property. Examples can include production processes, lighting, plug and HVAC loads, and extraordinary loads such as parkades, data centres, and more.
According to the Clean Energy Ministerial, implementing energy saving programs such as ISO 50001 can save up to 40% of energy use in commercial buildings, saving more than $600 million in energy costs, as well as offsetting 6,500 megatons of CO2 emissions!
This is timely help from the Canadian Federal government, as utility costs are expected to rise in the future. Combine this with the fact that commercial buildings use almost 30% more energy than residential buildings, it makes sense to reduce Canada’s largest energy users by taking proactive steps early.
It’s time to start saving energy, and money too. Contact QMC today for more information.
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