Information from: Alberta Ecotrust Foundation & The Government of Canada
On September 24th, 2024, the Alberta Ecotrust Foundation announced the official launch of the Retrofit Accelerator Program. This program is designed to help building owners and managers reduce their buildings’ emissions through deep retrofits.
Many building owners and managers face challenges when it comes to prioritizing sustainable building upgrades. The Alberta Ecotrust Retrofit Accelerator Program aims to foster an environment where retrofits become a routine part of building management.
What is a Deep Retrofit?
Deep retrofits go beyond standard upgrades. With a deep retrofit, you undertake an extensive overhaul of your building’s systems that can save you 60 percent or more of your energy costs. This takes a whole-building approach to optimizing a building to reduce its emissions, energy consumption and operating costs.
Why invest in Energy Retrofits?
Retrofits that make your building more energy efficient will lower your building expenses, streamline your maintenance & management requirements, improve building performance, comfort and air quality for your occupants, increase the value and productivity of your building, and reduce your environmental footprint and energy use.
The Retrofit Accelerator Program includes:
- Day-to-day assistance throughout retrofit planning, design and implementation.
- Retrofit plans tailored to your unique needs, barriers and budgets.
- Solutions for integrating retrofits into your building’s regular upkeep schedule.
- Uncovering the benefits and potential cost-savings associated with retrofits.
- Exploring various funding, financing and grant options.
- Providing partial funding for studies like energy assessments and business case development.
Alberta Ecotrust Retrofit Accelerator’s team offers coaching support throughout deep retrofit planning, design and implementation in Alberta. They help to identify priorities and cost-saving opportunities, navigate financing and funding applications or opportunities, and find ways for participants to integrate retrofits into their regular maintenance. The program is broken down into 5 distinct phases:
- Application, screening and onboarding
- Benchmarking & desktop assessment
- Identify financing & funding options
- Assessments & deep retrofit planning
- Design, implementation and measurement
Williams Engineering is excited to be one of the pre-qualified vendors collaborating with Alberta Ecotrust to support participants in the program and contribute to the development of Alberta’s sustainable retrofit industry.
This program will help reduce barriers and make retrofits more accessible for building owners and managers. We are working to enhance the building industry’s knowledge and ability to implement deep retrofits through capacity building, training, peer-to-peer networking, and research.
If you want more information, or to apply for the program, visit: Alberta Ecotrust Retrofit Accelerator