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BC Hydro Power Smart
BC Hydro is one of the largest electric utilities in Canada, serving more than 1.6 million customers in an area containing over 94 per cent of British Columbia's population. Power Smart offers customers a variety of programs and tools to reduce energy consumption and electricity bills at their businesses.
Power Smart for Business
BC Hydro’s Power Smart for Business is an excellent online resource for energy management.
- The Product Incentive Program provides financial incentives to businesses who replace existing inefficient products with energy-efficient technologies. Typically, non-profit housing projects are eligible for financial incentives to retrofit common areas.
- Typical retrofits include:
- Incandescent to CFLs
- Fluorescent T12 to T8 lighting
- Incandescent exit signs to LED exit sign
- You can receive incentives for lighting retrofits ranging from $2 - $45 per retrofit.
- Other eligible technologies include a variety of lighting and HVAC products, controls and sensors.
- For a referral to a qualified Power Smart Alliance contractor or for any questions regarding the Product Incentive Program, call 604 522-4713 or 1 866-522-4713 outside the Lower Mainland.
Power Smart at Home
BC Hydro’s Power Smart at Home features programs and tools that help customers save energy and money in their homes.
- Sign up to view your paperless BC Hydro bill, account details and consumption history.
- Use Analyze My Home to conduct a home energy analysis to find out how you can save energy and money in your home.
- Sign up for email newsletters that include ideas on how to save energy and money for your home or business.
Through the Fridge Buy-Back Program, BC Hydro will pickup and recycle your old, inefficient second fridge in an environmentally sound method, and give you $30 for it (maximum 2 fridges per customer account). To arrange for the free pick-up of your second working fridge, call 604 881-HELP (4357) or 1 866 516-HELP (4357) outside the Lower Mainland.
Power Smart Tips & Practices includes information on saving energy for lighting, appliances, home offices, water heating and more.
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BC Non-Profit Housing Association
In partnership with BC Hydro and BC Housing, BCNPHA has hired Mary McWilliam to build up BCNPHA’s Strategic Energy Management Department. Mary encourages BCNPHA members to contact her with respect to facility upgrades, energy efficiency projects, energy retrofit financing and funding, new construction projects, or energy management training. E-mail Mary McWilliam or call 604-291-2600 (1-800-494-8859), ext. 226.
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Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation
CMHC is an important resource:
- A Better Way to Renovate. Highlights of seven Renovation Demonstration projects promoting healthy housing and energy efficiency. Available free. Call 1-800-668-2642.
- Healthy Housing Facts Sheets (9). They illustrate how to implement CMHC’s Healthy Housing principles when renovating: occupant health, energy efficiency, resource efficiency, environmental responsibility, affordability. Available free. Call 1-800-668-2642.
- Healthy Housing: Practical Tips for Your Home. Available free. Call 1-800-668-2642.
- Mechanical and Electrical Systems in Apartments and Multi-Suite Buildings: A Practitioner’s Guide presents best practices for design of mechanical and electrical systems for heating and cooling, ventilation, plumbing and electrical power systems. While geared to designers, it will be of interest to people with system operational experience. Most of the material is quite understandable to the lay person. It has value for understanding (and, in some cases, operating) existing systems, for societies developing a new building, and for upgrading systems. Call 1-800-668-2642 to purchase (order #NHA 2049).
- The Web site offers extensive information on housing. Follow the links to these documents on energy management topics:
- Healthy High-Rise. Chapter 2 Enhancing Energy Performance discusses the energy-waste problems with existing high-rise buildings and offers retrofit options to reduce energy use under the topics: building envelope, space heating and air conditioning, other systems (e.g. controls, motors), lighting and appliances, alternative energy supply systems.
- Insulating Your House Choose the right insulation to reduce the energy you use and make your house more comfortable.
- Water-Saving Tips General watering saving tips to avoid waste from inefficient practices.
- Energy Efficient Upgrade—Mechanical Systems Upgrading HVAC equipment is a good idea, but understand how the overall performance of the house will be affected.
- Energy Efficient Retrofit—The Building Envelope Improving the building envelope can result in a better insulated, more airtight home that is easier to heat.
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Canadian Energy Efficiency Alliance
The Canadian Energy Efficency Alliance is a non-profit organization charged with promoting energy efficiency in Canada.
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Green Globes: Environmental Assessment of Buildings
This is an on-line audit for building owners and managers to measure energy, indoor health, and environmental performance against best practice standards. Using a confidential questionnaire, the program generates a comprehensive on-line report. Cost is $250. The Canadian Energy Efficiency Alliance (CEEA) maintains the site. CMHC is a sponsor.
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UBC Real Estate Division
See the Property Management Pre-Licensing Course Manual, Chapter 22 Energy Conservation, for a good primer on this topic. Available in public libraries and can also be purchased on-line from UBC.
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