Programs and Initiatives

Natural Resources Canada's Office of Energy Efficiency (OEE) offers a wide range of programs and services to improve energy conservation and energy efficiency in every sector of the Canadian economy. The OEE offers financial incentives and other resources, including workshops, data interpretation and hundreds of free publications, to help Canadians save energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change.

The benefits to you and the environment are many, including reduced greenhouse gas emissions, a healthier environment, financial savings and conserved energy resources

Office of Energy Efficiency Programs

• Buildings
• Equipment
• Government Operations
• Housing
• Industry
• Outreach
• Transportation

Buildings

Facilities that are energy efficient are important – besides being good for the environment, they keep workplaces healthy, boost productivity and save money. An energy-efficient design for a new building or an energy retrofit of an existing building can subtantially reduce your building's operating costs. You'll save money and reduce greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change. The OEE can help.

The EnerGuide for Existing Buildings (EEB) (formerly the Energy Innovators Initiative), through incentives, training and other activities, helps commercial businesses and public institutions improve the energy efficiency of existing buildings. Eligible members can apply for funding of up to $250,000 for building retrofits.

The Commercial Building Incentive Program provides financial incentives to building owners who incorporate energy efficiency features in the design of new commercial or institutional buildings. You can receive up to $60,000 if your building design meets the program's requirements.

The Industrial Building Incentive Program provides incentives to building owners who combine energy-efficient features and processes into the design of new industrial buildings. You can receive up to $80,000 if your building or process design meets the program's requirements.

The Federal Buildings Initiative offers comprehensive energy management products and services to Government of Canada organizations to help them improve the energy efficiency of their buildings.

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Equipment

The OEE's Equipment Program helps Canadians make energy-efficient choices when buying, selling or manufacturing energy-using equipment. Several initiatives aim to eliminate inefficient energy-using equipment from the Canadian market by prescribing minimum energy efficiency performance levels.

EnerGuide for Equipment and HVAC is a rating, labelling and information initiative to promote the production, purchase and use of energy-efficient major household electrical appliances and heating, ventilating and air-conditioning (HVAC) equipment. The EnerGuide label shows how much energy major appliances use in order to easily compare models of the same size and class.

Canada's Energy Efficiency Regulations apply to specific energy-using products that must meet federal standards before they can be imported into Canada or shipped from one province or territory to another. The OEE is responsible for writing and enforcing these Regulations.

The international ENERGY STAR^® symbol identifies the most energy-efficient products in their class. Products that qualify to carry the ENERGY STAR symbol meet premium levels of energy efficiency. Most ENERGY STAR labelled products are 10 to 50 percent more efficient than the minimum regulated standard in Canada.

EnerGuide for Industry, an initiative based on the familiar EnerGuide name, offers interactive tools, tips, return-on-investment analysis and business cases to help energy-wise industries make the most energy-efficient choices when buying off-the-shelf equipment. Current product categories, used in the industrial, commercial and institutional sectors, include electric motors, dry-type distribution transformers, lighting products, and large air-conditioning units.

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Government Operations

It makes sense for the Government of Canada – the country's largest single enterprise – to conserve energy and reduce its own greenhouse gas emissions. And it's succeeding.

Through the Federal House in Order initiative, the OEE helps Government of Canada organizations track and monitor their greenhouse gas emissions and develop strategies to reduce them. The Government of Canada is committed to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions to 31 percent below 1990 levels by 2010. Through better fleet management, building retrofits, downsized operations and strategic purchases, the Government of Canada has already reduced its emissions by 24 percent since 1990.

The Federal Buildings Initiative offers comprehensive energy management products and services to Government of Canada organizations to help them improve the energy efficiency of their buildings.

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Housing

Heating your home can count for well over half the energy cost of running your house. The OEE's Housing Program offers resources to help you keep your home comfortable and well ventilated for healthy indoor air quality while conserving energy.

EnerGuide for New Houses encourages energy efficient new home building by providing an energy rating label that gives homeowners the information they need to understand the energy efficiency of their new home. The EnerGuide for New Houses service starts with an analysis of the new house plans by an EnerGuide for New Houses energy advisor. The advisor recommends energy-saving upgrades and works with the builder to develop a report that lists various cost-effective options. The builder then estimates the upgrade work and provides a price. When construction is done, the EnerGuide advisor verifies the applied energy upgrades and performs a blower door test. After the data has been collected, the home receives its EnerGuide for New Houses rating. The homeowner is provided an official label to display the rating on the home’s furnace or electrical box.

The R-2000^* Standard encourages the building of energy-efficient houses that are environmentally friendly and healthy to live in. R-2000 homes must meet the R-2000 Standard for energy efficiency. This means they are about 30 percent more energy efficient than a standard home built to code. Built by trained R-2000 builders, they're quality-assured by third-party professionals who certify that they meet the R-2000 Standard's stringent energy efficiency and environmental requirements. Natural Resources Canada's OEE provides a certificate that guarantees the energy efficiency characteristics of each R-2000 home.

^*R-2000 is an official mark of Natural Resources Canada.

Industry

The industrial sector is Canada's largest energy user, but it has become much more energy efficient over the years. The OEE works hand in hand with industry to encourage the sector to invest in, develop and use methods and industrial processes that are more energy efficient.

The Canadian Industry Program for Energy Conservation is an industry-government partnership that helps Canada's industries improve their energy efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change. It is a voluntary program made up of 25 sector task forces that involve more than 45 trade associations.

The Industrial Building Incentive Program provides incentives to building owners who combine energy-efficient features and processes into the design of new industrial buildings. You can receive up to $80,000 if your building or process design meets the program's requirements.

Industrial Energy Innovators have access to tools and services such as training programs, seminars and planning documents to help them become more energy efficient.

EnerGuide for Industry, an initiative based on the familiar EnerGuide name, offers interactive tools, tips, return-on-investment analysis and business cases to help energy-wise industries make the most energy-efficient choices when they buy off-the-shelf equipment. Current EnerGuide for Industry product categories for the industrial, commercial and institutional sectors include electric motors, dry-type distribution transformers, lighting products and large air-conditioning units.

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Outreach

Providing useful and practical information to the public is one way that the OEE helps Canadians conserve energy and reduce greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change.

The OEE offers many publications and other information resources on conserving energy and improving energy efficiency in all sectors of the economy. Canadians can learn about efficient home heating and cooling systems, the latest in energy-saving home renovation techniques, up-to-date information on vehicle energy efficiency and alternative fuels, and much more. Many OEE publications can be downloaded from the Web, and key publications are also available in braille, audio cassette and large print formats.

Exhibits

The OEE participates in a number of trade shows across Canada, distributing information about energy conservation and offering visitors the opportunity to talk to energy efficiency experts.

Advertising

One way that the OEE communicates its energy conservation and energy efficiency messages to Canadians is through television, radio and print advertising.

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Transportation

The transportation sector is the largest single source of greenhouse gas emissions in Canada. We can all make a big difference by making energy-efficient choices.

Vehicle Efficiency

Choosing the most fuel-efficient vehicle for your everyday needs can save you money and reduce greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change.

Personal Vehicles

How you drive and maintain your vehicle can reduce greenhouse gas emissions and save you money. Minimizing unnecessary engine idling, maintaining correct tire pressure and other energy-efficient practices can reduce fuel consumption.

Commercial Vehicles

The OEE's Transportation Program helps fleet managers find out how energy-efficient vehicles and business practices can reduce a fleet's operating costs, improve its productivity and increase competitiveness. Take advantage of the many tools and resources to help you save and reduce energy and reduce emissions.

Federal Vehicles

The Federal Vehicles Initiative aims at helping Government of Canada departments cut costs by increasing the efficiency of their fleets and help reduce the environmental impact of operating them.

Vehicle Fuels

Vehicle fuel choices that we make today can greatly impact greenhouse gas emissions resulting from transportation. Our initiatives inform the public and encourage the production and end-use of alternative fuels such as biodiesel, ethanol, natural gas and hydrogen as well as cleaner conventional fuels such as low-sulphur diesel and reformulated gasoline.