Retrofit program news and events

Minor updates to the Retrofit program in April 2021

Some changes will be made to the Retrofit program effective April 8, 2021; these changes include clarifications and minor updates based on feedback received from Retrofit program participants and changing market costs for eligible measures.

Incentives for three lighting categories are being updated to better align with the actual cost for these energy-efficient lights. These categories are:

• LED high bay fixtures ($10 to $20 reduction dependent on fixture size)
• T8 LED Tube/U-Bend replacement lamps ($1 to $2 reduction dependent on lamp size)
• T5 LED Tube replacement lamps ($1 to $2 reduction dependent on lamp output)

More detail is available here >

In addition, larger chillers and variable frequency drives will be eligible for program incentives. Tank sizes for compressed air measures eligible for incentives are also being adjusted to more closely match standard ranges sold in the market. More details on these program revisions will be posted by March 22, 2021, at the link above.

Other changes in this update include: 

• The Program Requirements and the Participant Agreement are being updated to correct some inconsistencies and to clarify the meaning of some items. 
• Worksheets, now optional, are being updated to remove references to proof of payment. In addition, the quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC) requirements for the program are being updated to require proof of payment for projects with an incentive higher than $20,000 and for smaller projects chosen as random samples.
• The eligibility requirements for new construction projects are being clarified: energy-efficient equipment is eligible for incentives for a new facility or an addition to an existing facility provided the facility meets the program requirements and is connected to the electricity grid when the application is pre-approved. 

The revised Participant Agreement and Program Requirements, including the eligibility requirements, will be available on April 8 on the Save on Energy website and on the Retrofit portal.

The changes being made to the Retrofit program in April are the first in a series of planned semi-annual updates that will be made to the program throughout the 2021-2024 CDM Framework. The next update is expected to be made in late summer 2021. Changes to the Retrofit program will be accompanied by a 30-day market notice period. As a reminder, a form is available for stakeholders to submit new energy-efficient measures for consideration to be included in future updates to the program.

Deadline to submit new measure form for summer 2021 program update

A new Retrofit program launched on Jan. 4, 2021, with prescriptive-only measures. Incentives and measures will be updated throughout the course of the four-year framework, based on marketplace feedback. A new process is available on the Save on Energy website to accommodate such suggestions.

Forms with suggestions for new measures that are submitted by Feb. 28, 2021, will be considered for inclusion in a program update planned for summer 2021. Forms submitted after that date will be considered for a future program update.

Retrofit Application Deadline

Retrofit applications are required to be submitted by December 4, 2020, to provide sufficient time for reviews before the December 31, 2020, pre-approval deadline.

Submitting an application by December 4, 2020, does not guarantee pre-approval of your project. Applications are being reviewed in the order in which they are submitted. Should your application not receive pre-approval and your project is eligible, you may apply for incentives under the new Retrofit program launching in January 2021. Please visit SaveOnEnergy.ca for more information.

Tips to help you meet the deadline:

• Test and check your Retrofit Portal password as soon as possible and prior to submitting an application as account resets can take up to four business days.
• Respond to any questions from your Technical Reviewer as quickly as possible.
• Access Retrofit Resources for checklists, videos and guides for further tips on a smooth application process.

Contact a Save on Energy representative for additional information and questions.

New Retrofit application submission deadline, and latest details on the 2021 - 2024 CDM Framework

Save on Energy Retrofit applications under the current Interim Framework (IF) must be submitted by December 4, 2020. 

Previously announced IF deadlines remain unchanged: To be eligible for a project incentive through the Retrofit program, applications must receive pre-approval by December 31, 2020, and projects must be completed by December 31, 2021. Submitting an application by the deadline does not guarantee pre-approval by December 31, 2020.  

The new 2021 - 2024 Conservation and Demand Management Framework will be active the week of January 4, 2021. Learn more about specific program details, such as the removal of the custom track under Retrofit, and when to expect measure and incentive-related updates.

Please contact Retrofit Support with any questions, and make sure to check out these helpful Retrofit resources to help you have a smooth application experience.

Reminder of Retrofit program timelines

To be eligible for a project incentive through the Retrofit program, applications must receive pre-approval by December 31, 2020, and projects must be completed by December 31, 2021. While the IESO recently announced that certain timelines for Conservation First Framework projects have been extended, the current deadlines for pre-approvals and project completion dates in the Interim Framework (which began in March 2019) remain unchanged.  

Achieving pre-approval includes the IESO’s technical review process, which typically takes two to eight weeks to complete, depending on the size and complexity of the project and completeness of the project application. The IESO recommends that applications be submitted by the end of October to ensure there is sufficient time to obtain pre-approval.   

Applicants are encouraged to use fast-track processes where available for certain projects in the prescriptive track with incentives less than $6,000, as pre-approval can occur in one or two days. Contact your Save on Energy representative to see if your project is eligible for the fast-track process.  

Please contact Retrofit support with any questions and check out these helpful resources.

Prescriptive lighting and prescriptive exterior lighting worksheets updated

Revised prescriptive lighting and prescriptive exterior lighting worksheets for the Retrofit program have been uploaded to the website, effective August 31, 2020.

The changes include:

• language clarifying one-to-one replacements for prescriptive lighting,
• base case requirements for LED high bay, and
• dimming sensor eligibility under occupancy sensors.

For the exterior worksheet, clarifying language for one-to-one replacements and an additional area for existing baseline input have also been added. There are no changes to incentives or measure assumptions. Please review these latest worksheets when applying for these measures.

Update to horticultural worksheet

The Retrofit program’s horticultural lighting worksheet has been updated effective August 14, 2020. The new version should be used from this date forward.

Changes have been made to the worksheet to present peak demand savings; previously, the worksheet only displayed energy savings. The worksheet has also been updated to calculate incentives based on the greater of $800/kW or $0.1/kWh. The previous worksheet only calculated the energy incentive. Incentives are still capped at 50 percent of eligible project costs.

Additional functionality now available in the Retrofit portal

Updates have been made to the Retrofit portal that will now enable applicants to perform the following functions that previously could not be completed without the help of the Retrofit support line:

• Add an applicant representative at any point after creating a new application
• Update the applicant for my applications
• Update the applicant representative for my applications
• Accept an applicant update initiated by an applicant representative for my applications.

In addition to new functionality for applicants, applicant representatives can now perform the following functions themselves without requiring support:

• Update the applicant for my applications
• Update the applicant representative for my applications.

Guides for Applicants and Applicant Reps have been created to walk you through how to access and complete these functions. They are available on the Retrofit Resources and Support web page.

If you have any difficulties completing the actions above, please contact your Save on Energy representative or the Retrofit support line for assistance.

New materials available to ensure a smooth Retrofit program journey

New materials have been posted on the Save on Energy website to make it easier to ensure you have covered everything you need to do for your Retrofit program application.

Referring to the new pre-approval checklist and post-approval checklist will help ensure you have gathered all the information and taken all the necessary steps to ensure a smooth review of your application.

The new invoice guide and template can help you prepare your incentive invoice once your post-project submission has been approved (or for an advance incentive, if applicable). These resources tell your everything you need to know about creating and submitting an invoice for your incentive to the Retrofit program. Applicants are free to use their existing invoice template as long as it contains the required information.

Response to COVID-19

Effective Monday, March 16, 2020, the IESO has requested that its program delivery vendors refrain from any in-person interactions with new or existing customers of the Save on Energy programs. This includes site visits to customer facilities. 

Participants of the Save on Energy Retrofit program can follow up directly with the Technical Reviewer should they have any questions related to their application process or can contact Retrofit Support at  1-844-303-5542 or retrofit@ieso.ca. New project applications will continue to be accepted. 

This IESO is implementing these temporary precautionary measures in response to COVID-19 to safeguard the health of its employees, customers and vendors, and to continue to fulfill its responsibility to ensure the reliable operation of the Ontario electricity grid. 

As the situation with COVID-19 continues to unfold, the IESO is paying close attention to statements by the World Health Organization and government entities here in Canada.

The IESO will continue to provide updates and a list of FAQs can be found here.

Update to horticulture worksheet

The province-wide Horticulture custom worksheet has been updated to address a change to the base line design for energy-efficiency LED Inter-lighting design.  These changes are effective as of March 5, 2020. 

The LED Inter-lighting design will no longer accept a top-lighting base case.  The 40% allowance between top-lighting base case PPFD and an energy efficient LED inter-lighting PPFD have been removed. All base case PPFD and energy efficient PPFD are required to have a 10% maximum variance.  

An energy efficient LED inter-lighting design will now require a T5 or T8 inter-lighting baseline design otherwise an error message will appear in cell G43 of the “System Design Assumptions” tab.  

All existing pre-approved applications will not be affected.

Helping Greenhouses Grow

Ontario’s Greenhouses are a large consumer of electricity across the province, consuming more than 1.4 MWh per year and consumption is expected to grow to 3.9 MWh by 2024.  

The recently released Greenhouse Energy Profile Study summarizes how energy is used across the sector and provides insight into how greenhouses can utilize energy efficiency and innovative solutions to help their businesses grow. 

The energy it takes to power a greenhouse all adds up. Through incentives for equipment upgrades and replacements like switching out lighting or installing high-efficiency pumps greenhouses can significantly reduce the amount of electricity required to grow their crops. 

With opportunities available through the Save on Energy Retrofit program, there is plenty of energy savings potential. 

Visit saveonenergy.ca/Agriculture to learn more.

New incentives through the Retrofit Program

A series of changes to certain measures and incentive levels in the Retrofit program will take effect on August 12, 2019.

New incentives cover products on the market that were identified as a priority by the industry and offer customers more choice to meet their energy-efficiency needs. The additions include more options for LED lighting as well as some prescriptive compressed air measures. 
 
Retrofit changes also include reductions to incentive levels for some existing lighting measures, with the exception of exit signs and lighting controls.

In addition, the IESO has been working to reduce the processing times for Retrofit applications, and the timelines for review have been reduced to two weeks. With these faster turnaround times, customers are able to begin projects sooner to achieve more savings over the long term. 
 
For further details on the program changes and a listing of the new measures and incentives, please visit the Retrofit program update webpage.

Please note that the updated Retrofit worksheets will be available on the website on August 12, 2019.

Update on the Retrofit program

Starting May 13, 2019 the following changes will take effect.

• Increasing the minimum incentive levels. For a prescriptive project, the new minimum will be $500 (from $100) and for a custom project, the new minimum will be $1500 (from $500).
  • Customers can still bundle measures within an application to achieve the new minimum incentive level.
• Placing a cap on prescriptive incentives at the lesser of:
  • the prescriptive incentive amount as shown in the Retrofit Portal; or
  • 50 per cent of the eligible costs, which will now include installation and disposal costs.
• Removing the Tenant Sub-Metering Advance incentive, a rarely used program option.
• Performing minor patches and updates to the Retrofit Portal.

Changes will only affect new applications submitted on or after May 13.

If you have any questions about the changes or the Retrofit program in general, please contact retrofit@ieso.ca or call the Retrofit support line at 1-844-303-5542.