Local Initiatives
Local initiatives encourage competition, innovation, cost savings and customer-driven solutions.
Local initiatives are developed to deliver Demand Side Management (DSM) savings in targeted areas of the province with identified system needs. DSM solutions to support local initiatives are sourced using competitive mechanisms, such as open procurements. This approach enables a broad range of participants to propose DSM programs and opportunities, and encourages competition, innovation, cost savings and customer-driven solutions.
Local initiatives are intended to:
- demonstrate the ability to use DSM as a resource to achieve specified demand and/or energy reductions that can help address regional and/or local electricity system constraints, as identified through the IESO’s regional planning process
- identify how targeted DSM can be used as a resource in the service territories of local utilities to address distribution system needs
- be cost effective and not duplicative of current province-wide DSM programs.
Targeted areas for local initiatives
The areas selected for the first cycle of local initiatives in Ontario include:
- Richview South area in Toronto
- York Region
- Ottawa
- Belle River area in Essex County.
Competitive procurements will be used for the target areas in the first cycle and are expected to be in the range of 500 kW to 10 MW. Additional information including the specific target areas (within the broad regions identified above), target customer sectors, program types and/or eligible technologies will be defined in forthcoming procurement solicitation document(s), such as a Request for Proposals (RFP).
When available, open opportunities will be posted publicly on www.merx.com.
Ottawa DER large solar PV funding incentive
The Save on Energy Retrofit program is offering an incentive for distributed energy resources (DERs) for businesses in Ottawa. The incentive is for the installation of large solar photovoltaic (PV) systems and is $860 per kW AC (minimum generation capacity of 50 kW and maximum incentive is capped at 1,000 kW). The solar systems are intended for load displacement so the size of the solar panel array cannot exceed the maximum load of the facility.
Benefits of installing solar PV systems include reducing greenhouse gas emissions, reducing costs by lowering metered energy consumption and helping to reduce constraints on the electricity grid.
The measure is available in Ottawa because it has been identified as electricity constrained through the regional planning process. Facilities must be located within an eligible Forward Sortation Area (FSA) to receive this incentive.
The eligible FSAs are: K1V, K1X, K2J, K2K, K2L, K2M, K2S, K2T, K2V, K2W, K4M, K1A, K1B, K1C, K1E, K1G, K1H, K1J, K1K, K1L, K1M, K1N, K1P, K1R, K1S, K1T, K1W, K1Y, K1Z, K2A, K2B, K2C, K2E, K2G, K2H, K2P, K2R, K4A, K4B, K4P.
The systems must be mounted on a new or existing rooftop or wall; be “behind-the-meter”; not be entered into a “net metering” contract with the local distribution company for bill credits.
Companies interested in accessing the incentive are strongly encouraged to speak to their local distribution company to discuss the connection process and the allowable maximum capacity of the solar PV system before submitting a Retrofit program application for this measure.
Please see Frequently Asked Questions on the DER incentive in Ottawa.
Contact details
- Retrofit program funding - easternoutreach@retrofitprogram.ca
1-855-654-9291 - Hydro Ottawa - CDM@hydroottawa.com
1-613-738-5474
Retrofit regional adders
The IESO has introduced Retrofit regional adders in some areas of the province where electricity constraints exist.
The purpose of these adders is to encourage further uptake in the Retrofit program to assist in reducing demand for the transmission assets in these constrained areas. The target areas were selected in consultation with the IESO’s system planners and include regions that have been identified as electricity-constrained through the regional planning process.
Most non-lighting prescriptive measures will be eligible for double the incentive normally available from the Retrofit program through the Retrofit regional adders.
Eligible applications will be identified by Forward Sortation Areas (FSA), the first three characters of the postal code. Retrofit regional adders were introduced in the following target areas (adder zones) in April 2023. Facilities undertaking the retrofit must be located in the target areas identified by FSA to be eligible for the increased incentive:
- Niagara region: L0S, L2A, L2E, L2G, L2H, L2J, L2M, L2N, L2P, L2R, L2S, L2T, L2V, L2W, L3B, L3C, L3K, L3M, N1A and portions of L0R – please speak to your Save on Energy representative for more information
- Kingston area: K7K, K7L, K7M. K7N, K7P, K7G
- Southern Huron Perth: N0L, N0M, N4X, N0K
- Pembroke area: K8A, K8B, K8H
- Kenora: P9N, P0X
New areas where Retrofit regional adders are available are effective October 30, 2023:
- Waubaushene: L0K, L0L, L4R, L9M
- Barrie/Muskoka: L0M, L3V, L4M, L4N, P0A, P0B, P0C, P0E, P0G, P1H, P1L, P1P, P2A
- Elmira: N0B, N3B
- Peterborough/Belleville: K0L, K0M, K8N, K8P, K8V
If your facility is located in one of the listed FSAs, please speak to your Save on Energy representative about accessing the increased incentive. Representatives can be contacted through the Retrofit support line at 1-844-303-5542 or by email at retrofit@ieso.ca.
Non-duplicative province-wide programs
The following parameters are applicable to the program design for target areas for the first half of the framework and may, or may not, be extended to subsequent local initiatives. Additional parameters for program designs may be specified in forthcoming procurement solicitation documents.
The IESO is seeking alternative approaches to program design for local initiatives to avoid duplication of measures and incentives within existing Save on Energy programs that are currently available province-wide. The local initiatives program will offer customers in these areas new opportunities for savings, running concurrently with existing programs but not competing with them.
For information on current eligible measures under Save on Energy programs, please see the links below:
The following chart provides examples of what would be considered duplicative and non-duplicative initiatives. These are examples only and should not be considered an exhaustive list of duplicative and non-duplicative initiatives.
| Non-Duplicative | Duplicative |
|---|---|
|
A Retrofit program-eligible measure that does not overlap with the Small Business Program offered under a direct install program (e.g., VFD direct install program) |
A Retrofit program-eligible measure offered under a rebate model (e.g., cash back after purchasing qualified LED lighting) OR A direct install program with a higher cap, offering measures available under Small Business Program (e.g., offering direct installation of qualified lighting measures up to $15,000 per eligible business) |
|
A prescriptive Retrofit-type program with no overlap of current Retrofit program-eligible measures (e.g., prescribed or custom incentive model for fan coil units, which is not currently an eligible measure under the Retrofit program) |
A custom Retrofit-type program that includes Retrofit program-eligible measures (e.g., custom application for a retrofit prescriptive VFD measure) |
|
A direct-install residential program with measures outside the scope of the Remote First Nations Efficiency Program and the Energy Affordability Program targeting single and multi-family residential buildings.
|
A financial adder to measures offered under a current province-wide program (e.g., higher lighting Retrofit incentive amounts for greenhouses) |