The Ontario Power Authority’s Electricity Retrofit Incentive Program is designed to remove older, inefficient lighting, motors, HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning), and other inefficient electrical systems from the electricity system. Generally, these older systems are no nowhere near as efficient as products currently available in the market.

ERIP offers two tracks for those considering retrofits. The first, a prescriptive track, offers in-depth product listings and the relative savings per item. Should a participant wish to make retrofits not included in the lists for the prescriptive track, a custom track also exists.

The prescriptive list is based on well known technologies that are available in the market place with established electrical savings ERIP offers incentives for pre-approved technologies on a per unit basis. An incentive is available for pre-approved technologies such as:

• Fluorescent lighting systems (T8, T5, CFLs)
• Metal halide lighting systems
• LED “EXIT” signs
• Occupancy sensors

• Three phase premium efficiency motors 1-200 hp

• Unitary A/C units up to 25 tons that are energy star qualified or CEE compliant

• 24” ventilation fans
• Livestock waterers
• Swine creep heat and controls
• This list may change over time, so please check everykilowattcounts.com/erip for updates.

Businesses account for 80% of all the electricity used in Ontario. Building standards, unfortunately, are not as rigorously efficient as they could be and so many buildings, including recently built structures, are not operating at an optimal level of efficiency. The ERIP program hopes to remedy this by offering strong incentives towards retrofitting buildings up to the highest standard of electrical efficiency. ERIP incentives are structured to offer incentives based on the amount of electricity saved; projects that save more electricity will earn a greater incentive.

“Ontario’s economy depends on small and medium sized businesses – more than 99 percent of our 340,000 employer enterprises fit this category,” says Ontario’s Chief Energy Conservation Officer Peter Love. “It makes good business sense to take advantage of the program because it’s entirely possible your competitors are.”

Interested parties are encouraged to visit www.everykilowattcounts.com/erip to learn more about the program.

To participate, simply submit a project application for approval before December 31, 2010, to your local electric utility. Eligible projects must be completed, functional, and delivering kilowatt savings prior to December 1, 2011. Projects not completed or put into service by December 1, 2011, may not qualify.