HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuron Expositor, 2007-10-10, Page 3Festival
The Huron Expositor • October 10, 2007 Page 3
News
Hydro offers cash incentives for retrofits
Donal O'Connor
Festival Hydro is encouraging its
industrial, commercial, agricultural
and institutional customers to take
advantage of an electrical retrofit
program aimed at more efficient use
of energy in Ontario.
The Electricity Retrofit Incentive
Program (ERIP) is open to non-resi-
dential Festival Hydro customers
making energy-saving improve-
ments to existing buildings.
To take advantage of cash incen-
tives, applications have to be sub-
mitted to the utility company by
Dec. 31 and applicants have up to a
year after approval to make good on
the improvements they indicate
they will undertake.
Festival Hydro billing and collec-
tions manager Irene McInnes said
that while they haven't received
many applications yet, they have
received a lot of interest from cus-
tomers all over the area they ser-
vice, including Seaforth, Brussels
and Hensall.
Prefacing an information session
on the program, guest speaker
Derek Satnik pointed out that 40
per cent of energy generated in
Canada is consumed by buildings.
,An engineer and managing part-
ner with Mindscape Innovations,
Satnik said (per capita) energy use
in Canada is about six times the
global average.
"This makes sense. You should do
this," he said of the Ontario Power
Authority's ERIP initiative that's
being rolled out by local utility com-
panies.
Festival Hydro introduced the
conservation program to area busi-
nesses, municipal and school board
representatives using the services of
Ron Stevens of The Green Group,
based in Barrie.
Stevens emphasized that there
are two approaches to the program
— one using prescriptive retrofits
and the other customized ones.
Application forms are straightfor-
ward and easy to use, he indicated,
but if contemplated retrofits do not
exactly fit the prescriptive program
then plans need to be pre -approved.
To qualify for the ERIP, spending
on energy efficient fixtures, materi-
als or equipment must qualify for at
least $250 in payback incentives.
For example, replacing conven-
tional lighting with fluorescent
lights • earns $2 per light, so replac-
ing at least 125 bulbs would be
required to qualify.
Information that's available
online spells out exactly what kind
and size of equipment is covered —
lights, fans, motors, heating and
cooling systems — under the pro-
gram and how much of a refund
each item qualifies for.
There is no cap
on the extent of
projects that may
be undertaken
under the pro-
gram.
The OPA website
is www.every kilo-
wattcounts.ca/ERIP.
Interested busi-
ness owners or
managers can
also call Festival
Body
Basics
By Jen
+Deep Muscle
Therapy
+Reflexology
+Reiki
+Ear Candling
Jennrfer
McChnchey
79 Nelson St Hensall
519-262-2952
Hydro for information.
Festival Hydro president Bill Zehr
said the program is part of Ontario's
plan to help create a "conservation
culture."
With files from Aaron Jacklin
COUNTRY
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Dance Tickets S10
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With the
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