Own or manage a building in Toronto? The City’s Better Buildings Partnership can help you navigate funding opportunities and technical supports to improve your building’s energy efficiency and reduce emissions.
As the climate crisis grows more urgent every year, the City of Toronto is taking action with a goal to reach net zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2040. Key steps such as benchmarking and reporting, building audits and assessments, retrofits, and commissioning will help buildings lower emissions, improve energy efficiency and support the City’s climate goals.
To help building owners navigate these improvements, the Better Buildings Partnership provides a collection of energy efficiency and emission reduction programs, tools, technical support and funding opportunities.
For any assistance with the resources below, please contact bbp@toronto.ca.
Explore financial and technical resources to help you improve energy efficiency and reduce emissions in your building.
To filter by program, provider or incentive, enter your desired keyword in the Search field above the table.
| Provider | Program | Incentive | Building Sector |
|---|---|---|---|
| BOMA Canada | BOMA Enspire | A deep retrofit accelerator program, designed to help commercial building owners and managers enhance their energy efficiency and transition to low carbon operations. The program provides tools, resources, and expert guidance to promote better building performance. |
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| Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation | Affordable Housing Fund: Indigenous and Northern Housing | Provides long term, low-interest repayable and forgivable loans to repair affordable housing in the Indigenous community. |
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| Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation | Canada Greener Affordable Housing: Pre-Retrofit Funding | Provides up to $130,000 in funding for pre-retrofit activities, including energy audits, building condition assessment project drawings/specifications, construction cost estimates and site surveys. |
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| Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation | Mortgage Loan Insurance (MLI) Select | Financing at reduced premiums and longer amortization periods for retrofits based on commitment to affordability, accessibility, and climate compatibility. |
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| Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation | Preservation Funding For Community Housing Providers | Provides financial assistance to help community housing providers complete preservation activities related to the sustainability projects. |
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| Canadian Infrastructure Bank | BMO Building Retrofits Initiative | Provides financing to reduce investment barriers to support energy efficiency retrofits for small and medium-sized buildings across Canada. |
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| Canadian Infrastructure Bank | Building Retrofits Initiative | Provides attractive financing to reduce investment barriers and decarbonize buildings. Must be for a large scale decarbonization projects, with a minimum project cost of $100 million. |
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| City of Toronto | Eco-Roof Incentive Program | Incentives to support the installation of green roofs and cool roofs. |
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| City of Toronto | Capacity Buyback Program | A no-cost water audit, a one-time cash rebate up to $0.30/L of permanent water savings per average day and reduced monthly bills. |
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| City of Toronto | Industrial Water Rate Program | Offers a discounted water rate to manufacturers in Toronto to help support economic growth and encourage water conservation (also called the Block 2 water rate). |
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| City of Toronto | Sewer Surcharge Rebate Program | Businesses in Toronto may be eligible for a rebate on water that is used on-site for their industrial, commercial or institutional processes. The rebate is based on the percentage of purchased drinking water not returned to the City via the sanitary sewer system and is applied to the sewer portion of the water rate. |
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| City of Toronto | Energy Retrofit Loans | Fixed, long-term, low-interest financing to enable investment in low-carbon, energy-efficient capital projects. The amount of funding available is tied to the utility cost savings associated with retrofits. |
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| City of Toronto | High-Rise Retrofit Improvement Support (Hi-RIS) | Offers low-cost financing for energy and water related retrofits. |
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| City of Toronto | SolarTO | A no-cost solar assessment, providing the solar generation capacity of your building. |
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| City of Toronto | Sustainable Towers Engaging People (STEP) | A no-cost sustainability assessment and report for your building. The assessment highlights opportunities for improvements in six key areas: energy, water, operations, safety and community. |
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| City of Toronto | Taking Action on Tower Renewal (TATR) | Provides a combination of loans and grants to eligible property owners to complete retrofits that increase energy efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions while improving tenant comfort. |
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| Enbridge Gas | Multi-Unit Residential In-Suite Fixed Incentive Program | Up to $50,000 to implement in-suite Heat Recovery Ventilators (HRVs) or Energy Recovery Ventilators (ERVs). |
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| Enbridge Gas | Affordable Housing Multi-Residential Program | Up to $8,000 available for an energy audit and up to $200,000 in incentives to support retrofits that reduce natural gas consumption in your building. |
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| Enbridge Gas | Fixed Incentive Program | Up to $100,000 to offset costs related to space heating (air curtains, condensing MUA, dock doors), ventilation (destratification fans, HRVs, ERVs, DCKV, DCV) & hot water (ozone laundry) improvements. |
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| Enbridge Gas | Distributor Discount Program: Foodservice | Instant discounts on high-efficiency and Energy Star commercial kitchen equipment. |
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| Enbridge Gas | Distributor Discount Program: HVAC | Instant discounts on eligible high-efficiency condensing unit heaters, condensing tankless water heaters and storage tank water heaters. |
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| Enbridge Gas | Commercial Custom Retrofit Program | Up to $100,000 to offset the cost of implementing custom natural gas savings measures, including building automation systems, high-efficiency HVAC equipment and heat recovery. |
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| Enbridge Gas | Industrial Custom Engineering Program | Provides support to identify energy-efficiency opportunities, quantify potential savings and provide incentives to offset the incremental cost of implementation. |
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| Enbridge Gas | Energy Assessments and Meters | Incentives to offset the cost of identifying and measuring energy-saving opportunities, and can be used for energy audits, steam trap audits, or meters. |
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| Federation of Canadian Municipalities | Sustainable Affordable Housing | Offers financing and for different stages (planning, studies, construction) of retrofit projects. |
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| Government of Canada | First Nation Infrastructure Fund | Helps First Nations communities upgrade and increase public infrastructure to improve the quality of life and community environment. |
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| Government of Canada | Capital Facilities and Maintenance Program | Invests in the planning, design, construction, renovation, acquisition and operations and maintenance of community infrastructure that supports First Nations to build healthy, safe and prosperous communities and enables engagement in the economy. |
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| Government of Canada | Clean Technology (CT) Investment Tax Credit (ITC) | Acts as a tax rebate ranging between 20-30% for capital invested in the operation of clean technology, including heat pumps, geothermal energy property, and solar panels. |
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| Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) | Energy Affordability Program | Provides support to income-eligible electricity consumers by helping them to better manage their monthly electricity costs and to increase their home comfort. All expert advice and energy-saving home upgrades under this program are completely free of charge. |
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| Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) | Existing Building Commissioning Program | Incentives to hire qualified commissioning providers to undertake building recommissioning at their facilities, helping them realize energy savings from improved facility operations and maintenance business practices. |
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| Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) | Industrial Energy Efficiency Program | Supports improvements in industrial processes and system optimization projects. Up to $5 million in financial incentives is available for each large, industrial energy-efficiency project. Eligible projects will deliver electricity savings using proven commercial technologies to lower energy consumption and reduce electricity bills. |
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| Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) | Peak Perks | Provides a financial incentive for small business customers who are willing to conserve energy and reduce air conditioning at peak times. Incentive applicable for each eligible smart thermostat connected to a central air conditioning system or heat pump unit enrolled. |
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| Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) | Retrofit Program | Incentives for targeted retrofits, helping buildings upgrade to more energy-efficient equipment, reduce energy bills, lower carbon emissions and enhance occupant comfort. |
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| Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) | Small Business Program | Program is designed to help small businesses make equipment improvements to reduce their energy consumption, offering no-cost direct-install incentives on an expanded range of equipment – both lighting and non-lighting. |
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| Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) | Energy Performance Program | Reward for customers who are able to make behavioural and operational changes that support capital investment projects, enabling them to grow their energy savings year over year. The program is based on a pay-for-performance model that encourages whole building energy performance improvements. |
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| Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) | Instant Discounts Program | Receive upfront discounts from participating distributors on the purchase of energy-efficient lighting products that will help to lower your business’s energy consumption, improve your bottom line and transform your space. |
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| Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) | Expanded Energy Management Program | Offers a tailored energy management offering based on the unique business needs of your organization. It offers industrial facilities strategic energy management training, funding to hire an energy manager and for the installation of an energy management system, as well as free training opportunities. |
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| Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) | BizEnergySaver Program | Covers up to 100% of equipment and install costs on equipment upgrades, including VFDs, LED lighting, CO sensors and parking garage exhaust fan controls. |
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| Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) | Strategic Energy Management Program | Provides training for energy managers so they can implement an integrated system of organizational practices, policies and processes to achieve persistent energy savings. organization can also receive financial incentives for operational electricity savings achieved when initiatives are implemented. |
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| Indigenous Clean Energy | Project Accelerator | Provides training, technical mentorship and up to $125,000 to support the development of Indigenous energy efficiency housing projects. |
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| Toronto Atmospheric Fund | Enhanced Reserve Fund Study | Grant covering up to 70% of costs for enhanced reserve fund studies scope of work. The enhanced study goes beyond the basic of a traditional reserve study by providing a comprehensive long-term decarbonization analysis. |
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| Toronto Atmospheric Fund | Toronto Atmospheric Fund Grants | Grant funding for projects related to low-carbon buildings, electricity grid decarbonization, electric mobility. |
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| Toronto Atmospheric Fund | Retrofit Accelerator | Offers no-cost technical and financial guidance through your deep energy retrofit process. Toronto Atmospheric Fund collaborates with building owners, utilities, governments, residents and stakeholders to minimize project friction and maximize your health, social, environmental, and economic benefits. |
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| Toronto Hydro | Virtual Decarbonization Audits | A no-cost audit that can help you dive deeper into your building’s energy performance to inform your path to decarbonization. Following an analysis of your building, this tool will provide a decarbonization plan and recommended actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions based on your goals, among other insights. |
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| Enbridge Gas | Industrial Studies and Assessments | Offers a no-cost assessment to identify energy-efficiency opportunities and covers up to 50% of costs to implement assessment recommendations. Typical projects include steam trap surveys, engineering studies, process improvement studies, air balance studies, sub-metering installations. |
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| Government of Ontario | Canada-Ontario Community Housing Initiative | Funding for replacing and/or repairing core building systems, carrying out health and safety repairs and demonstrating potential for long-term sustainability. |
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| Government of Ontario | Emissions Performance Program | Funding for capital and study-based projects that reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions at eligible industrial facilities. |
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| Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation | Affordable Housing Fund: Repair and Renewal | Provides low-interest repayable loans, forgivable loans, and contributions to renovate and repair affordable and community housing. |
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| Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation | Canada Greener Affordable Housing: Retrofit Funding | Provides access to low-interest repayable and forgivable loans for deep energy retrofits of multi-unit residential buildings. Funding available for up to 100% of eligible retrofit costs. |
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Access webinar and training resources to build the skills and knowledge needed to help you improve energy efficiency and reduce emissions in your building.
To filter by training or webinar resource, provider or resource description, enter your desired keyword in the Search field above the table.
| Provider | Training or Webinar Resource | Resource Description |
|---|---|---|
| CIET Canada | Energy Management Systems (EMS) and 50001 Ready Canada Webinar: 101 | This public webinar is intended to introduce the ISO 50001 Energy Management Systems standard, the Ready Navigator tool, and the 50001 Ready Canada recognition program. |
| City of Toronto | Energy and Water Reporting for Buildings – YouTube videos | This City of Toronto video series will show you how to use Energy Star Portfolio Manager to track and report your property’s energy and water use so that you can compare your property’s performance to similar properties across Canada. |
| CIET Canada | Energy Star Portfolio Manager Webinar: 101-Fundamentals and Basics | During this first of three virtual workshops on the Energy Star Portfolio Manager, participants are exposed to the basic functionalities of Portfolio Manager and learn to navigate it. Moreover, the instructor presents an overview of how to enter building data into the tool. |
| CIET Canada | Energy Star Portfolio Manager Webinar: 201-Creating and Updating your Building Profile | During this second of three virtual workshops on the Energy Star Portfolio Manager, provides participants with the information and training needed to use and update data and information on their own buildings into the tool. Participants also learn how to use the Data Quality Checker that serves to run a set of basic data checks on properties to help identify possible data entry errors and determine whether their buildings differ from typical operational patterns. |
| CIET Canada | Energy Star Portfolio Manager Webinar: 301-Maximize Usage with Advanced Features | During this third of three virtual workshops on the Energy Star Portfolio Manager, participants to how they can go further with Portfolio Manager to produce more complex reports and templates as well as begin to set baselines and checklists for their buildings. |
| Energy Star | Energy Star Portfolio Manager – Training | A series of live and recorded webinars on the Energy Star Portfolio Manager tool, as well as how-to guides, demo videos and slide libraries. |
| Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) | Independent Electricity System Operator Training and Support | Save on Energy offers a broad range of educational tools, resources and training programs to help businesses and professionals across Ontario build and enhance their competencies in energy efficiency and energy management practices. By expanding your organizational and professional capabilities, you’ll be able to undertake initiatives to save energy, reduce costs and meet your sustainability and carbon reduction goals. |
| Natural Resources Canada | Energy Benchmarking Training Documents | Energy benchmarking training documents provided by Natural Resources Canada. |
| Natural Resources Canada | Existing Building Commissioning (EBCx) | Existing building commissioning information and primer documents provided by Natural Resources Canada. |
| Natural Resources Canada | RETScreen Capacity Building | Training resources to improve the knowledge, skills and capabilities for those who use the RETScreen® Clean Energy Management Software platform. |
Find qualified service providers and contractors to help you implement your building’s energy improvements and emissions reduction projects.
To filter by list, provider or description, enter your desired keyword in the Search field above the table.
| Provider | List | Description |
|---|---|---|
| City of Toronto | Solar Directory | A resource provided to help the public browse solar companies that service the Greater Toronto Area. |
| HRAI | HRAI Contractor Locator | A resource provided to find a qualified HRAI Contractor Member in your area. All HRAI Member Contractors have been pre-screened for qualifications and licensing in their field of expertise. |
| IESO | Existing Building Commissioning | A resource provided to find a list of qualified commissioner provider near you. |
Access decarbonization tools that support energy efficiency and emissions reduction in your buildings.
To filter by tool, provider or description, enter your desired keyword in the Search field above the table.
| Provider | Tool | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Athena Sustainable Materials Institute | Impact Estimator for Buildings | Free software tool that is designed to evaluate whole buildings and assemblies based on internationally recognized life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology. Using the Impact Estimator, you can assess and compare the environmental implications of industrial, institutional, commercial and residential designs, including major renovations. Where relevant, the software also distinguishes between owner-occupied and rental facilities. |
| Canada Green Building Council | Life Cycle Cost Calculator | A financial analysis tool that can be used to evaluate the viability of carbon reduction projects. |
| Energy Star | Benchmark Your Building With Portfolio Manager | An interactive resource management tool that enables you to benchmark the energy use of any type of building. |
| Natural Resources Canada | 50001 Ready Canada Navigator Tool | A self-paced, no-cost way for organizations to build a culture of structured energy improvement that leads to deeper and sustained savings that does not require any external audits or certifications. |
| Natural Resources Canada | RETScreen | Platform enables low-cost energy planning, implementation, monitoring and reporting. |
| Toronto Hydro | Heating Load Estimator | Toronto Hydro uses historical utility consumption data to estimate the maximum heating demand for a gas-heated building, and the additional electrical capacity anticipated under different electrification scenarios. This tool can be beneficial during the process of submitting a service upgrade request. |
| Toronto Hydro | Non-Binding Service Connection Assessment | Toronto Hydro can provide a non-binding estimate service connection assessment that provides information about available capacity and connection scenarios that are feasible at the time of your request. |
Explore supports for the City of Toronto’s Energy and Reporting By-law.
To filter by resource, provider or description, enter your desired keyword in the Search field above the table.
| Provider | Resource | Description |
|---|---|---|
| City of Toronto | MyWaterToronto | Platform to view your water use anytime, including total and average water use by day, week, month or year in an easy-to-read graph or chart format. |
| Enbridge | Energy and Water Reporting Benchmarking (EWRB) | If you are a property owner and have to comply with the EWRB, Enbridge Gas can provide you with aggregated natural gas consumption data for your property only for the year you are required to report. |
| Toronto Hydro | Reporting of Energy Consumption | Toronto Hydro can work with you to create your building’s profile on Energy Star Portfolio Manager, upload your data and comply with the City of Toronto’s Energy and Water Reporting By-law. |