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Social Housing Energy Savings Program

Program Category: Clean Energy, Built Environment
Program Sub-Category: Energy Efficiency (Housing / Buildings)
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Status: Open

Funder

BC Hydro

Deadline Details

Funding will be provided on a first come, first served basis, subject to availability of funds.

Funder Organization Type

  • Utility

Regional Limitations

This is a regional program and only supports communities in its service area.

(See the Map)

The Social Housing Energy Savings Program aims to help non-profit, co-operative, local government, provincial housing authorities and Indigenous housing providers reduce their electrical energy use. The program helps to identify and implement energy retrofits for multi-unit residential social housing buildings. This program aims to:

  • Improve building performance
  • Reduce energy consumption and costs
  • Upgrade to high-efficiency equipment and systems
  • Optimize the lifespan of equipment with quality installation

Offers available:

  • Opportunity assessment funding
    • Get funding of up to $6,000 for a consultant to conduct a high-level assessment and identify electrical energy- and emission-saving opportunities for the properties that you manage. Energy Managers at BC Housing and BC Non-profit Housing Association can complete these studies internally as well.
  • Feasibility study funding
    • Get funding up to $37,500 for a consultant to conduct an in-depth analysis of specific systems in your building to prepare for a retrofit project.
  • Equipment upgrade funding
    • Get funding of up to 75% of project upgrade costs, to a maximum of $600,000, plus up to $11,000 in implementation support for whole-building energy upgrades including heat pumps, windows, water heating and more. Choose from BC Hydro's list of measures with pre-determined incentives available or learn about custom projects.

You can select the offer that best meets your needs and begin your application at any of the three stages.

Eligible Community

Who is eligible:

  • Provincial/Local government housing authority, or charity organizations that operates social housing buildings
  • Governing body of an Indigenous Community provided the housing is primarily for low-income households.

For complete eligibility, go to the program website.

Regional Limitations

Yes (See the Map)

Professional Input Required

Yes

Applicants must work with a consultant registered through the BC Hydro Alliance.

Specific Eligibility Requirements

  • Applicant must be a customer in BC Hydro service territory
  • Individual tenants cannot apply to this program

Other Eligible Applicants

Non-governmental Organizations / Not-for-Profits

  • Non-profit housing society registered under the Societies Act,

  • Housing co-op registered under the Cooperative Association Act

     

Range of Funding Available per Project

  • Under $100 000
  • From $100 000 to $1 000 000

Description of Funding

Offers available:

  • Opportunity assessment funding
    • Get funding of up to $6,000 for a consultant to conduct a high-level assessment and identify electrical energy- and emission-saving opportunities for the properties that you manage. Energy Managers at BC Housing and BC Non-profit Housing Association can complete these studies internally as well.
  • Feasibility study funding
    • Get funding up to $37,500 for a consultant to conduct an in-depth analysis of specific systems in your building to prepare for a retrofit project.
  • Equipment upgrade funding
    • Get funding of up to 75% of project upgrade costs, to a maximum of $600,000, plus up to $11,000 in implementation support for whole-building energy upgrades including heat pumps, windows, water heating and more. Choose from BC Hydro's list of measures with pre-determined incentives available or learn about custom projects.

You can select the offer that best meets your needs and begin your application at any of the three stages.

Eligible Costs

Planning
Equipment/Material Purchase

Eligible projects:

a. Projects that can apply for the program include:

  • Electrical energy efficiency upgrades & retrofits (e.g., lighting, HVAC systems).
  • Retrofits that result in net positive electrical energy savings.
  • All equipment must be new; rebuilt or reconditioned equipment are not eligible.
  • For rebates, all equipment must be within the specified Eligible Measures List (EML). See appendix A and appendix B.
  • If measures are outside the Eligible Measures List, projects will go through the Custom Incentives pathway.

b. Where only in-suite lighting and fridge upgrade measures are proposed, a minimum of 10 units or 25% of the total units, whichever one is lower, in the building must be retrofitted

Eligible building types:

a. Buildings must be existing and habitable year-round.b. Eligible buildings include:

  • Multi-unit residential buildings (e.g., high-rises, apartment buildings).
  • Side-by-side duplexes, row homes or townhouses with centralized Heating, Ventilation and Air-conditioning  (HVAC) systems.
  • Mixed use residential buildings must have at least 50% of the total floor area as residential living space; areas used for  commercial or other non-residential usage are excluded from the program.

c. Single detached, semi-detached, row and duplex houses, are not eligible (townhouses that share HVAC systems may be considered eligible).

For a full description of program offers and benefits, visit the participant guide. 

Ineligible Costs

Ineligible projects:a. Projects that are not eligible for the program include:

  • Fuel switching projects (e.g., from gas systems to electric)
  • New construction projects