For Ottawa businesses, the opportunity to improve building performance has never been greater. Energy retrofits can cut emissions, strengthen operations, extend the life of assets, reduce operating costs, and position organizations for long-term success.
But the first hurdle is knowing where to begin. Proposals can be vague, budgets uncertain, and projections hard to verify. That uncertainty often stalls projects before they start.
Through the Ottawa Retrofit Accelerator (ORA) program, Hydro Ottawa Ltd. aims to fill a critical gap by supporting an important stage in the retrofit planning process – technical feasibility studies that inform the design, engineering, business case, and costing of retrofit projects, helping building owners get projects off the ground faster and with greater confidence.
Bridging the gap: Retrofit design, engineering, and costing
The ORA program was created to help building owners move forward with greater clarity on retrofit projects, allowing for a smoother transition from conceptualization to implementation, and will soon introduce funding for technical feasibility studies.
It will equip building owners with the tools and expertise to build a compelling case by grounding retrofit strategies in credible analysis, realistic budgets, and measurable results.
Every study must be carried out by qualified professionals – such as professional engineers or financial analysts – and every recommendation must stand up to both technical and financial scrutiny.
“Our customers want a clear path forward,” says Trevor Freeman, manager, commercial accounts and program delivery at Hydro Ottawa. “To make a big investment in equipment or the building, they need support with costing and detailed design. That is exactly what the Ottawa Retrofit Accelerator delivers.”
Turning technical advice into business strategy
What sets ORA apart is its focus on turning technical advice into practical business strategy. Each study lays out cost estimates, timelines, and capital planning details so decision-makers can see exactly what lies ahead.
Projected energy savings, cost reductions, and emissions cuts are quantified at both the building and system level, giving businesses a concrete basis for comparing the status quo to a higher efficiency future.
Both carbon and energy reduction thinking are built-in from the start. For a major system under review, businesses can prepare detailed design and costing to enable them to implement their retrofit.
For example, a study may complete technical drawings or an engineering design to replace aging gas-fired rooftop units with variable refrigerant flow (VRF) heat pumps or could involve Class A costing for this replacement. This moves your project a big step closer to implementing a retrofit or key equipment upgrade.
Helping commercial building owners capitalize on operational improvements
Ottawa’s commercial buildings are one of the city’s largest opportunities for operational improvement and carbon reduction. Hydro Ottawa, through the Ottawa Retrofit Accelerator, is helping businesses seize that opportunity with grounded strategies they can trust.
By bridging the gap between technical expertise and financial clarity, Hydro Ottawa is giving its customers a clear path to operational improvement.
To learn more about the Ottawa Retrofit Accelerator and how it can help your business move forward with confidence, visit hydroottawa.com/ora.
