ecoENERGY Retrofit Incentive for Industry: Sample List of Eligible and Ineligible Projects

To help companies determine the eligibility of their retrofit project, Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) has developed a sample list that shows the types of retrofit projects that would be eligible and ineligible for the ecoENERGY Retrofit incentive. To be eligible, a project must result in a measurable and verifiable reduction of energy use AND entail capital spending to replace or retrofit existing industrial buildings, equipment, systems and/or processes.

Examples of Eligible Retrofit Projects

Building Envelope

• Insulation upgrades
• Building weatherization
• Window and/or door replacement
• Air curtain installation

Lighting Systems

• Installation of energy-efficient lighting systems
• Application of occupancy sensors
• Exit light replacement (e.g. LEDs)

HVAC Systems

• Improvements in airflow balance and circulation
• Modifications or application of control systems
• Waste heat recovery (e.g. for intake and make-up air)

Compressed Air Systems

• Individual compressor control applications
• Improvements in closed-loop system design
• Reduction of air leaks

Fans, Blowers and Pumps

• Process optimization
• Size optimization
• Improvements in system configuration

Motor and Drive Systems

• Application of multi-speed motors
• Application of variable-speed drives
• Gearbox elimination
• Motor rewinding for increased efficiency

Water-Heating Systems

• Size optimization
• Improvements in system configuration
• Reduction of water-heating load/loss
• Insulation upgrades

Chillers, Cooling and Refrigeration Systems

• Installation of economizers
• Introduction of more efficient cooling methods
• Cooling temperature optimization
• Improvements to control system
• Installation of double-bundle chiller

Boiler Plant Systems

• Reduction of blow-down heat loss
• Operational improvement measures
• Waste heat recovery for increasing feed water temperature
• Installation of economizers
• Improvement of steam distribution system integrity (e.g. traps, insulation)

Combustion Systems

• Replacement of hardware – high-efficiency burners
• Maximizing combustion efficiency
• Combustion upgrades

Process Dryers, Furnaces and Kilns

• Process optimization
• Improvements and upgrades in insulation
• Improvements in control system

Other Energy Efficiency Measures

• Replacement or retrofit of inefficient equipment
• Application of energy-efficient transformers
• Waste heat recovery (e.g. from flue gas, steam condensate, exhaust air, etc.)
• Process insulation upgrades and improvements
• Other

Examples of Ineligible Retrofit Projects

Behavioral or operational changes, or projects that save money on energy bills, but do not demonstrate measurable and verifiable energy savings are all good energy management practices, but are not measures eligible for the ecoENERGY Retrofit Incentive. Examples of such measures include:

Power-Conditioning Projects

• Power factor correction
• Lighting voltage regulation
• Compact fluorescent lamps not equipped with electronic ballasts
• Harmonic current reduction
• Transient voltage protection
• Installation of voltage- and power-reducing equipment
• Other power-conditioning measures (uninterruptible power supplies, rectifiers, etc.)

Black Box Solutions

• Software or hardware devices (e.g. magnetic treatment of fuel) whose functioning cannot be explained by applying mainstream engineering knowledge and theories and whose efficiency is not and/or cannot be supported with certified test results

Other Projects

• Load-shifting/load-management measures
• New buildings or plant expansions
• Application of technologies that do not involve a replacement or modification to existing equipment or save energy
• Measures that are not permanently installed (plug-in equipment)
• Behavioural or operational changes that save energy
• Projects to repair or maintain existing equipment
• Recommissioning activities
• Metering not directly associated with an eligible project
• Projects that result in negative environmental or health effects

The ineligible energy-saving measures shall not be limited only to those listed above. NRCan reserves the right to reject any technical measure whose functioning principle cannot be supported with a credible scientific explanation or whose effectiveness in reducing energy demand cannot be verified.

Return to ecoENERGY Retrofit Incentive main page