Changes to Retrofit Program

Increases to non-lighting incentives this fall plus Instant Discounts program for lighting launching in December.

Updates to the Save on Energy Retrofit program‘s prescriptive incentives increase most non-lighting measures. The new incentives will come into effect on October 30, 2023.

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Effect of Light Abatement Curtains on the Greenhouse Environment

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON ONGREENHOUSEVEGETABLES.CA on  by Fadi Al-Daoud

Learn how light abatement curtains can be used and their effect on the greenhouse environment.

Click the image below to access the article on Ontario.ca.

New Incentives for Distributed Energy Resources (DER) for Greenhouses in Southwestern Ontario

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON ONGREENHOUSEVEGETABLES.CA on  by Fadi Al-Daoud

The Save on Energy Retrofit program is offering a NEW incentive for Distributed Energy Resources (DERs) for greenhouses in the Southwest region of the province. This new initiative is part of the Retrofit for Greenhouses stream of the program, with a focus on the Southwest region. A Greenhouse Distributed Energy Resources (DER) measure is available to greenhouse facilities within certain areas of Southwestern Ontario. The incentives include those for an integrated Solar Photovoltaic and Battery Storage System where none previously existed.

Incentives

Solar Photovoltaic (PV) $1435.00/kW

and

Battery Storage: $260.00/kWh

Eligibility

Facilities installing DERs must be located in the following postal codes:

N0P, N0R, N8H, N8M, N8N, N8P, N8R, N8S, N8T, N8V, N8W, N8X, N8Y, N9A, N9B, N9C, N9E, N9G, N9H, N9J, N9K, N9V, N9Y

Applications are subject to the eligibility criteria specified within the: Greenhouse Distributed Energy Resources Eligible Measures Prescriptive Worksheet available at Application documents for the Retrofit program | Save on Energy

Contact

For more information on the program, visit the Save on Energy Web site Agriculture incentives with the Retrofit program | Save on Energy or contact the Retrofit Save on Energy Delivery Agent for the SW region at  1-877-247-1095 or SouthwesternOutreach@retrofitprogram.ca

A Dark Start to 2023

The winter months can always be a challenge for floriculture producers. But have you found this winter to be unpredictably dark? Has this affected your crop?

Read on to see if this year is unusual, or part of a trend, and how this may influence your production decisions (and energy costs) in years to come.

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Upcoming Workshop: Greenhouse Energy Savings

Interested in learning the latest opportunities for energy savings in your floriculture greenhouse? Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers (OGVG), the County of Essex, and Essex Region Conservation are hosting a workshop on January 26th to discuss energy savings in the greenhouse sector, with speakers from CI Energy Conservation, IESO, The University of Windsor, as well as ERCA and OGVG.

Read on for registration info, tentative agenda and an invitation from the organizers:

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LED Lighting Incentives can help with On-Farm Trials

Thanks to the IESO for contributing to this post.

SOE logoAre you aware that the Save on Energy program can help you to complete energy efficient upgrades in your greenhouse?  You may have participated in this program in the past, but the current iteration can help you to retrofit items like ventilation fans and upgrade to LED lighting in the warehouse and the greenhouse.

The IESO has developed tools that can help you identify areas where an upgrade might be able to help you save energy.  These include a checklist that walks you through the greenhouse, and some videos and other information on their web page.

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Upcoming Webinar: GO-CALC – Modelling Energy Use and Savings in the Greenhouse

Now that the mums are gone, and the poinsettias are getting ready to colour up, it’s becoming clear that winter is just around the corner.  With the colder temperatures outside, comes the ramping up of you heating system. Remember those energy bills from winter’s gone by? Have they got you thinking about doing some energy-efficient upgrades in your greenhouse?

The engineers at OMAFRA have been especially busy this year building GO-CALC – a tool to help estimate your energy use in the greenhouse AND how retrofits can help to make your greenhouse more energy-efficient!  The tool shows how those energy-efficient upgrades like energy curtains, new greenhouse coverings and boiler upgrades that you may already be planning for your greenhouse can help you save energy.

gcalc

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