Ottawa's Energy Outlook: Case Studies | Sustainable Eastern Ontario

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About the Ottawa Energy Management Case Studies Project

Energy management – how energy is generated, transported, and used – is key to combating climate change and creating more liveable cities. Municipalities and medium-sized entities such as schools, hospitals and care homes, often fall between the cracks of programs designed to work at a larger or smaller scale, but they are major energy consumers who are often very interested in reducing their energy use, both for financial and ecological sustainability reasons.

As a network organization that fosters collaboration, information sharing, and partnerships both within the environmental non-profit sector, and between non-profits and other stakeholders in sustainability issues, it was only logical for Sustainable Eastern Ontario to become involved in this issue.

Supported by the City of Ottawa we received funding from the Independent Electricity Service Operator (IESO) to research and document some of the great work individual organizations have undertaken on a mid-range scale, as well as facilitate the spread of these good ideas by disseminating the resulting information.

Purpose & Goals

Through production of the case studies, and targeted outreach to similar organizations, we hope to celebrate the steps already taken towards sustainability by municipal departments, transit services, hospitals, and others, as well as ensure that further steps continue be taken.

The benefits of improving energy management go beyond sustainability to include cost savings, increased safety and comfort, and public health benefits, but the perceived complexity and expense of these projects is often a barrier for organizations taking action, or even realizing they could take action. We hope that by raising awareness about practical projects that are already underway or have been completed, in combination with concrete information regarding cost, payback time, and incentive programs, we can tilt the balance towards action for many others.

How to Use These Case Studies

In addition to this booklet, the results of our research are available as individual case studies, designed to be shared with interested individuals who could benefit from learning more about what other organizations similar to their own have done, or who are interested in a specific technology or technique in a mid-sized setting. They are designed to quickly share the most important information on each project (such as cost, incentives received, payback time, and carbon reduction) in an engaging and approachable way.

Disclaimer

This initiative was made possible in part through the financial support of the Independent Electricity System Operator’s (IESO) Education and Capacity Building Program.
Sustainable Eastern Ontario is solely responsible for implementation of, and the content of any materials produced by, this initiative, and the IESO has no responsibility or liability whatsoever in the event that any person suffers any losses or damages of any kind as a result of the initiative. The opinions and views expressed here belong to Sustainable Eastern Ontario.