Include renewable energy projects like solar panels as well as streetlight replacement programs where inefficient streetlights are replaced with high-efficiency LEDs. These innovative projects save on energy consumption and costs and can even produce revenue.
- In 2013, the City of Brockville installed solar panels on the roof of a local arena and also completed a number of energy-efficient retrofits. The solar panels installed on the rooftop are expected to save the City about $200,000 and provide carbon offsets of about 233 metric tons each year of the panel’s 20-year lifespan.
- In 2008, Sudbury’s Housing Corporation installed a custom designed SolarWall® system. The system draws heated air off the top of the SolarWall® panels for use in the building’s ventilation system. It also displaces approximately 2,162 Gigajoules (GJ) of energy each year and reduced carbon dioxide emissions by 186 tonnes per year. In addition, this innovate project saves the organization more than $23,000 each year in heating costs.
In 2014 and 2015 alone,
Ontario municipalities saved 55,400 kilowatt hours of electricity and 5,250 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide by installing efficient LED streetlights. This work has saved taxpayers more than $8 million in energy costs and $2.7 million in maintenance costs.