Title: Ersilia Serafini, Executive Director
1- Ersilia Serafini, Executive Director
ENERGY STAR PARTICIPANTS MEETING Friday, May
5, 2006
2Table of Contents
- Clean Air Foundation Background
- Cool Shops Energy Conservation for Small
Business - Sector and Program Overview
- Cool Shops History
- Current Program Elements
- Current Program Partners and Funders
- Case Studies
- Barriers and Challenge
- Solutions and Program Changes
- Program Next Steps
3Clean Air Foundation Our Mandate
The Clean Air Foundation is a national
not-for-profit organization, dedicated to
developing, implementing and managing public
engagement programs and other strategic
approaches that lead to measurable emissions
reductions to improve air quality and protect the
climate.
4Clean Air Foundation Our Programs
Energy Smarts Canada-wide retail-based energy
efficiency campaign, providing discounts and
valuable information on energy efficient and
clean air products.
Mow Down Pollution Canadas only small-engine
exchange program, focusing on retiring old gas
lawnmowers and encouraging the purchase of
cleaner alternatives.
Cool Shops Ontario-wide market transformation
program for street-facing retailers, identifying
and helping to implement in-store energy
management practices to save on utility costs and
improve environmental health.
Car Heaven Accelerating the retirement of older,
higher polluting vehicles and promoting a shift
to cleaner alternatives. Car donors receive a
free tow and a charitable tax receipt from
affiliated charities.
Keep Cool Canadas first room air conditioner
exchange program, using public awareness and
financial incentives to encourage the retirement
of old air conditioners and providing discounts
for more efficient models.
Switch Out Encouraging and facilitating the
responsible recovery of mercury automotive
switches.
Climate Air Connections Ontarios public
education and outreach hub, linking activities
and best practices related to air quality and
climate change.
5Cool ShopsEnergy Conservation for Small Business
Sector Overview small streetfacing retail
- Increasing demand and cost of electricity need
energy conservation - Small business sector extremely hard to reach,
communicate with, and encourage change - Language and cultural barriers
- Small business owner lack of time, money,
resources
Program Overview
- Cool Shops program only program of its kind in
Canada - Commercial engagement campaign across Ontario
- Locally hired teams provide outreach, education,
simple energy audits, access to free and
discounted energy efficient products - Program delivery May August
6Cool ShopsEnergy Conservation for Small Business
History
- Launched at Greenest City (Toronto NGO) in 2000
- Started as a grassroots campaign to promote doors
closed while running A/C in summer - Moved to Clean Air Foundation in 2004 in order to
grow scope of program and expand across Ontario - 2004 (Toronto)
- promoted 3rd party delivery of full-scale energy
audit (95) in Toronto - resulted in low audit uptake due to cost and
large time investment - learned that program needs to be more turnkey
- 2005 (Toronto, Markham, Milton, Peterborough,
Ottawa, London) - incorporated use of Palm Pilot technology to do
instant, on-site energy audits (focused on
lighting) and collect market research info - installed free CFLs to get instant savings and
have immediate impact - resulted in greater program uptake (806MWh and
240 tonnes GHGs)
7Cool ShopsEnergy Conservation for Small Business
Current Program Elements
- Program delivery in 11 Ontario cities
- Toronto, Markham, Milton, Ottawa, Hamilton, St.
Catharines, Sarnia,Woodstock, Kitchener,
Cambridge, Waterloo - Rural Ontario Road Show
- Program delivery involves
- Palm Pilot energy audits (data collection, market
research) - Installation of 2 free CFLs and LED exit light
bulb retrofit kit - Discounted energy efficient product offer sheet
- Free marketing for participating businesses
- Education on Time-of-Use electricity rates and
Smart Meters - Provide as much targeted information as possible
in the shortest amount of time
8Cool ShopsEnergy Conservation for Small Business
Current Program Partners/Funders
- Multi-sector partnership model most successful
- Public Sector
- Private Sector
- Industry Associations
- Other non-profit environmental groups
- Large emphasis on utility funding for local
program implementation
9Cool ShopsEnergy Conservation for Small Business
Media Launch Events
David Miller, City of Toronto Mayor at the 2004
Cool Shops program launch in Toronto
Donna Cansfield, Parliamentary Assistant to the
Minister of Energy at the 2005 Cool Shops program
launch in Toronto
Peter Love, Chief Energy Conservation Officer
Ontario Power Authority Conservation Bureau at
the 2005 Cool Shops Program launch in Markham
10Cool ShopsEnergy Conservation for Small Business
Case Study 1
- Energy efficient upgrades/changes
- Switch to solar hot water heating
- Energy efficient lighting T12 gt T8
- Reduced natural gas consumption by 30
- Revenues grown 160 as customers actively choose
the Beach Solar Laundromat due to its
environmentally friendly energy initiatives - 2004 CCME Award Winner - Canadian Council of
Ministers of the Environment as Best Small
Business in Canada for Pollution Prevention and
the Best Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction
project in Canada
11Cool ShopsEnergy Conservation for Small Business
Case Study 2
- Rick Rabba (Rabba Fine Foods) and Donna Cansfield
(Minister of Energy) at the 2005 media launch for
Cool Shops - Rabba congratulated at program media launch on
their commitment to energy efficient upgrades - 7 downtown Toronto locations completed full T8
lighting retrofits - Saving over 10,000/yr. (combined)
- Stores which conduct significant energy efficient
retrofits are promoted in their community and
across the province for their participation
12Cool ShopsEnergy Conservation for Small Business
Barriers and Challenges
- One of the hardest sectors to reach, communicate
with, and encourage change - Language and cultural differences
- Very little uptake of full scale energy audits
(2004 program) - Few businesses go on to purchase energy efficient
products (1.5 uptake in 2005) - Lack of building ownership by business owners
(lt30) - Split incentives
- High cost of significant retrofits
- Business owner lack of time, money, resources
13Cool ShopsEnergy Conservation for Small Business
Program Changes and Solutions
- Turn findings into consequent changes for more
success - Multicultural outreach needed Translate
marketing and educational materials and hire
multi-lingual program representatives - Scale down energy audit for instant
recommendations Palm Pilot audits - Increase instant energy savings from program
Install free CFLs and LED exit sign lights - Increase chance of engaging decision
maker/business owner Pre-booking appointments - Deliver more targeted recommendations in a
shorter amount of time Sub-sector specific
solutions - Continually adapt to needs of sector by adjusting
program delivery
14Cool ShopsEnergy Conservation for Small Business
Next Steps
- Invest more time in follow-up activities
- Encourage and facilitate larger retrofits gt
larger kW reductions - Increase multicultural outreach
- Develop sub-sector specific solutions
- restaurants/foodservice, convenience/grocery, and
retail/office - Expand program outside Ontario (ex. British
Columbia)
Focus Moving Forward
Continually evolve program to make it as easy as
possiblefor businesses to participate
15More Information
Cara SweenyCool Shops Program ManagerPh
416.922.9038 x257 csweeny_at_cleanairfoundation.org
Ersilia SerafiniExecutive DirectorPh
416.922.9038 x242 eserafini_at_cleanairfoundation.org
www.cleanairfoundation.orgwww.coolshops.ca