CALGARY, September 24, 2024 — Building owners and managers across the province now have access to free coaching services to guide them through making sustainable upgrades to their buildings thanks to a $14.8M contribution from Natural Resources Canada.

Alberta Ecotrust Foundation is excited to announce the official launch of Alberta Ecotrust Retrofit Accelerator, a program designed to help building owners and managers reduce their buildings' emissions through deep retrofits. Deep retrofits go beyond standard upgrades and take a whole-building approach to optimizing a building to reduce its emissions, energy consumption and operating costs.

“Buildings are significant contributors to carbon emissions across Canada, accounting for 40 and 60 per cent of emissions in Calgary and Edmonton respectively,” said Deeti Makkar, Senior Program Manager with Alberta Ecotrust. “We need to prioritize reducing these emissions and Alberta Ecotrust is here to make deep retrofits more attainable for building owners and managers, improving their energy efficiency and reducing operating costs.”

The Alberta Ecotrust Retrofit Accelerator’s team offers coaching support throughout deep retrofit planning, design and implementation. They help to identify priorities and cost-saving opportunities, navigate financing and funding applications, and find ways for participants to integrate retrofits into regular maintenance. The program supports building owners and managers of multi-unit residential and commercial buildings, as well as municipalities, universities, schools and hospitals.

“Energy efficiency means cost savings for Canadians. At a time when Canadians are facing challenges with affordability and climate change, we are delivering on the Green Buildings Strategy by supporting cost-saving retrofit projects like the Alberta Ecotrust Retrofit Accelerator program. By implementing the Green Buildings Strategy, we will save Canadians money, create jobs, and seize the opportunities of a modern, clean economy.” – The Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Natural Resources.

“Older buildings are costing communities more to maintain, driving up emissions and adding pollutants to our air. The Alberta Ecotrust Foundation is changing that by helping building owners retrofit their properties to keep up with the times and new energy standards. To support their work, our government is investing $14.8 million in the Foundation. This will lower building costs, cut emissions and improve air quality in communities across Alberta.” – The Honourable Randy Boissonnault, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Official Languages.

The Alberta Ecotrust Retrofit Accelerator program also aims to reduce emissions from buildings on a larger scale by supporting the development of Alberta’s sustainable retrofit industry. This will be accomplished through capacity building, training, peer-to-peer networking, and research by working collaboratively with industry leaders, including Pembina Institute, Alberta Energy Efficiency Alliance, SAIT, and others.

“We’re proud to be part of the network of industry leaders collaborating with Alberta Ecotrust to support this program and contribute to the development of Alberta’s sustainable retrofit industry,“ said Betsy Agar, Buildings Program Director, Pembina Institute. “Working together, we can make deep retrofits more accessible for building owners and managers now, and for years to come.”

Alberta Ecotrust Retrofit Accelerator is funded by Natural Resources Canada under the Deep Retrofit Accelerator Initiative. This program is also made possible by funding from RBC Foundation’s Tech for Nature program.

Building owners and managers interested in reducing their buildings' emissions are encouraged to take advantage of the free coaching services now available through the program. Learn more and contact our coaches at: albertaecotrust.com/alberta-retrofit-accelerator.

For media inquiries

Julia Vachon Communications Specialist, Alberta Ecotrust Foundation

j.vachon@albertaecotrust.com

403.209.2245