// Hydro Ottawa’s Companies for Conservation Program

It is said that it takes a village to raise a child. In the same vein Hydro Ottawa endorses the view that it takes community-minded corporations to make real change in the quality of life by sponsoring genuine progress in energy conservation. It is Hydro Ottawa’s conservation culture that inspires programs such as Companies for Conservation. This Hydro Ottawa program recognizes conservation projects undertaken by commercial or institutional customers whose efforts have resulted in significant reductions in energy usage and/or operational efficiencies.

Since 2007, there have been more than 35 companies that have been recognized through the program representing a great breadth of commerce and government organizations in the community.
Some recent examples include Quickie Convenience Stores, who implemented a new technology called Freeaire. This innovative solution takes advantage of cool air from outside for refrigeration purposes inside. That translates into an 80 per cent reduction in electricity costs for walk-in refrigerators. The program and the upgrades earned Quickie more than $7,000 in incentives. Quickie now plans to extend the project to other locations in Ontario and Quebec.

The Canada Science and Technology Museums Corporation upgraded their cooling system at the Canada Aviation and Space Museum and retrofitted 1,700 fixtures with LED lights at their Canada Science and Technology Museum. Both initiatives reduce the Corporation’s energy and maintenance costs. In all, it received more than $100,000 in incentives through Hydro Ottawa’s saveONenergy Retrofit Program.

Working in partnership with the Ontario Power Authority, Hydro Ottawa offers numerous other successful Conservation and Demand Management initiatives. To date, more than 28,000 customers have taken advantage of their Fridge & Freezer recycling program, 26,000 customer are currently peaksaver® participants, and an additional 8,000 customers have used incentives to upgrade their furnace and air conditioning units. Hydro Ottawa is grateful for the active support of these environmentally conscious customers and community-minded organizations who’ve whole-heartedly embraced both the commercial and ethical benefits of a culture of conservation in the nation’s capital.

Hydro Ottawa was a key sponsor of this year’s Corporate and Community Social Responsibility CCSR Conference that was held on November 6th, 2012 at Algonquin College, Ottawa. This 5th annual CCSR conference – with a focus on the Canadian Perspective – is the country’s largest Community and Corporate Social Responsibility conference inviting experts from across the globe to share insights and showcase excellence in CCSR.