Yes, the webinar is on January 11, 2023, at 9 am. Please register here. We will also post a recording to the webpage after the webinar.

Please refer to the Participant Terms and Conditions (page 9) for details on eligibility.  

You must retrofit or upgrade measures from at least two of the eight CES core categories listed below: 

1. On-site Generation and Renewables
2. Lighting
3. Space, Process, and Water Heating
4. Cooling and Ventilation
5. Compressed Air
6. Refrigeration and Food Services
7. Motors and Drives
8. Building Envelope and Windows 

Yes, you can use one of your ESB projects for one of the 8 CES core categories as long as both projects were completed in the same facility and meet the requirements detailed in the CES Eligible Measures List.

You can include eligible expenses incurred on or after December 1, 2022. Exceptions will be considered on a case-by-case basis. 

No, all projects must be complete and submit post-project documents by March 31, 2024. If you submit an application but do not meet the deadline, you will not receive incentive funding. 

Given the anticipated popularity of solar PV, no bundling bonus will be provided on the base incentive level. However, installations bundled with the solar PV will be eligible for the bundling bonus. 

Yes, as long as you bundle with at least one of the other CES core categories. Each solar PV project can receive up to $250,000 in incentives, up to 50% of total eligible project costs and $1M per parent company. 

Based on ESB program actuals to date, when $100 is invested in an ESB project, annual utility bill savings are approximately $20. When including available incentives, your project can pay for itself in under five years.

The incentive caps will be the lesser of the following: 

• 25 per cent of all eligible expenses for lighting systems, CHP, and solar PV projects or 50 per cent for all other projects. 
• Up to $250,000 per project 
• Up to $1 million per parent company

The budget will be between $5M – $8M in incentive funding. We will post updates on the CES webpage to indicate how much funding is remaining.

If you are a TIER regulated company, but some buildings such as your head office don’t fall under the regulations, they may be eligible.

You must bundle installations from at least two of the CES core categories. If you complete your solar PV project but do not complete the other installation, you will not receive incentive funding for the project.

Yes, you can bundle these projects with CES to receive the bonus if your project meets the following conditions:

• The pre-approved incentive in ESB must meet the minimum incentive requirement for the core category in CES. 
  • The incentive you are requesting in CES meets the minimum incentive requirement for the core category in CES. 
  • You have not already reached the $1M per parent company incentive cap, which applies to all streams under the ESB program (including ESB, SPEED, ETP, and CES).

Yes, ESB projects with a status of pre-approved or later can be eligible to meet the CES bundling requirements. However, new projects being completed in CES will only be able to claim incentives based on eligible expenses incurred on or after program announcement (December 1, 2022).

To be eligible, participants must install measures from at least two distinct CES core categories. The first core category will receive an incentive consistent with the CES measure list. Subsequent core categories can receive an additional 25% bundling bonus on the incentive amount. The total incentive (inclusive of the bundling bonus) for the project will remain capped at 50% of eligible costs. A $250,000 incentive cap per CES core category (exclusive of the bundling bonus) and $1M incentive cap per parent company will also apply.

In March 2021 the ESB program closed to new solar PV applications to ensure a single measure type did not receive more than 30% of the incentive budget. Following the closure, supply chain delays and other COVID-19 related challenges resulted in a higher rate of attrition than anticipated. To mitigate this risk in CES, applicants planning to install solar PV will be required to provide additional supporting documentation, such as:

• Attestation from the Eligible Contractor that: x) the project can be completed, and all Project Completion Documentation submitted, by March 31, 2024, and y) that the PV System equipment is commercially available in Canada as of the start date of the Eligible Project.
• A signed contract between the Participant and Eligible Contractor. 
• A draft Single Line Diagram (SLD). A SLD stamped by an engineer will be required within two months of receiving the Pre-Approval Notice.
• Within two months of receiving the Pre-Approval Notice, written confirmation that a non-refundable deposit has been paid by the Participant to the Eligible Contractor or a third party for the Eligible Measure.

Applications that do not provide sufficient documentation in their application will receive an Information Request (IR). The questions in the IR must be addressed before your application is further reviewed. The additional supporting documentation will help ensure that pre-approved applications in CES are of high quality and have a strong likelihood to complete.

Given that Eligible Projects in CES will have multiple Eligible Measure types that may complete at different times, there is an option to request a partial Project Incentive once an Eligible Measure completes. Please note the following conditions for receiving a partial Project Incentive:

• The bundling bonus component of the Project Incentive will only be paid once projects from a minimum of two distinct CES Core Categories have completed.
• Projects installing solar PV will not receive a Project Incentive until projects from a minimum of two distinct CES Core Categories have completed.