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Hamilton Health Sciences receives largest rebate in Ontario for energy-efficient upgrades
| Submitted: February 05th, 2010
By: |
Hamilton Health Sciences is a family of six unique hospitals and a cancer centre, servinHorizon Utilities Corporation today presented Hamilton Health Sciences with a rebate cheque for $639,138, the largest Electricity Retrofit Incentive Program (ERIP) cheque ever presented in the province of Ontario. Hamilton Health Sciences received the rebate for energy-efficient lighting, heating and cooling retrofits. These retrofits have reduced the hospital’s average peak demand for electricity by 2,574 kilowatts to date.
The Electricity Retrofit Incentive Program, offered by Horizon Utilities and the Ontario Power Authority, provides incentives for commercial, industrial, agricultural and institutional customers who complete energy efficiency retrofits that result in reductions in energy consumption or peak demand for electricity.
Hamilton Health Sciences is in the process of completing a $50 million energy retrofit and renewal program at all of their five campuses. By combining energy-efficient upgrades with critical building enhancements, the program will help all campuses reduce their environmental footprint and save $48 million in utility costs over a ten-year period.
The following upgrades were completed at various locations:
• T8 lamps replaced less efficient lamps and the number of lamps was reduced
• Occupancy sensors were installed in offices, storage spaces and mechanical rooms
• Variable frequency drives on fan systems were retrofitted thereby reducing the energy required to circulate air and, in some cases, shutting the fans off in areas that are not occupied after hours and on weekends
• New energy-efficient chillers were installed that use less energy while meeting the hospital’s cooling requirements
Additional measures planned for 2010 include upgrades to the air handling system at McMaster University Medical Centre that are expected to save a further 500 kilowatts in peak demand.
"Horizon Utilities is committed to helping institutions like Hamilton Health Sciences take a proactive approach to energy conservation and, in doing so, contribute to building economically viable and sustainable communities,” said Max Cananzi, President and CEO of Horizon Utilities Corporation. "Incentives provided by the Electricity Retrofit Incentive Program reduce the payback period of capital projects. These incentives coupled with the long-term savings on energy bills, make a compelling business case for companies to invest in energy conservation measures.”
”A lot of time and effort has gone into making our family of hospitals as energy-efficient as they can be,” explained Lloyd Ferguson, Hamilton Health Sciences Board Member and Chair of the Planning and Building Committee. “On behalf of the Hamilton Health Sciences Board of Directors we are quite proud of this achievement. We thank Horizon Utilities and the Ontario Power Authority for recognizing these efforts and awarding us with this very generous rebate.”
The Electricity Retrofit Incentive Program is one of a number of Conservation and Demand Management programs launched by the Ontario Power Authority and administered by local utilities, like Horizon Utilities Corporation, to help the province meet its energy reduction targets of reducing electricity consumption by 50 GWh and achieve demand savings of 100 MW by the end of 2010.
The Electricity Retrofit Incentive Program covers two types of projects: prescriptive and custom. Prescriptive projects provide a specific incentive payout for upgrades such as installing more energy-efficient lighting. The custom program is designed for larger projects and provides payouts based on the resulting reduction in peak demand of electricity.
For more details about the Energy Retrofit Incentive Program, please visit: www.horizonutilities.com or call 1-866-458-1236.
About Horizon Utilities Corporation
Horizon Utilities Corporation is one of the largest municipally owned electricity distribution companies in Ontario, delivering electricity and related utility services to more than 230,000 residential and commercial customers in Hamilton and St. Catharines. The company is committed to providing best value to its customers through the delivery of a safe, and reliable supply of electricity cost effectively. Horizon Utilities Corporation is owned by Horizon Holdings Inc. and operates out of facilities in Hamilton, Stoney Creek and St. Catharines. For more information, visit: www.horizonutilities.com.
About Hamilton Health Sciences
g more than 2.3 million residents of Hamilton and central west Ontario. Hamilton Health Sciences is the second largest hospital in the province and the regional centre for burns, trauma, cardiac, stroke, neurosurgery, pediatrics, digestive diseases, high-risk obstetrics, cancer, orthopedics and rehabilitation services. With a staff of more than 10,000, the hospital is the largest employer in Hamilton. As an academic teaching hospital with more than 1,000 beds and an affiliation with McMaster University and Mohawk College, Hamilton Health Sciences is committed to providing exemplary health care for the people and communities we serve and advancing excellence in education and health research. For more information, visit: www.hamiltonhealthsciences.ca.
Sandy Manners Vel Snoukphonh
Director, Corporate Communications Public Relations Specialist
Horizon Utilities Corporation Hamilton Health Sciences
Tel: 1-866-458-1236 Tel: 905-521-2100 Ext. 64138
sandy.manners@horizonutilities.com vel.snoukphonh@jcc.hhsc.ca
Website: www.horizonutilities.com Website: www.hamiltonhealthsciences.ca
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