Energy Savings: A Checklist for Communities

1. Energy Savings: A Checklist for Communities Sustainability Planning: Linking to Practical Applications

2. Basic Information and Initial Decisions • Is there support within your community for energy saving investments, and how is this support being articulated? • Are you aware of how much can be achieved through planning for energy savings? For further information try: • http://oee.nrcan.gc.ca/publications/fbi/m92-201-2000/overview.cfm?attr=28 • Have you examined case studies and best practices to get a feel for what can be done? Try case studies and best practices at: • http://sustainableinfrastructure.crcresearch.org/ and http://www.toronto.ca/bbp/projects/index.htm • Have you undertaken an energy audit of your facilities? Natural Resources Canada provides information on these at: • http://oee.nrcan.gc.ca/publications/fbi/m92-201-2000/overview.cfm?attr=28

3. Basic Information and Initial Decisions Continued • Do you intend to undertake energy-savings investments in-house or are you going to contract out? For alternatives refer to: • http://oee.nrcan.gc.ca/communities-government/buildings/federal/publications/financing- options-contents.cfm?attr=28 • If you are considering the use of private sector financing to fund energy savings, have you considered Energy Performance Contracting as an option? For a description of the technique try: • http://www.toronto.ca/bbp/services.htm • Are your plans for energy savings linked to a broader sustainability plan? If so, where do energy savings fit into that plan? Examples of sustainability planning can be found at: • http://sustainableinfrastructure.crcresearch.org/

4. Implementation • Do you have a list of reputable energy-savings suppliers? If not, try • http://oee.nrcan.gc.ca/energystar/index.html for products, • http://oee.nrcan.gc.ca/infosource/pdfs/M27-01-150E-1.pdf for technologies, and • http://oee.nrcan.gc.ca/communities-government/buildings/federal/qualified-bidders/index.cfm?attr=28, and http://www.toronto.ca/bbp/firms/index.htm for energy management firms. • If you are going to use Energy Performance Contracting, do you have access to tendering documents such as those used to solicit Request for Proposals, and to enter into Contracts? If not, try: • http://www.toronto.ca/bbp/registry.htm, and • http://oee.nrcan.gc.ca/publications/fbi/pdf/2701473E.pdf. • Do you require hints on how to manage energy performance contracts. To find help, try using the innovators listed at: • http://www.communitycasestudies.crcresearch.org/contact_dir

5. Implementation Continued • For energy saving, are you aware that employee and tenant awareness programs may be just as important as investment in equipment? • Has consideration been given to green building standards in the planning and construction of new buildings? Standards and concepts can be found at: • http://www.worldgbc.org/

6. Additional Resources • For further information and resources on energy saving investments try the comprehensive resources section at: • http://sustainableinfrastructure.crcresearch.org/resources.html