The Alberta Ecotrust Foundation recently announced the official launch of the Alberta Ecotrust Retrofit Accelerator, a program designed to help building owners and managers reduce their building’s GHG emissions through sustainable building upgrades, retrofitting systems to replace them with more efficient alternatives that facilitate lower operating costs and carbon footprint. A deep retrofit is a major project which reduces energy use and emissions by over 30%.
Commercial and residential buildings are significant contributors to carbon emissions across Canada, accounting for 40 to 60% of emissions in Calgary and Edmonton alone.
The Alberta Ecotrust Retrofit Accelerator offers services that aim to reduce carbon emissions from buildings – ensuring deep retrofits will always be accessible for building owners and managers of multi-unit residential and commercial buildings, as well as municipalities, universities, schools, and hospitals. Through capacity building, training, peer-to-peer networking, and collaborative research with industry leaders, this program will support the development of Alberta’s sustainable retrofit industry.
DIALOG’s Chris Lenzin, Partner and Structural Engineer, and Stephanie Fargas, Associate and Specifier, at Alberta Ecotrust’s Retrofit Accelerator launch event on September 24, 2024. Photo credit: Alberta Ecotrust Foundation
As an approved service provider, DIALOG will provide its expertise in one or more components of the program, contributing to a detailed deep retrofit plan tailored to the participant’s unique goals, needs, and barriers. DIALOG will provide services to enable building owners to plan and implement deep retrofit projects, including site assessments, energy audits, energy simulations, lifecycle costing, and development of deep retrofit feasibility studies.
DIALOG has long been active in designing great retrofit projects in Alberta. The HSBC Place Repositioning project in Edmonton has generated over 40% energy and GHG savings while revitalizing a major office building in downtown Edmonton.
HSBC Place Repositioning, Photographer: Merle Prosofsky
The MacKimmie Complex at the University of Calgary is targeting over 80% operating GHG savings while achieving Zero Carbon Building – Design certification and receiving the Zero Carbon Green Building Excellence award from CaGBC. We are excited to provide our expertise to support more building owners on their journey to deep carbon savings and building revitalization.
U-Calgary MacKimmie Complex, photographer: Tom Arban Photography
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.
To learn more about the Alberta Ecotrust Retrofit Accelerator, please contact cmarshall@dialogdesign.ca.
About Alberta Ecotrust Foundation
Alberta Ecotrust Foundation is a charity that leads and catalyzes environmental and climate action projects that enhance the well-being of Alberta’s communities. It works collaboratively with diverse partners to deliver, fund, and enable innovative initiatives that address pressing environmental challenges in the province. Alberta Ecotrust is a founding member of the Low Carbon Cities Canada network.