Capital project: New construction of energy-efficient facilities

We fund capital projects of initiatives that target net zero energy performance in new municipal facilities. This funding helps Canadian cities and communities of all sizes use less energy, which reduces their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and improves their air quality.

Your capital project must include a combination of energy efficient measures that together, target net zero energy performance in a new municipal facility (administration buildings, police stations and fire halls, recreation centres and arenas, wastewater treatment plants, etc.). Most of the funding goes to projects in municipally owned buildings, but a non-municipally owned building may be eligible if it is used mostly for municipal purposes.

Examples of what you might implement:

A combination of these measures:

• Design and construction approaches
• Passive energy efficiency (e.g., directional orientation, natural features)
• Alternative building components and materials (e.g., insulation, walls, windows)
• Advanced automation and control systems
• Advanced heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems 
• Harvesting energy from process loads or waste (e.g., sewer heat recovery)
• On-site renewable energy generation and storage (e.g., solar, wind, geothermal or geo-exchange systems)
• Other measures targeting net zero energy or carbon

We will fund other innovative ideas! Contact us to ask if your idea qualifies for funding.

Notes

• While we encourage you to pursue green building certifications, they are not a prerequisite for funding.
• Stand-alone renewable energy production projects are not eligible for this funding.
• If your project is implemented on a brownfield site, search the funding library for ‘brownfield capital project’ to see if it qualifies for brownfield funding.

Target

Your initiative must aim for net zero energy performance. That means any energy it requires must be generated through on-site, renewable or recovered power sources.

What we’re looking to fund

FCM funds capital projects that demonstrate most of the following characteristics:

• Transformative potential: The project incorporates solutions (e.g., knowledge, practices, technologies) that are well beyond business-as-usual. The project:
  • is likely to result in significant performance improvements (e.g., improved levels of service, cost savings, energy efficiency, increased resiliency, environmental protection, improved human health)
  • is audacious in that it requires a municipality to take on uncertainty over known best practices to achieve greater environmental benefits
  • is designed to build the capacity of key stakeholders (e.g., municipal staff, elected officials, local trades)
  • has the potential to generate new knowledge for the sector
  • has a high likelihood of being replicated if successful

• Significant impacts: The project has the potential to generate significant measurable environmental results as well as economic and social benefits.
• Strong implementation framework: The project plan is robust and includes appropriate stakeholder engagement, planning, risk management, resourcing and monitoring.

How to apply