Our Sustainable Municipal Buildings funding offer supports municipalities with community building upgrades that aim to improve energy performance, lower operating and maintenance costs, and transition to cleaner energy solutions over time. These retrofits can also serve the community and its residents in other ways.

The short guides below explore the many other benefits of retrofitting community buildings, such as job creation, integrating equity considerations and ensuring infrastructure resiliency.

 

Measuring what matters: Local job creation and the economic benefits of community building retrofits

Community building retrofit projects can generate and sustain local employment, strengthen workforce skills and support inclusive economic development. This guide highlights the scale of energy efficiency–related jobs across Canada, outlines how municipal retrofit projects support the green job sector and provides practical steps to build an equitable retrofit economy.

Read the guide.

Photo of workers placing solar panels on a rooftop

 

Retrofitting community buildings to support climate resilience

Municipalities can strengthen local climate resilience by integrating emergency preparedness, energy efficiency and equity into the retrofit planning process for public facilities like arenas, pools, libraries and community centres. This practical guide outlines retrofit measures to help transform these buildings into safe, reliable hubs during extreme weather events and other emergencies.

Read the guide.

Front page of CBR guide: Retrofitting community buildings to support climate resilience

 

Health, equity and other non-energy benefits of community building retrofits

Beyond energy and cost savings, community building retrofits offer a significant opportunity to build municipalities that are healthier, more equitable and more resilient. This guide will help you build a case for community building retrofits by summarizing the common non-energy benefits, expanding on common indoor air pollutants, and providing useful definitions of relevant terms such as indoor environmental quality (IEQ).

Read the guide.

Cover page of the cbr guide: Health, equity and other non-energy benefits of community building retrofits
 
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