Newmarket Energy Efficiency Retrofit (NEER) Program

The Town of Newmarket will conduct a study to update baseline energy information, develop a detailed program to implement its Community Energy Plan (CEP) and proceed to Milestone 4 of the FCM-ICLEI PCP Program. The Community Energy Plan (CEP) strategy is to focus on improving Newmarket’s energy performance by raising the efficiency of the energy end use in Newmarket’s existing homes.The residential sector in Newmarket is responsible for about 38% of the Town’s total energy use, with a relatively high average energy use compared to both Ontario and global best practice.The Community Energy Plan has recommended providing a deep energy efficiency retrofit program for all Newmarket dwellings in order to move towards the target of reductions in GHG emissions. A deep energy efficiency retrofit is a complete package applied to a home that takes a whole-building approach and includes energy efficiency measures such as high efficiency windows, supplementary insulation, lighting upgrades and appliances, etc.The goals of the Community Energy Plan are specifically to:• Reduce per capita primary energy use by 40% from 2013 baseline by 2031• Reduce per capita greenhouse gas emissions by 40% from 2013 baseline by 2031In order to meet those goals, deep energy retrofits will have to be completed in 80% of homes by 2031.The Study will delve into the details of how to implement an energy efficiency retrofit program and how it will function, including details about the energy retrofit packages offered, how much they will cost, how the financing will work (local improvement charges, third party investors, social enterprise), etc.To achieve this study, the Town will:• Prepare a community consultation plan;• Collect and analyze data from construction industry and other stakeholders;• Update the community energy model; • Complete energy efficiency retrofit packages; • Prepare the financing model and the organizational structure of the program; • Complete performance validation and monitoring of NEER Program;• Host public consultations. Besides the environmental benefits, the program will have social and economic advantages. It will boost local employment opportunities by teaming with local contractors and material suppliers. It will be responsible for training processes and determining how contractors are screened and selected. It will also be responsible for quality control and handling any potential complaints from homeowners.