Deep Retrofit Challenge

The Deep Retrofit Challenge (the Challenge) is a competition style program that will support deep energy retrofit projects that deliver significant greenhouse gas emissions reductions in approximately 10 to 16 buildings. Eligible buildings include existing multi-unit residential and commercial buildings. Participating buildings will serve to demonstrate the deep energy retrofits needed to move buildings towards net zero emissions, with the goal of accelerating market adoption.

The Challenge will serve as a catalyst to accelerate deep energy retrofits in support of the City’s Net Zero Existing Buildings Strategy, which aims to reduce emissions from existing buildings in Toronto to net zero by 2040.  Buildings are the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in Toronto today. The Challenge is funded by the federal government.

Participating buildings/owners will collaborate and compete to retrofit to the highest performance standards. Grants will be awarded to selected participants to help offset the cost of performing a deep retrofit of their buildings, with portions allocated for design, construction and confirmed emissions performance. The final funding award will be based on measured emissions reductions once the project is complete.

Retrofits should aim to reach an 80 per cent emissions reduction or greater over current building emissions, in alignment with the City’s target to reduce emissions to net zero by 2040. Retrofits must follow a comprehensive whole-building approach that considers the building as a single, integrated system and how components of the building work together.

Participants will be required to make details of their deep retrofits publicly available, including utility energy use and costs, designs, and project costs, to help drive uptake of similar retrofits. Projects will be featured in case studies and recognized for early transformative action.

Challenge participants will receive a grant equal to 25 per cent of their total project costs up to a maximum of up to $500,000 (depending on gross floor area) to offset the incremental design and construction costs required to achieve maximize emissions reductions.

Participants may also apply to the City’s Energy Retrofit Loan (ERL) and High-Rise Retrofit Improvement Support (Hi-RIS) programs to assist in funding the projects, as well as to other incentive programs.

Participating buildings are expected to take part in the initial cohort of volunteers for the Net Zero Existing Buildings Strategy actions 1-3, which include:

• Annual emissions (and energy) performance reporting, public disclosure and labelling
• Greenhouse gas emissions performance targets
• Performing energy and emissions audits and tune-ups (at regular intervals)

Apply here