British Columbia Commercial Financial Incentives for Insulation

CleanBC Commercial Express Program

CleanBC Commercial Express Program

See all program details here. 

The CleanBC Commercial Express Program provides support to building owners and operators who wish to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in their existing commercial buildings. The program facilitates simpler, smaller electrification opportunities across the commercial and institutional building sector.

The streamlined application process makes it easy for building owners and operators to receive incentives by simply answering a series of questions about their building. Applicants are not required to submit an Energy Study.

For a limited time, CleanBC is offering free energy coaching services to assist building owners and operators reduce GHGs through fuel-switching and other electrification measures and take advantage of CleanBC’s Commercial Express offering. A CleanBC Small Buildings Energy Coach can help you get started. Contact smallbuildings@betterbuildingsbc.ca. for more information and guidance.

Available Incentives

The Program offers capital incentives up to a maximum of $100,000 per project.

Incentives are based on various factors specific to your building, including building: type, age, location, square footage, hours of operation, and the type of equipment being considered.

Eligibility Requirements
  1. Your building must be a Commercial Building as defined by Part 3 of the BC Building Code and one of the following building types:
  • Small Office
  • Strip Mall Retail
  • Restaurant-Food Service
  • Warehouse
  • School Gymnasium
  • Larger Retail Warehouse
  • Multi-Unit Residential Building

2. You must be a BC Hydro Commercial customer on either the Small General Service (SGS), Medium General Service (MGS) or Large General Service (LGS) rate.

3. The building must be in the BC Hydro service territory, including New Westminster.

4. To qualify as an electrification measure, your project must:

  • Provide a net decrease in greenhouse gas emissions;
  • Result in energy impacts that are measurable and verifiable;
  • Result in energy impacts that can be estimated using standard engineering calculations;
  • Involve a technology that is not covered by other utility demand side management programs (e.g. FortisBC’s Commercial Performance Program);
  • Involve a technology that provides net electrical load growth;
  • Involve a technology that is accessible/viewable for site inspection and/or measurement and verification if required; and
  • Be hardwired or permanent in nature.

5. Equipment can include the following:

  • Air Source VRF Distributed Heat Pumps with High-efficiency (>75%) HRV
  • Air-to-Air Heat Pump (ductless or mini-split) with High-efficiency (>75%) HRV
  • Air-to-Water CO2 Heat Pump Water Heater
  • Electric Induction Food Preparation Equipment
  • Rooftop Air-to-Air Heat Pump Make Up Air Unit with Electric Backup
  • Rooftop Air-to-Air Heat Pump Make Up Air Unit with Gas Backup
  • Rooftop Air-to-Air Heat Pump Mixed Air Unit with Electric Backup
  • Rooftop Air-to-Air Heat Pump Mixed Air Unit with Gas Backup
  • Rooftop Air-to-Air Heat Pump Mixed Air Unit with Gas Backup and High-efficiency (>75%) HRV
  • Sewage Heat Recovery Heat Pump

6. Equipment cannot be purchased before the application is submitted and a notice of approval is received.

How to Apply

Read all program materials, including the Participant’s Guide and Frequently Asked Questions, and download the Application Form.
Contact the CleanBC Small Buildings Energy Coach, BC Hydro Business Account Representative or Key Account Manager, if you have additional questions.
Submit the completed program application.

Commercial - New Construction Performance Initiatives

Commercial – New Construction Performance Initiatives

The program offers a clear incentive structure based on the performance levels of the new BC Energy Step Code, offering accurate energy-saving estimates and allowing for innovative solutions to help you achieve whole-building energy performance. If your project is located in an area that hasn’t yet adopted Step Code requirements, your building may still be eligible for incentives.

This program may be right for you if:

  1. Your project is commercial, institutional, multi-unit residential or light industrial.
  2. You are planning to design a building with a better energy performance than the BC Building Code.
  3. You are planning to implement energy-efficient technologies.
  4. You are considering completing an energy model study to evaluate how your building will perform.
Commercial - New Construction Performance Initiatives

Commercial – New Construction Performance Initiatives

The program offers a clear incentive structure based on the performance levels of the new BC Energy Step Code, offering accurate energy-saving estimates and allowing for innovative solutions to help you achieve whole-building energy performance. If your project is located in an area that hasn’t yet adopted Step Code requirements, your building may still be eligible for incentives.

This program may be right for you if:

  1. Your project is commercial, institutional, multi-unit residential or light industrial.
  2. You are planning to design a building with a better energy performance than the BC Building Code.
  3. You are planning to implement energy-efficient technologies.
  4. You are considering completing an energy model study to evaluate how your building will perform.
Commercial - Performance Program for Existing Buildings

Commercial – Performance Program for Existing Buildings

This program provides several types of funding1 to help you identify and then implement cost-effective energy conservation measures that are tailored to your building. For natural gas customers, the program provides funding for natural gas energy-efficiency projects. FortisBC and municipal electricity customers are also eligible for funding for electricity energy-efficiency projects.

Fortis BC Pipe and tank insulation rebates

Fortis BC Pipe and tank insulation rebates

Type Rebate Requirements
Pipe insulation $4 per linear foot must be installed on hot liquid, water or steam pipes at least 1/2″ in diameter
Tank insulation $6 per square foot must be installed on a tank containing a solution or liquid with a temperature between 49 and 77 °C (120 and 170 °F)
Tank insulation $6 to $9 per square foot must be installed on a tank containing a solution or liquid with a temperature between 77 and 93 °C (170 and 200 °F)

Note: Valves, flanges, elbows and non-straight pipework are eligible for rebates.

BC Hydro Project Implementation Funding

BC Hydro Project Implementation Funding

Up to 75% of the incremental cost of energy efficiency projects to help implement efficiency projects. The funding level is also based on a tiered approach, meaning projects that were previously too costly may now be eligible for richer incentives.

Building needs to be electrically heated.