Ontario's Industrial Energy Services Program

Abstract

The Ontario Ministry of Energy began offering its new Industrial Energy Services Program (IESP) in early 1987. This 3-year, $5-million program, while not new in concept, is thought to be unique for its depth of service and method of delivery. It provides Ontario's manufacturers with advice and funding assistance for the identification and definition of industrial energy efficiency opportunities. The first phase provides for a free comprehensive site energy audit/analysis, conducted over one to five days, by teams of private sector consultants, selected to match expertise with manufacturer's needs. The emphasis is on process and equipment improvements, but site services and buildings are also examined. The final report includes detailed descriptions of major opportunities, along with estimated costs, savings, and paybacks. The next phases provide for sharing the detailed feasibility study costs and project engineering costs for those energy projects that move to implementation. In this paper, the author briefly describes the novel administrative structure of the program, presents the results of the activities to date, and describes, in some detail, several case studies from different industrial sectors.