Canada calls for community retrofit project proposals

The Canadian government is calling for proposals under the Greener Neighbourhoods Pilot Program for demonstration projects. This call will support up to six aggregated deep energy retrofit projects in communities across the country. Targeting clusters of low-rise community housing buildings of 100 or more units per demonstration site, the proposals will explore innovative, cost-effective pathways and construction approaches for more affordable and efficient building renovations. The program aims to accelerate the pace and scale of retrofits following the Energiesprong model adopted by the Netherlands, the UK, France, Germany, and the US. This model aggregates homes and buildings in an entire neighbourhood into a single retrofit project, thereby reducing project costs along with energy consumption and emissions. The call is open to housing providers (including social/affordable housing providers and housing cooperatives), community groups, Indigenous applicants, and local governments in Canada. Successful applicants could each receive up to 50% of the total project cost, with a maximum contribution of up to $10 million per project. Applications will be accepted until September 14.