I get paid to save electricity every month. That’s right, I get paid to save energy on my electricity bill every month.

This is not a gimmick. Toronto based start up Lowfoot has a sophisticated software program that uses your smart meter to measure your energy use and pays you for saving energy.

The ability to measure and monetize (i.e., pay for) conservation could revolutionize our approach to energy efficiency and green building retrofits. In the past decade we’ve moved from moral persuasion to save the planet to a discussion about rates of return and payback periods on energy efficiency investments. Imagine how much faster we could turn the dial on positive change if there was a market for conservation. That’s what measuring and monetizing conservation can do.

Lowfoot uses your average historical consumption to establish your base line energy use. You are then paid for “generating” negawatts below your baseline. In the past year, Lowfoot members (I’m one) have generated 279,180 kWh and reduced carbon emissions by 62 tonnes.

Lowfoot’s philosophy is “that people will shift their behaviour if they’re provided with a recurring financial incentive, along with healthy competition and cooperation.” That’s been my experience. Since joining Lowfoot, I’ve made simple changes suggested by other members such as running my dehumidifier only at night and putting all electronics on power bars to eliminate phantom load from devices that suck energy while turned off. I use Lowfoot’s daily email reports on my energy use to correct spikes in demand immediately. Our family has reduced our monthly electricity use by around 40%.

The company uses advertising revenue to pay people now. In the future, they plan to sell negawatts to utilities by guaranteeing demand reduction during peak hours. They also plan to bid on generation contracts by guaranteeing a specified number of negawatts that would eliminate the need for expensive new generation.

Ontario could take this model to a new level by creating a program to pay people for conservation. Like the Feed-in Tariff (FIT) that pays for green electricity, a conservationFIT program could pay people for negawatts. Lowfoot’s technology provides the tool needed to measure conservation. A FIT program would create incentives to ramp up conservation at rates lower than new generation.

A conservationFIT program would create additional incentives for energy efficiency and green building investments. In the same way that a home owner uses microFIT to finance capital investments in solar panels, s/he could use a conservationFIT to secure financing for energy efficiency. With compensation tied to actual demand reduction, governments minimize the pitfalls of choosing which efficiency technology to support with incentives. This approach also avoids the rebound effect of homeowners using efficiency savings to buy more gadgets that negate real demand reduction.

The cheapest and greenest kilowatt is the one never produced. Measuring and monetizing conservation is a powerful new tool to drive efficiency and reduce our demand for energy.

Mike Schreiner is leader of the Green Party of Ontario. He can be reached for comment at leader@gpo.ca.

If every one of us changed one incandescent bulbs to a compact fluorescent (CFL), the reduction in pollution from power generation would be like taking 800,000 cars off the road.

Former marketing executive Stuart Hickox didn’t sit back when he read that stat while surfing the net; he took matters into his own hands by forming One Change, an organization that reminds us that even simple actions matter – they add up for big change.

One Change puts the tools for action into our hands. Take action now and be a part of global change.

(Click the below photo to watch the GreenHeroes video)

Back in 1960 in Tanzania, Jane discovered that chimpanzees fashioned tools to forage for food – forever blurring the line between animal and human. Until that time anthropologists had defined man as ‘the toolmaker’.
Dr. Goodall went on to fight for conservation of chimpanzee habitats and for the preservation of all endangered species. The Jane Goodall Institute promotes youth activism with its Roots and Shoots program, which ignites environmental activism in children, teens and college students.

The City of Toronto, in partnership with Green Living Enterprises, invites Toronto residents to nominate the individuals, community groups, organizations and companies that are leading the way to a cleaner, greener Toronto.

Winners will receive a Green Toronto Award, $5,000 courtesy of award sponsors, and be honoured at a special evening of awards and music at the Green Living Show.

Categories open for nomination:

• Community Projects — grassroots initiatives that green our neighbourhoods
• Green Business — leadership in green business practices, strategies and products
• Local Food — increasing local food production and consumption
• Energy Conservation — energy conservation and renewable energy initiatives
• Environmental Awareness — raising environmental awareness and promoting stewardship
• Green Design — sustainable homes, buildings, products
• Leadership — outstanding environmental achievement
• Water Efficiency — managing and reducing water use
• Youth Leadership — green leaders 24 and under

The nomination deadline is 11:59 p.m. on Monday, February 6.

Nominations may be submitted online at www.toronto.ca/greentorontoawards.

The 8th annual Green Toronto Awards ceremony will take place Friday, April 13 at the Green Living Show, Direct Energy Centre, Exhibition Place.

Last years winners:

Winners of the Community Project Award: Cultivating Youth Leadership, Afri-Can FoodBasket

Winner of the Energy Conservation Award: Nitta Gelatin Canada Inc.

Winners of the Environmental Awareness Award: TREC Education

If you could get some financial support to make your house more energy efficient and reduce the impact on the environment, would you?

The ecoENERGY Retrofit–Homes program may help you realize your home ret­rofitting ambitions. NRCan’s website states that the Government of Canada has committed a total of $1.14 bil­lion for the ecoENERGY Retrofit–Homes program since 2007, and that there were retrofit incentives provided to “over 510,000 homeowners, saving 1.8 mega­tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions.” As a result, “participants have, on average, reduced their energy consumption by over 20 per cent and reduced greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 3 tonnes per household.”

Homeowners who have registered, completed qualified improvements and a Home Energy Assessment, and submitted applications by March 31, 2012 may be eligible to receive up to $5,000 from the Federal government. Here is a selection of some of the rebates that are available under this program:

ecoENERGY Retrofit-Homes Program

Water Heating Equipment: Replace your existing space and domestic water heat­ing equipment with a qualified integrated mechanical system (IMS). Up to $1,625

Wood Burning System: Replace your wood burning system or appliance with a more efficient appliance (e.g. pellet burning, masonry heater). Up to $375 per replaced.

Central A/C: Replace your central air-conditioning system with an ENERGY STAR A/C system. Up to $250

Window A/C: Replace your window A/C unit with a ductless mini-split or an Energy Star model. Up to $25 per unit replaced

Water Heater: Replace your water heater with an ENERGY STAR and “ecoENERGY” qualified instantaneous, gas-fired water heater. Up to $315

Attic/Flat Roof/Cathedral Ceiling: Insulate a minimum of 20 percent of the total ceiling area. Up to $750 Exterior Wall Insulation: Insulate a minimum of 20 percent of the total exterior wall area. From $225 up to $1,875

Basement: Insulate a minimum of 20 percent of the wall area of the foundation, including basement and crawl space walls. From $125 up to $1,250

Windows/Doors/Skylights: Replace your windows, doors or skylights with ENERGY STAR qualified models. Up to $40 per replacement

Toilet: Replace your toilet with a low-flush or dual-flush toilet that meets the Uniform North American Requirements (UNAR). Up to $65 per toilet

Ontario Power Authority Programs, www.saveonenergy.ca

Heating and Cooling Incentive: EnergyStar qualified central heating or cooling system when purchased from and installed by a participating contractor. Up to $650

Fridge and Freezer Pick up: You can have your fridge or freezer picked up for free and recycled in an environmentally friendly way if it is 15 years or older. Save up to $125/year

saveONenergy Coupons: These coupons can help you save money throughout the year when you purchase and install energy-efficient products for your home.

microFIT Rooftop Solar PV: This program encourages the development of solar PV projects on existing permanent buildings. Receive 80.2 cents/kWh on a 20 year contract term. 80.2 cents/kWh -soon to be reduced.

www.microfit.powerauthority.on.ca

Manufacturers Rebates

Most rebates are contingent on dealer participation. Check with your contractor or system supplier for additional rebates available directly from the manufacturers.

Even more important, most people see “using less” as being crucial for the health of our society and economy. 86% felt using less had an important role in ensuring a healthy environment, 78% in ensuring a healthy economy, 69% in promoting public health and reducing health care costs, and 67% in lowering the cost of living (including food, energy, and housing).

The results are in a poll of 1,000 people from across Ontario conducted by Oracle Poll Research for the Conservation Council of Ontario. It has a margin of error of + 3.1% 19/20 times.

In Toronto, 90% of the respondents said that conservation was important to them. 55% of us would drive less if there were other convenient and safe options, like public transit or cycling. 70% of us want to live in walkable communities with easy access to stores and amenities.

Concerning the role of government, only 12% of Ontarians support smaller governments, the number drops to zero in the City of Toronto. On taxation, only 14% of Ontarians called for lower taxes, and again that number drops to zero in Toronto.

Live Green Toronto Community Animators

The City of Toronto launched Live Green Toronto four years ago to promote greener cities and neighbourhoods. One of their innovations was to invite community groups to bid on the contract for engaging the public. One contract, led by EcoSpark, has a team of nine “community animators” whose job is to help community groups take on green projects and engage their members.

Over the past three and a half years, the animators have reached nearly 25,000 groups, community organizations, institutions and individuals directly with information on how to green the City of Toronto. This work supported thousands of hours of volunteer effort, and a total of 106 greening projects with many more project ideas in the development stage. The animators also helped community partners to raise a total of over $1,000,000, for their projects, over half of which has come from funding sources other than the City of Toronto.

The bottom line: because the City of Toronto has supported its voluntary sector, we have greener neighbourhoods, engaged citizens and over 90 city-wide organizations ready to pitch in and help Toronto become a more self reliant and greener City.

The polling shows the public wants effective government programs that can help people cut costs and live better through a greener lifestyle. The Live Green Toronto community animation program has delivered exactly that.

The contract, alas, is being terminated two years early as part of the City’s cost-saving measures.