Toronto Region Sustainability Program e-Announcement - May 2009

Participation in this benchmark study will yield energy savings

With over 200 companies signed up, the energy use benchmark study launched by Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters (CME) is well under way. The study, which intends to define potential energy savings in the manufacturing sector and feed into program development for the sector, is open to 300 Ontario-based small, medium and large (more than 500 employees) companies from all manufacturing sectors. Energy use benchmarking is considered to be an effective quality management tool to advance technical and management practices aimed at reducing energy operating costs.

Participating facilities are asked to fill out an online energy diagnostic survey that focuses on energy use assessment and an analysis of technical and management practices affecting energy use. A sub-set of participating companies will be selected for an on-site assessment. The survey phase is ongoing and on a first come, first served basis.

Participation is free and has many benefits. Participants who use the online energy diagnostic survey will receive a "report card" profiling energy use and costs and identifying areas of opportunity. These participants will also receive benchmark reports enabling a comparison of their facility's performance against Ontario industry as a whole and their peers with a specific industry sector.

There are two pathways by which participants will be selected for the onsite benchmarking exercise. Under the energy use benchmarking study, a participant facility is eligible for a half-day to one-day site assessment which will result in a benchmark report. Participants eligible for the CME-Ontario SMART program may also choose to have a more comprehensive assessment conducted. This two-day audit will be conducted by senior energy professionals from a leading national engineering firm and will provide companies with further insights into energy savings opportunities. This assessment, worth $7,000, requires a company to pay $1,000 – a fee that is waived for those companies participating in the Energy Benchmark Study. For more information call 1-866-432-7679 or visit the CME-Smart Web site.

You have received this e-mail as a subscriber to the TRSP²OST, e-Newsletter of the Toronto Region Sustainability Program. The TRSP²OST provides a forum for sharing program activities with our stakeholders, including funding partners, program clients and consultants, and for recognizing the pollution prevention accomplishments of our manufacturing clients.