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EcoSpex OPA Conservation Fund Pilot

Supported by:

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EcoSpex OPA Conservation Fund PilotWhat is the OPA Conservation Fund Pilot?

The Ontario Power Authority (OPA) Conservation Fund supports innovative projects that promote energy efficiency and a culture of electricity conservation in Ontario. EcoSpex has applied to pilot our green building materials verification and procurement platform under this fund. The pilot project focuses on testing the platform and product verification process and embedding utility incentive programs into the online platform.

Energy saving incentive and rebate programs are offered by Ontario’s local electricity distribution companies (LDCs) or utility companies to encourage implementation of energy efficient building products and systems. However, currently there is no centralized source to identify and evaluate qualified building materials for utility incentive programs. As a result, the construction and design industry and manufacturers are often unaware and unable to take advantage of valuable cost savings that would have made a difference in whether or not the equipment or material was installed in a construction project. This has led to a slower uptake of energy efficiency and unrealised energy savings.

EcoSpex’s pilot goals are to:

Enhance awareness of and access to energy efficient building products and incentive programs among manufacturing, construction and design communities

Increase uptake and market acceptance of energy efficient building products

Support OPA energy demand conservation targets and growth of green buildings by providing the design and construction community with a tool to efficiently evaluate eligible building products

Test and scale the online platform and automate the save on energy process

The pilot project commenced in Q1 2015 and will

Knowledge is a valuable resource

Be an early adopter and lead the transparency

movement by participating in launching an innovative

tool that empowers informed decision-making.

Contact Us and Join the Pilot

For further information on how to participate and contribute to the OPA Conservation Fund pilot, please contact:

Julie ScarcellaThornbury, ON Email: julie@ecospex.comT: 705-445-1256

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Who can Participate?

You can participate as a sponsor, test user, or by listing a building product. We invite construction and energy industry associations, architects, specifiers, designers, builders and engineering firms to recommend building products and test the online platform. Energy efficient building material manufacturers and suppliers are invited to list a product and undergo product verification process to qualify for green building and incentive eligibility.

Utility companies and LDCs can participate by sponsoring the pilot and incorporating their incentive programs into the EcoSpex online platform.

What is EcoSpex?

EcoSpex is a NEW online procurement tool that provides the built industry with a single, trusted source for selecting and specifying green building products. EcoSpex CONNECTS architects, designers and procurement professionals to manufacturers and suppliers of green building products in over 100 MasterSpec® categories.

Information on the environmental, health and sustainable attributes of building products is loaded into EcoSpex and independently VERIFIED by EcoSpex’s expert team.

Third-party verification provides the transparency and assurance sought by procurement and industry professionals when specifying and purchasing green building products.

How our Pilot Partners Benefit

As a LDC, your incentive programs gain a broader audience and outreach to qualifying building products and projects. Energy managers can easily find and evaluate products suited for specific programs.

Associations, designers, architects, specifiers and other end users have the opportunity to test and provide feedback on an innovative procurement platform that can reduce product research time by up to 90%. Easily find building materials and incentive programs that can make a difference to your green building projects.

EcoSpex can help manufacturers qualify for utility incentive programs, attract new customers, and achieve greater product awareness. Take advantage of heavily reduced listing fees for this project only.

How to Participate

During the pilot, users can test the tool’s functionality by viewing and comparing product listings and trial our collaboration tool that allows you to easily manage and organize your product documentation.

Provide feedback and learn from findings of surveyed users and manufacturers.

Sponsors and industry representatives have opportunities to raise awareness of their organizations through participation in pilot events, training and education sessions, outreach and marketing programs.

Support the pilot by:

In-kind contribution – venues, advertising space, cross-promotion on websites, etc,

Sponsorship – gain valuable promotion to key industry stakeholders and broad audience

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How can Sponsors Contribute?

Throughout the pilot period, EcoSpex and its partners will engage industry stakeholders in Ontario and BC, including:

over 200 building product manufacturers (with an emphasis on energy efficiency) national and regional industry associations representing architects, designers,

construction and manufacturing sectors industry professionals, governments, and corporations Ontario’s top local distribution companies (LDCs) and utilities representing over 80%

of the province’s customers to enlist incentive programs and educate on energy efficient products

EcoSpex is seeking sponsorship and in-kind contributions to support marketing and outreach efforts such as email campaigns, webinars, lunch-and-learn workshops, trade

Awareness Your organization will gain yearlong high quality exposure to stakeholders in the green building industry, LDCs and utilities as we promote EcoSpex's pilot and tool. Outreach Sponsors will have the opportunity to prominently feature their organizations on various webinars, lunch-and -learns and special events targeted at green building and industry professionals and manufacturers in Ontario and BC.

BrandYour organization will be recognized as an early supporter of a tool that is on the fore front and leading the next generation of sustainable product specification.

Connections Take advantage of opportunities to strengthen and build new networks as we partner with national and local organizations in the green building and energy efficiency sectors. Engage with some of the industry's most forward-