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CleanBC Commercial Express Program

The CleanBC Commercial Express Program provides support to building owners and operators who wish to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in their existing commercial buildings. The program facilitates simpler, smaller electrification opportunities across the commercial and institutional building sector.

The streamlined application process makes it easy for building owners and operators to receive incentives by simply answering a series of questions about their building and intended retrofit. Applicants are not required to submit an Energy Study.

For a limited time, CleanBC is offering free energy coaching services to assist building owners and operators reduce GHGs through fuel-switching and other electrification measures and take advantage of CleanBC’s Commercial Express offering. A CleanBC Small Buildings Energy Coach can help you get started. Contact smallbuildings@betterbuildingsbc.ca for more information and guidance.

Available Incentives

The Program offers capital incentives up to a maximum of $100,000 per project.

Incentives are based on various factors specific to your building, including building: type, age, location, square footage, hours of operation, and the type of equipment being considered.

All eligible Northern customers* will receive an additional $10/tCO2e on lifetime GHG savings on all eligible measures installed. The total maximum incentive, including the top-up offer, is $125,000 per project.

* Eligible buildings must have a commercial utility account with BC Hydro and be located north of and including the District of 100 Mile House (latitude 51.628°N).

Eligibility Requirements

  1. Your building must be a Commercial Building as defined by Part 3 of the BC Building Code and one of the following building types:
    • Mid-Size Office
    • Small Office
    • Strip Mall Retail
    • Big Box Retail
    • Warehouse
    • Restaurant-Food Service
    • School Gymnasium
    • Classroom
    • Multi-Unit Residential Building (high rise and low rise)
    • Community Centre
    • Hospital Services
  2. You must be a BC Hydro Commercial customer on either the Small General Service (SGS), Medium General Service (MGS) or Large General Service (LGS) rate.
  3. The building must be in the BC Hydro service territory, including New Westminster.
  4. To qualify as an electrification measure, your project must:
    • Provide a net decrease in greenhouse gas emissions;
    • Result in energy impacts that are measurable and verifiable;
    • Result in energy impacts that can be estimated using standard engineering calculations;
    • Involve a technology that is not covered by other utility demand side management programs (e.g. FortisBC’s Commercial Performance Program);
    • Involve a technology that provides net electrical load growth;
    • Involve a technology that is accessible/viewable for site inspection and/or measurement and verification if required; and
    • Be hardwired or permanent in nature.
  5. Depending on the building archetype, eligible equipment can include the following:
    • Packaged rooftop unit equipped with an air source heat pump with gas or electric resistance for supplemental heating;
      • Can include either integrated heat recovery or a dedicated heat/energy recovery ventilator (HRV/ERV)
    • Centralized high efficiency HRV/ERV fully decoupled from heating and cooling; decentralized air source variable refrigerant flow (VRF) heat pump;
    • Distributed Mini-split or VRF heat pump for heating and cooling;
    • In-suite packaged heat pump and in-suite HRV providing heating, cooling and ventilation;
    • Air-to-water heat pump water heater;
    • Wastewater heat recovery heat pump water heater;
    • Electric Induction Food Preparation Equipment.
  6. See the Participant’s Guide for a full list of eligible equipment.
  7. Equipment cannot be purchased before the application is submitted and a notice of approval is received.

How to Apply

  1. Read all program materials, including the Participant’s Guide and Frequently Asked Questions, and download the Application Form.
  2. Contact the CleanBC Small Buildings Energy Coach, BC Hydro Business Account Representative or Key Account Manager if you have additional questions.
  3. Submit the completed program application.

Deadlines

  • You have 9 months from the date of the confirmed incentive agreement to complete the project and submit all the required documentation to receive payment.

Other

  • For projects that do not qualify for the Commercial Express Program, you may be eligible for either the CleanBC Custom or CleanBC Custom Lite programs.
  • Check out our incentive search tool for other energy efficiency upgrade incentives.
  • Did you see a building science or energy efficiency term you did not understand? Check out our glossary.
  • By using, visiting, or browsing CleanBC and the Energy Coach service, you accept and agree to these Terms of Use.
  • To access free energy coaching services, contact smallbuildings@betterbuildingsbc.ca to get started.

Program Contact Information