For many organizations, the financial viability of a major energy upgrade relies heavily on securing cash incentives from utilities or government funding programs. However, unlocking those funds requires moving past standard "engineering estimates" and proving exactly how much energy you saved.
At Equilibrium, we use Measurement and Verification (M&V)—the rigorous process of tracking and certifying actual energy savings. Using international industry standards (such as the IPMVP protocol) and RETScreen Expert software, we isolate external variables such as changing weather patterns. This allows us to cut through "meter noise" and provide undeniable proof of performance, ensuring your utility rebates are fully approved and protected.
Our work with Killam Properties at the Cabot House facility in Sydney, Nova Scotia, perfectly demonstrates this capability.
The Challenge: Verify a major heating and cooling upgrade in an 18-storey high-rise, proving to Efficiency Nova Scotia that the new system achieved at least 80% of its predicted savings to unlock the client's financial rebate.
The Technical Approach : We combined data from nine electrical meters into RETScreen software to build a math-based "digital twin" of the old building. This allowed us to accurately simulate its energy baseline against real-time weather data while carefully isolating and removing the overlapping savings from a separate LED lighting upgrade.
Isolating Variables & Verifying Results : Our modelling officially verified a 44% total energy reduction for the facility—worth $105,000 per year in utility savings—which easily met the program's strict requirements and successfully secured the maximum rebate. This precise data served as the technical foundation that secured formal Zero Carbon Building design certification and unlocked the vital federal infrastructure funding needed to move construction forward.
RETScreen was essential in creating a precise model to isolate the effects of a concurrent LED retrofit project and avoid double-counting savings. The model confirmed a 44% energy savings from the project, worth $105,000 annually, while meeting the accuracy requirements for the Custom Solutions Program rebates.