Showcasing the feasibility and cost-effectiveness of electrifying small businesses

Emissions from the buildings sector account for over half of Toronto’s greenhouse gas emissions, of which about one quarter is attributed to the city’s ~32,000 small commercial buildings. To meet the City of Toronto’s Net Zero by 2040 target, these buildings must be retrofitted and electrified. Small business owners are uniquely positioned for decarbonization with high monthly fixed costs for fossil fuel connections compared to commodity costs and the relatively-simple heating systems common in these buildings. However, there is currently limited financial and technical support available to business owners for these types of projects and the lack of existing demonstration projects and case studies is a significant roadblock, which limits uptake of this type of retrofit. The proposed project seeks to develop a replicable model for electrification retrofits of small commercial buildings that can be easily adopted by businesses across the region. A comprehensive risk assessment will be undertaken and potential technical, regulatory, and financial barriers that might hinder the adoption of low-carbon solutions will be identified. This will be accomplished through characterization of the city’s small commercial building stock, targeted demonstration projects in two local small businesses, as well as surveys and interviews of additional small building owners.

Faculty Supervisor:

Jennifer McArthur;Helen Stopps;Helen Stopps;Jennifer McArthur

Student:

Partner:

City of Toronto

Discipline:

Engineering

Sector:

Health and Related Sciences & Technology; Public administration; Utilities

University:

Toronto Metropolitan University

Program: