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The CLEAN AIR FOUNDATION is a Canadian not-for-profit organization dedicated to developing, implementing and managing public engagement programs and other strategic initiatives that lead to measurable emission and energy reductions and improved air quality. What distinguishes the Clean Air Foundation from other organizations is its public engagement mandate and focus on market transformation. Since its inception seven years ago, the Clean Air Foundation has been regarded as a leader in implementing and executing innovative energy efficiency projects and has established an impressive track record of successfully educating consumers and empowering them to make sustainable and informed choices. By providing information and incentives on energy efficient products, Clean Air Foundation programs accelerate the uptake of new efficient and cleaner technologies. The Clean Air Foundation currently operates a number of public engagement programs including: Car Heaven, Cool Shops, Chill out, Keep Cool, Mow Down Pollution and Switch the Stat. Each initiative is supported by an impressive range of partners from manufacturers, retailers, utilities and other industry partners, and government and nongovernmental organizations. The Clean Air Foundation has designed each of its programs to measure success and quantify results including number of energy-wasting products retired, level of uptake of new efficient technologies and number of individuals engaged in each of its programs. Each Clean Air Foundation program offers its own unique incentives, and has made significant achievements in helping to transform markets to energy efficiency and sustainability. For instance: COOL SHOPS is the only energy efficiency, outreach and education program in Canada that specifically targets the small commercial sector. The program identifies and implements in-store energy management measures that encourage the small commercial sector to reduce energy consumption and save money. Professionally trained Cool Shops ambassadors work directly with business owners to help their businesses become more energy efficient. This involves a free, on-site Palm Pilot assisted energy audit and the installation of energy efficient lighting products. This provides instant energy savings and is used as an educational tool to engage business owners. The program also provides discounts toward the purchase of additional energy efficient products. In 2006, over 7,550 stores were visited, over 4,200 energy audits were conducted. The resulting demand reductions and energy savings in the 10 participating cities was 1,043 kW and 4,191 Mwh respectively. In 2007, the program will be delivered in partnership with the national contractor network, with plans to run the program in Ontario, Manitoba and British Columbia. KEEP COOL is the only room air conditioner retirement program of its kind in Canada. The goal of Keep Cool is to encourage the public to retire old, inefficient room air conditioners by offering incentives such as $25 gift cards, free recycling and free collection. In 2006, the program’s most successful year to date, Keep Cool collected and retired almost 15,000 room air-conditioners over 3 weekends in towns and cities across Ontario, resulting in a total reduction of 10 MW, in addition to 8,940 tonnes of CO2, 7.7 tonnes of N0x, 33.7 tonnes of SO2 and 6,930 kg of refrigerant (ozone depleting substance). CHILL OUT was created to encourage the retirement and recycling of old, inefficient refrigerators and freezers, and promote the uptake of new, more efficient Energy Star ® models, through incentives and education. Recognizing that secondary appliances are a significant and preventable drain on the energy grid, Chill Out offered a convenient, community-based service delivered through a local utility and local retailers to engage citizens in a tangible action to reduce energy use. Chill Out offered London Hydro customers a free and easy solution to significantly reduce their energy bills through two streams: Retire It! which offered customers the free pick-up and removal of their old appliance ($85 value), and an energy savings kit ($25 value); and Replace It! which offers customers who retire their old appliance and go on to purchase a new Energy Star ® model an energy savings kit ($25 value) and $75 cash. The goal set for the 3 month pilot program in London was to remove 3,000 old fridges and freezers from the grid and dismantle and recycle them in an environmentally responsible manner. By the end of the campaign, over 5,200 appliances had been retired through Chill Out, reducing electricity consumption by 5.4 million kWh annually. The Clean Air Foundation also identified several strategies to augment Chill Out from a standard demand-side management (DSM) program, to a comprehensive and effective campaign. |
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