Energy Management

The Region of Waterloo services one of the largest and fastest growing urban areas in Ontario. Population growth brings an increased need for services. Improving energy performance enables the Region to manage energy costs and promote environmental sustainability.

Community Energy Planning

For the most up-to-date information on our community’s energy transition and the Community Energy Investment Strategy, please visit WR Community Energy.

Working with our local utilities, three cities, four townships and the public, the Region of Waterloo has prepared a Community Energy Investment Strategy for the next 20 to 25 years. The Strategy:

• Identifies the types of projects that will keep more dollars spent on energy within the regional economy.
• Helps residents and employers save on energy
• Benefits the local economy by creating new jobs and business opportunities
• Benefits our quality of life and environment

Community Energy Investment Strategy

Our Community Energy Investment Strategy includes a summary of how much energy we use, what we heard from the community as well as opportunities to keep more energy dollars in Waterloo Region.  The Strategy and council report was approved by area municipalities and Regional Councils in February 2018.

Why this strategy matters

We've been talking to community partners, businesses and the public during 2016 and 2017 to help identify energy priorities projects in Waterloo Region. What we heard was that lowering energy costs, using local energy resources along with environmental responsibility and supporting our local economy are important to this community.

Residents and businesses are concerned about rising energy prices. Electricity, heating fuel and gasoline prices have all outpaced inflation about 1998.

Please contact us if you have any additional questions.

Corporate Energy Initiatives

The 2024-2033 Corporate Energy Plan builds on the Region of Waterloo’s 2019-2028 Corporate Energy Plan and the 2014-2024 Corporate Energy Plan. It meets the requirements of Ontario Regulation 25/23 which requires public agencies review and update their energy conservation and demand management plans every five years.

Energy consumption reporting

Each year the Region of Waterloo prepares and submits a Broader Public Sector (BPS) report to the Ontario Ministry of Energy and Mines. The Broader Public Sector (BPS) report captures the annual energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions for the purposes of achieving energy conservation targets and reducing greenhouse gas emissions as outlined in Ontario Regulation 25/23. The Region of Waterloo submits energy consumption data for many types of facilities, including administrative, vehicle storage and maintenance, public libraries, water/sewage treatment and pumping, museums, paramedic, and police buildings.

The information submitted by the Region of Waterloo and other public sector entities can be used for benchmarking or comparison purposes. This data set is publicly available and can be downloaded directly from the Government of Ontario website using the link provided below:

Energy use and greenhouse gas emissions for the Broader Public Sector - Ontario Dataset

Best practices

 To improve energy performance, the Region applies best practices including:

• Constructing new buildings to meet Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) standards 
• Retrofitting traffic signals and street lights to LED lights
• Upgrading Regional facilities with the latest lighting-control strategies
• Installing low-flow fixtures, waterless urinals and drought-resistant landscape to improve water efficiency at Regional facilities
• Replacing old refrigerators and furnaces in Regional Housing units
• Developing Green Purchasing Guidelines for environmentally responsible purchasing practices

The Region also supports plans that use alternative energy sources, including:

• Photovoltaic (PV) panels at Waterloo Police North Division (43kW), GRT Maintenance Facility (250kW), and other 14 facilities totalling 1,200MW.
• Solar thermal energy at Cambridge Childcare Centre
• Geothermal energy at Library Headquarters and Sunnyside Supportive Housing
• Wind monitoring, employing a 50-metre meteorological tower, to determine the validity of using wind energy in the region