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HAMILTON, ONT. — The federal government has announced funding of $335,000 through the Green Municipal Fund (GMF) to support two feasibility studies aimed at improving energy efficiency in Hamilton.

The GMF is administered by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities.

Hamilton Community Enterprises will receive $175,000 to study the commercial and technical viability of a district energy system that will use residual industrial heat as a fuel source for a proposed low-carbon thermal corridor, stated a release. If successful, the project could provide heat for more than 80 million square feet of building space.

Additionally, the City of Hamilton will receive $160,000 to develop a home retrofit financing program that will encourage energy efficiency improvements including fuel switching, air sealing, insulation and the purchasing of power-saving appliances. The scope of the study will include identifying target areas for home energy upgrades, analyzing different program delivery models, examining ways homeowners can take advantage of other incentives and developing strategies to maximize uptake of the program once approved.

“The Energy Harvesting Study is an essential step toward the vision of building a state-of-the-art thermal corridor intended to connect all types of buildings in Hamilton and beyond with locally generated sources of low-carbon renewable waste heat,” stated Hamilton Community Enterprises CEO Jeff Cowan in a statement.

“In addition to lowering GHG emissions, the proposed green infrastructure project will help attract and retain advanced manufacturers as key contributors to our regional economy.”