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CALGARY, ALTA. – The Pembina Institute has partnered with the Alberta Ecotrust Retrofit Accelerator to launch a province-wide retrofit program.

The Pembina Institute will undertake research and capacity building to support the decarbonization and adaptation needed to ready Alberta’s building stock for climate resiliency, a release said, while the Alberta Ecotrust will deliver hands-on support through concierge services.

“Deep retrofits are a practical solution that ensure Canadian homes and buildings are reliable, climate-safe, and affordable to heat and cool. This new program will ensure the impacts of power outages and extreme temperatures are minimized by making homes and buildings energy efficient, while unlocking economic opportunity and affordability for all Albertans,” Pembina Institute building programs director Betsy Agar said in the release.

The services will include energy coaching, development plans tailored to individual building requirements, supports for energy assessments and guidance along the retrofit process.

“Commercial and residential buildings are significant contributors to carbon emissions across Canada, accounting for 40 and 60 per cent of emissions in Calgary and Edmonton alone. We need to prioritize reducing emissions from buildings and Alberta Ecotrust is here to make deep retrofits more attainable, improving energy efficiency and reducing operating costs,” Alberta Ecotrust senior program manager Deeti Makkar added.

The service offerings will be matched with supply focused programs including public discovery sessions provided through the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology and a trade ally network hosted by Alberta Energy Efficiency Alliance, the release said.

The initiative is funded by Natural Resources Canada under the Deep Retrofit Accelerator Initiative.