Clear answer, explained.
NRCan's Industrial Energy Management program targets commercial and industrial facilities with significant energy consumption. Eligible facilities include manufacturing, food and beverage, warehousing, cold storage, and other C&I building types. The program covers a portion of the cost of an ASHRAE-compliant energy audit, reducing the net cost to the facility owner.
Eligibility criteria include minimum annual energy consumption thresholds, the requirement that the audit meets NRCan's methodology standards (broadly consistent with ASHRAE Level 2), and that the auditor is a qualified energy professional. The specific thresholds, funding percentages, and maximum eligible costs vary by program phase and available budget — which is why current eligibility should always be confirmed before beginning the audit engagement.
In Ontario, NRCan IEM funding can be combined with IESO saveONenergy program support for qualifying assessments — further reducing the net audit cost. We identify all applicable programs and confirm current eligibility as the first step of every project scoping conversation.
What this means in practice.
- NRCan's Industrial Energy Management (IEM) program covers a portion of eligible audit costs for C&I facilities
- Eligible facility types include manufacturing, food and beverage, warehousing, and other C&I building types
- The audit must meet NRCan's methodology standards — broadly consistent with ASHRAE Level 2
- The auditor must be a qualified energy professional meeting NRCan's credential requirements
- Funding percentages and maximum eligible costs vary by program phase and available budget
- NRCan IEM funding can be combined with IESO saveONenergy support in Ontario — confirming stacking eligibility is part of project scoping
Best-fit environments.
- You are a C&I facility owner in Canada planning an energy audit and want to reduce the cost through NRCan funding
- You are unsure whether your facility type or energy consumption qualifies for NRCan IEM support
- You want to understand whether NRCan and IESO program funding can be stacked on the same audit
- You are preparing a capital budget that includes an energy audit and need to account for potential funding offsets
