Energy Conservation

Sustainability Offerings from ARTSBUILD ONTARIO

AB_logo_clrArtsBuild is the only organization in Ontario dedicated to realizing long-term solutions to building, managing and financing the sustainable facilities – like theatres, galleries, concert hall and museums – needed for vibrant cultural activity to flourish in Ontario’s communities.

If you are an arts organization that owns or leases space on a full time basis, or have aspirations (or a firm plan) to create your own space, ArtsBuild can help you with tools, resources and services

A recent focus for ArtsBuild is energy conservation and sustainability. We know many arts organizations want to reduce their energy. To help you achieve that goal, ArtsBuild has partnered with leading nonprofit and private sector organizations to provide you with a new suite of tools, resources and services that can help you to achieve greater energy and cost savings. We invite you to take part in our current offerings.

Online Carbon Footprint Measurement Tool: Free Access, Register Now

Measuring and tracking your facility’s utility usage and emission profile allows you to better understand and report your carbon footprint. ArtsBuild has partnered with CarbonCounted, a nonprofit organization, to offer Ontario’s arts organizations a free subscription to an easy-to-use online Carbon Footprint Measurement Tool.

Developed by CarbonCounted, specifically for the arts sector, the Carbon Footprint Measurement Tool will help you to measure and track your facility’s utility usage and emission profile. It will allow you to identify opportunities for energy efficiencies, compare your facility with others across the province and get the data you need to report your progress in reducing your carbon footprint to key stakeholders.

Through ArtsBuild’s partnership with CarbonCounted and the Government of Canada, this tool is free for Ontario arts organizations for two years. (The regular CarbonCounted subscription fee is $100 per year.)

Register for the Online Carbon Footprint Measurement Tool here

Energy Savings Assessments: Call for Interest

Reducing energy consumption – and our utilities bills – is top of mind for many of us. And every dollar saved can go to our programming!

ArtsBuild has partnered with GLOBE, the energy management subsidiary of our nonprofit partner Housing Services Corp, to deliver an in-person, energy savings assessment tailored to the needs of the arts sector.

GLOBE energy auditors will analyze your utilities bills, make a site visit to assess your facility and help you register for the many incentive programs offered through the Ontario Power Authority and your local utilities providers.

Your personalized energy savings opportunities assessment will show you the things you can do today to reduce your energy consumption, and also the improvements you could make that have the best and fastest paybacks.

With the support of the Government of Canada, ArtsBuild is pleased to offer a subsidy for the Energy Savings Assessment to a limited number of organizations.

Register your interest here for more information so you can benefit from this program.

Sustainable Action and Practice in the Arts with Ian Garrett: Register Now

Join your peers and Ian Garrett, one of North America’s most respected voices on sustainable practices in the performing arts, on April 4th, in an online conversation about operational ecology. By looking at current research and examples, Ian will guide participants through this very timely topic.

By joining this free session, you will learn how to identify key performance indicators around sustainability and the cost/benefit analysis for tackling the low hanging fruit by making simple changes in how you operate will improve your energy efficiency.. Ian will also address some of the possible misconceptions about the ecological impact of the creative sector.

This session, and all of ArtsBuild’s Communities of Interest are intended for those who manage cultural facilities and coordinate across departments.

For more information, please contact Lindsay MacDonald>

About ArtsBuild Ontario

ARTSBUILD ONTARIO
ArtsBuild is the only organization in our province dedicated to realizing long-term solutions to building, managing and financing the sustainable facilities needed for vibrant cultural activity to flourish in Ontario’s communities.

We are involved with over 700 arts organizations across Ontario and together with our industry, nonprofit and government partners, we jointly and cost-effectively develop and deliver innovative tools, services and resources to help arts organizations construct and operate the facilities they need.

www.artsbuildontario.ca
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ArtsBuild Ontario
100 Regina Street South, Ste. 325
Waterloo City Centre
Waterloo, Ontario
N2J 4P9

Just released! Energy Conservation Audits for Six Performing Arts Facilities

Between May and October 2011, Buddies in Bad Times Theatre, Factory Theatre, Tafelmusik, Tarragon Theatre, Theatre Passe Muraille, and Toronto Dance Theatre/STDT provided a year’s worth of utilities bills for analysis. The Energy Conservation Audits report is the first step in Toronto’s Green Theatres,  a concerted approach to greening performing facilities in Toronto.

Measures taken to green Toronto theatres will result in improved working and public environments – along with significant energy savings over time. Each of the participating companies received detailed, practical recommendations that will help them integrate greening into their facility upkeep and repair and renovation plans.

 Toronto’s Green Theatres is the first arts sector initiative of its kind in Canada and a possible model for other communities. Like all Creative Trust’s work, it was developed collaboratively and will rely on our collective muscle for its success. We thank both Toronto’s Cultural Services and Energy Efficiency Offices, which have been wonderfully supportive of our plans to work across our sector to reduce theatres’ carbon footprints. We hope that our results will act as a catalyst for changing awareness and behavior around one of the most compelling issues of our day.

FULL ARTICLE