The Toronto Hydro Corporation announced this week that it is working with OPEN Technologies, a Vancouver-based provider of energy and decarbonization solutions.
The core challenge that OPEN seeks to address is transforming the pace and effectiveness of building retrofit action.
Toronto Hydro’s collaboration with the B.C. firm will enable building owners to plan energy-efficient retrofits using OPEN Technologies’ Virtual Decarbonization Planning tool, which uses artificial intelligence to help owners understand current energy use and potential retrofits to implement to to reduce future energy costs.
The move aligns with Toronto Hydro’s broader plan to promote electrification through various means, according to Jana Mosley, chief executive officer of Toronto Hydro.
“We’re always looking for ways to support our customers on their electrification journey,” explains Mosley.
OPEN’s Virtual Decarbonization Planning tool helps building owners accurately assess optimal retrofit strategies for properties, leveraging advanced modelling to maximize energy savings, Mosley noted.
“By working with OPEN Technologies, we’re harnessing the power of AI provide building owners with ways to advance their energy efficiency and decarbonization efforts,” the CEO stated.
OPEN’s AI-powered platform “is designed to empower building owners with accurate, data-driven insights that make it easier to plan and implement high-impact retrofits,” according to Donovan Woollard, chief executive officer of the company.
“We are excited to work with Toronto Hydro to bring this technology to its customers and help accelerate the transition to a low-carbon built environment,” he said. “This relationship is a huge step forward in providing Toronto building owners with the tools and information they need to make deep energy retrofits more accessible and scalable.”
Building owners interested in accessing the Virtual Decarbonization Planning tool can email the Toronto Hydro Corporation, which distributes nearly one-fifth of Ontario’s electricity to power 800,000 customers throughout Toronto.
OPEN Technologies was established in Vancouver in 2017. The organization has worked with other Canadian municipalities, such as the City of Saskatoon, which has been utilizing the cleantech since 2023.