CORPORATE INFORMATION Environment and Sustainability

OCH Eco² Plan

Leading the social housing sector towards sustainability

Leading the Social Housing Sector Towards Sustainability

In a challenging economy, Ottawa Community Housing (OCH) has successfully matched a desire to make the world a better place with the need for more financially sustainable operations. The outcome is a more comfortable living environment for tenants, significant savings to the bottom line and a remarkable reduction in our carbon footprint. Pioneering environmental initiatives has placed OCH on the national stage to share our successes to benefit the social housing sector as a whole.

OCH Pillars of Sustainability

Taking a holistic approach to greening OCH has meant focusing sustainability efforts on three pillars.

Our buildings

Our people

Our culture

Benefits

Lower utility costs

Diverting waste

Conserving energy

Reduced emissions

Did you know?

OCH has saved $64.1M

due to solar panels, home weatherization program, water, windows and door retrofits.

Ongoing ECO² Initiatives

Peer Presland
Date
Construction on the retrofit was completed in 2021.
Highlights/Savings
PEER uses 24, nine-foot by 20-foot panels to create new outer walls for the four townhomes. The homes received a new roof, new windows and a bank of 34-kilowatt solar panels that will produce more energy than the homes use each year. The project will reduce the Presland Avenue townhomes’ energy consumption for heating by 90%. The project is a partnership with Natural Resources Canada.
Click here to read all about the PEER project.
Maintenance Vehicle Fleet
Date
2012
Highlights/Savings
Introduction of smart cars in the fleet is helping to reduce fuel consumption and emissions.
New Developments
Date
Ongoing since 2014
Highlights/Savings
Green building technologies and approaches in all new construction are building higher performance homes.
Examples of new builds include:
Use of heated floor systems, regionally sourced building materials selection, LED lighting, EnergyStar appliances, waste diversion systems, all promoting sustainable and resilient buildings, equal lower costs on maintenance and utilities in the long term.
Waste Diversion Program
Date
Launched in the fall of 2016 in partnership with the City of Ottawa
Highlights/Savings
After the pilot project, paper and cardboard collections increased by 140 percent, and glass, metal, and plastic collections increased by an average of 196 percent!
Since those initial pilots, OCH has completed work in 24 communities that aim to reduce waste and encourage the use of green bins.
If you are interested in bringing the Waste Diversion Program in your community, contact us at info@och.ca
Race to Zero Pledge
Ottawa Community Housing Corporation is proud to announce we are joining the City of Ottawa’s Race to Zero Pledge amongst organizations such as Carleton University, Minto and the National Arts Centre. Along with our partners at the City, we have joined a United Nations-led coalition of cities, businesses and institutions to enact climate action.
The pledge aligns with OCHC’s own Energy and Conservation Strategy, which aims to reduce our carbon footprint by using the highest standards of sustainable design practices for new buildings and retrofits. As part of that plan, we also added green infrastructures – such as 37 solar arrays in communities across the city and solar walls.
Much of the work to move towards a more sustainable and greener portfolio depends on funding commitments from partners at all levels of government. One example is the recent $200 million commitment from the CMHC and Co-Investment Fund, which will allow us to complete deep-energy retrofits on several buildings. This will allow us to reduce our carbon emissions by 7,000 tonnes per year – the equivalent of taking 1,512 cars off the road every year.

Green Corner

Read about our latest sustainability initiatives

Nov 4th, 2024

Green Corner: New garbage rules from the City of Ottawa, what you Need to Know

Read article

Oct 25th, 2024

Green Corner: Two New Tiny Forests Take Root at Russell Manor and Strathcona Heights

Read article

Jul 24th, 2024

Green Corner: Hydro Ottawa and OCH Connect Over Desire to Reduce Carbon Footprint

Read article

Case Studies

Results of Completed ECO² Initatives

HEATING ENERGY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM PILOT PROJECT
PLUMBING RETROFIT
SOLAR ARRAYS
WEATHERIZATION AND AIR SEALING

HEATING ENERGY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM PILOT PROJECT

Date

2013

Highlights/Savings

Designed to reduce energy waste, the system was installed in two high-rise buildings. After one year, there was a 31% reduction in the energy consumption while maintaining tenant comfort. This system was deployed in an additional eight buildings and will likely be rolled out to all electricity-heated buildings.

This system is capable of regulating the heating energy allocated to each apartment unit based on several criteria including local outdoor temperature, floor level and orientation.

Read full case study

PLUMBING RETROFIT

Date

2011 – 2013

Highlights/Savings

Award-winning retrofit of 15,000 homes with new high-efficiency toilets, showerheads, and basin aerators has reduced water consumption by 1.6M cubic meters of water annually. Old fixtures were crushed and distributed for road aggregate; metal and plastic parts were completely recycled.

Ottawa Community Housing (OCH) saw an opportunity to save water and money by retrofitting plumbing fixtures throughout its portfolio. Early analysis suggested that new water-efficient fixtures would use less water, reduce undiagnosed leaks and offer significant cost savings. OCH was also motivated to lower its water consumption to reduce its impact on the environment.

Read full case study

SOLAR ARRAYS

Date

2011 – 2012

Highlights/Savings

To date, 37 solar arrays have been installed and have the capacity to generate 500,000 kWh. That is more than 43 million smartphones charged

Solar installations represent over $3.3 million of clean electricity or energy conservation annually.

The replacement of 8,500 sq. ft. of brick cladding on the exterior wall at one 17-storey apartment, with a solar wall that preheats air supplied to the building’s corridor ventilation, has netted a 21% reduction in natural consumption annually at that property.

SOLAR WALL

The brick cladding at Clementine Towers (1455 Clementine Ave) required replacement to address deficiencies and deterioration. This offered an opportunity for Ottawa Community Housing (OCH) to install an innovative “solar wall” to preheat air supplied to the building’s corridor ventilation system. The project reduced energy consumption and operating costs while showcasing green building practices.

Read full case study

WEATHERIZATION AND AIR SEALING

Date

Ongoing since 2012

Highlights/Savings

Participating in Enbridge’s ‘Home Winterproofing Program’, OCH has worked with the EnviroCentre to retrofit uninsulated basements of hundreds of townhomes. In the four largest communities where insulation and sealing were completed in 611 homes, collectively tenants are seeing an estimated annual natural gas savings of $91,000.

Ottawa Community Housing (OCH) had an opportunity to save energy, improve the building conditions and enhance tenant comfort in its townhouse communities by retrofitting uninsulated and poorly sealed basement walls.

Read full case study

Partners

Our success in sustainability is thanks to many important contributors and sustainability-focused organizations such as:

City of Ottawa, through its Climate Action Plan

Federal and provincial programs

The original greening efforts 2010 and the Gren Plan of 2011 enabled OCH to begin a sustainable transformation through various pilot projects. The plan also prepared OCH to access generous incentives to make additional pilot projects even more feasible.

In April 2016, OCH was awarded $12.2M in SHARP funding from Ontario’s Green Investment Fund to refurbish aging buildings in the portfolio with retrofits such as energy-efficient boilers, insulation and windows. This funding allowed us to better meet the modern challenges of climate change despite our housing being constructed in the 1960’s and 1970’s.

Awards

2022

Clean50 Top Project Award for OCH’s Presland Net-Zero Prefabricated Exterior Energy Retrofit (PEER)

Clean50 Community Champion Award from Vancity Community Investment Bank

2020

Association of Energy Engineers Young Energy Professional of the Year for Dan Dicaire
Greater Ottawa Home Builders Association Innovation Award – Green Building of the Year for 1290 Coldrey

2016

Clean50 Emerging Green Leader Award
Canadian Housing Renewal Association (CHRA) National Sustainability Award

At OCH, our employees come from all different backgrounds, represent all genders, age groups, sexual orientations, speak a multitude of languages, and share different experiences and perspectives. We would not have it any other way.

OCH has a Development Strategy, which outlines plans for building more affordable housing. The City of Ottawa’s 10-Year Housing and Homelessness Plan targets OCH to add an average of 300 affordable homes per year.

Read the Plan

Find out the many ways to connect with OCH Staff.