Closed
Source verified August 6, 2026
Retrofit Program — Prescriptive Stream
Energy-saving upgrade incentives
Latest source updateLast Update: August 6, 2026Latest change: The solar PV fact sheet lowers the small/medium PV incentive rate and removes wall-mounted installations, while the application documents page updates several required worksheet versions.View change
Latest source update
Last Update: August 6, 2026
Latest change: The solar PV fact sheet lowers the small/medium PV incentive rate and removes wall-mounted installations, while the application documents page updates several required worksheet versions.
Retrofit Prescriptive Stream update
The Retrofit Program Solar Photovoltaic Systems fact sheet now shows the small/medium PV incentive rate at $770/kW-AC instead of $860/kW-AC, and the eligible mounting language now refers to rooftop installations only. The same fact sheet also removes the support email and phone number that were previously listed. The Application Documents page updates required worksheet versions and effective dates, including the Solar PV DER Worksheet to Version 3.3 effective August 4, 2026, the Horticultural Lighting and Controls worksheet to Version 3.1 effective August 4, 2026, and the Network Lighting Controls worksheet to Version 2.1 effective June 30, 2026. It also renames HVAC Pumps to Pumps and links a new worksheet version.
Funding available
$ 500 - $ 250,000
Deadline
June 30, 2026
Location
Ontario, Canada
Who can apply
Owners and operators of industrial, commercial, institutional and multi-family residential buildings
See full eligibility
Overview
The Retrofit Program provides up to 50% of eligible project costs to help commercial, industrial and institutional participants reduce electricity use. It offers Prescriptive and Custom incentives for upgrades such as HVAC, lighting controls, data centre equipment and manufacturing equipment.
Find open grants for your business
Explore open funding programs that match your business and project.
At a glance
Funding available
Financing goals
- Implement environmental initiatives
- Increase operational productivity
- Optimize production processes
Eligible Funding
- Maximum amount : 250,000 $
- Minimum amount : 500 $
- Up to 50% of project cost
Funds Providers
Eligible candidates
Eligible Industries
- All industries
Location
- Ontario
Legal structures
- For-profit business
Annual revenue
- All revenue ranges
Organisation size
- All organization sizes
Audience
- All groups
Next Steps
1
Determine your project
2
Validate your eligibility
Activities funded
- HVAC
- Lighting controls
- Data centre equipment
- Manufacturing and other equipment
- Distributed Energy Resources - Solar PV System
Documents Needed
- Program Requirements
- Participant Agreement
- Custom Project Worksheet
- Solar PV DER Worksheet
- Horticultural Lighting and Controls
Official resources
Program guide
Application form
Eligibility
Who is eligible?
- Owners and operators of industrial, commercial, institutional and multi-family residential buildings
- Persons with the rights and authority to have the Measures installed
Eligible expenses
- Costs of the equipment purchased
- Costs of labour for equipment installed by a third party
- Costs of energy audits not funded by the IESO
- Costs of design, engineering and/or architecture
- Third party project management costs
Ineligible Costs and Activities
- Costs of the Participant's labour, service, administration or overhead that are not incurred by a third party
- Financing costs including, but not limited to, costs associated with financing, leasing and lease-to-own procurement arrangements and such other financing costs associated with leasing or borrowing capital
- Insurance costs
- Costs associated with post-installation work related to equipment maintenance or repair
- HST
Eligible geographic areas
- Ontario
Selection criteria
- The evaluation of the submissions involves an in-depth, multi-stage review and approval process.
- Submissions are assessed to ensure a measure addresses market needs and meets program requirements, including cost-effectiveness and energy-efficiency policy objectives.
- Measures are reviewed for expected energy savings and peak demand reduction, availability, market demand and suitability as a prescriptive measure.
How to apply
- Sign up for the Retrofit Program portal.
- Review the program requirements and participant agreement.
- In the portal, fill in project details for all facilities to estimate costs.
- Have your customer sign off on the application in the program portal.
- Have your customer submit the project application to the IESO for pre-approval.
Processing and Agreement
- Once your application has been submitted it will be assigned to a technical reviewer.
- The pre-approval process will take about two to three weeks to complete.
- During this time, you will receive either a formal notice via the Retrofit portal and/or your Save on Energy representative that your project has been pre-approved, or your technical reviewer may notify you that your application requires further documentary evidence to support the application.
- Mandatory QA/QC is required for projects that exceed $20,000 in incentive value.
- Some applications for small projects that fall under these incentive amounts may be selected at random for QA/QC during the pre-approval and/or post-approval process.
Additional information
- Most lighting measures previously available as part of the Retrofit program are now offered through the Save on Energy Instant Discounts Program.
Contacts
Other components of this program
Explore related funding streams and grants that belong to the same program.
- Retrofit Program - Agriculture IncentivesEnergy-saving equipment upgrades for businesses
- Retrofit Program: Custom StreamEnergy-efficiency incentives for complex retrofits
- Save on Energy Retrofit Program – Greenhouse Distributed Energy Resources (DERs) Incentives (Southwest Region)Incentives for greenhouse energy storage projects
- Solar Photovoltaic (PV) incentivesRooftop solar incentives
Frequently Asked Questions about the Retrofit Program — Prescriptive Stream Program
What is the Retrofit Program — Prescriptive Stream?
The Retrofit Program provides up to 50% of eligible project costs to help commercial, industrial and institutional participants reduce electricity use. It offers Prescriptive and Custom incentives for upgrades such as HVAC, lighting controls, data centre equipment and manufacturing equipment.
How much funding can be received?
Retrofit Program — Prescriptive Stream Funds up to 50% of admissible expenses, capped at $250,000 per project.
Who is eligible for the Retrofit Program — Prescriptive Stream program?
To be eligible for the Retrofit Program — Prescriptive Stream program, you must:
Owners and operators of industrial, commercial, institutional and multi-family residential buildings
Persons with the rights and authority to have the Measures installed
What expenses are eligible under Retrofit Program — Prescriptive Stream?
HVAC
Lighting controls
Data centre equipment
Manufacturing and other equipment
Distributed Energy Resources - Solar PV System
Who can I contact for more information about the Retrofit Program — Prescriptive Stream?
You can contact Save on Energy (SOE) by email at retrofit@ieso.ca or by phone at 1-844-303-5542.
Where is the Retrofit Program — Prescriptive Stream available?
The Retrofit Program — Prescriptive Stream program is available the province of Ontario.
Is the Retrofit Program — Prescriptive Stream a grant, loan, or tax credit?
Retrofit Program — Prescriptive Stream is a Grant and Funding