The Building Decarbonization Alliance is pleased to release a suite of tools to support the development of Thermal Energy Networks (TENs) in Canada. Developed in partnership with Dunsky Energy + Climate Advisors and East Coast Environmental Law, these resources are designed to support policymakers at all levels of government along with utilities, developers, and other stakeholders in navigating potential TENs projects including site selection, development, and necessary enabling policies.
The resources in this toolkit are meant to equip decision-makers with the knowledge and practical tools needed to enable and encourage TENs within their communities, helping them to address key barriers across the policy, market, and project development stages of TENs.
Policy Toolkit
Author: Dunsky Energy + Climate Advisors
This resource offers a structured analysis of the five most impactful policy levers identified for TENs: connection policies, thermal energy plans, the National Energy Code for Buildings, municipal green development standards, and Building Emissions Performance Standards (BEPS). For each policy lever, this toolkit highlights the key decision-makers involved, rationale, impact on TENs viability, implementation considerations, leading jurisdictions, and key advocacy messages.
Municipal Policy Pathways
Author: East Coast Environmental Law
This policy brief provides government officials an overview of municipal government authority that may be available to implement or encourage the use of TENs, covering land use planning, building regulation, general welfare powers, the authority to establish a municipal energy utility, franchise agreements, and mandatory and permissive connection requirements. It also includes prototype policy statements and municipal bylaw language.
Market Development Toolkit
Author: Dunsky Energy + Climate Advisors
This toolkit explains the roles of core stakeholders throughout the development stages of a TEN, providing guidance on how to screen for good sites and develop a business case and rate structures, along with approaches to collaboration with utilities and municipalities.
Opportunity Scorecard
Author: Dunsky Energy + Climate Advisors
This assessment tool uses a structured set of criteria to help proponents quickly assess the overall viability of a potential TENs project, helping identify foundational conditions and knowledge gaps before committing to more detailed feasibility work.
Our Supporters
This toolkit was produced with the support of Toronto Atmospheric Fund (TAF), along with the Cities of Toronto and Edmonton, BC Hydro, and Natural Resources Canada, all of whose funding made this work possible. The Building Decarbonization Alliance thanks the TENs expert advisors for their time and insights, their contributions have enriched the content of these resources.
