The change at Etobicoke's Cloverdale Mall has been nothing short of dramatic. The facility, which is owned by British Columbia Investment Management Corporation (bcIMC), underwent an extensive energy efficiency lighting retrofit. As a result, light levels in the mall climbed from a low measure of 8-to-10 foot candles to a much higher range, measuring 20-to-26 foot candles, brightening the space considerably. “Both customers and tenants have been astounded by the change,” remarks Joan Lessard, who is General Manager at the mall for property manager Bentall Retail Services.

Significant environmental benefits
Equally dramatic has been the resulting energy savings and environmental benefits. “As a result of the work done by Toronto Hydro Energy Services, we have cut our greenhouse gas emissions by eliminating 247,593 kilograms of CO2 annually,” states Ari. In addition, the nearly $45,681 in energy cost savings will see the $197,390 project pay for itself in four years. Both bcIMC and Bentall are keen to make building improvements that benefit the environment and will be submitting this project to BOMA (Building Owners and Managers Association of Canada) in consideration for the association's Earth Award and for recognition as a Go Green Plus facility.

Seamless project, non-invasive installation
Ari originally contacted Toronto Hydro Energy Services about improving the lighting levels in the mall in May of 2006 and had a complete proposal in his hands within a few days. “Toronto Hydro Energy Services outlined the benefits of switching to compact fluorescent technology and detailed the project economics, including available incentives. Initially, we decided to complete a pilot project in the mall's food court, replacing about 80 fixtures and the results were so impressive that we have continued on with the rest of the mall,” explains Ari. Work replacing the light fixtures took place after hours and was completed in about a week with no disruption to the mall's operation. Overall maintenance of the lighting is also less invasive - compact fluorescent bulbs can be changed without having to shut off entire sections of lights. As Joan concludes, “This project has been a win/win for us on so many levels - the environment, energy costs, maintenance work and the ambiance in the mall. Based on our experience, I'd definitely recommend Toronto Hydro Energy Services to anyone looking to improve the energy efficiency of their facility.”