CoEnergy is a service co-operative that is accelerating the clean technology and low-carbon transition, while fostering local economic development and energy democracy. CoEnergy provides low-carbon energy technologies and services across the Eastern Ontario and Outaouais regions. The co-operative model that CoEnergy employs seeks to provide an example of how groups of citizens can generate and distribute wealth in a democratic way.
Where are you located and when did you start?
CoEnergy’s offices are located at 43 Eccles Street, Ottawa next to the Somerset Community Health Centre. We were incorporated in October 2018.
What was the inspiration behind creating the social enterprise?
CoEnergy was formed by many of the individuals behind the Ottawa Renewable Energy Co-operative (OREC). OREC has developed 21 community-owned solar energy projects across Eastern Ontario, but was limited in its activities to such projects. With a desire to do offer a wider range of sustainability services to its members, CoEnergy was formed. CoEnergy Co-operative takes on renewable energy projects, as well as energy efficiency, electric transportation, and water conservation endeavours.
Tell us about the people you serve? How do they typically find you?
CoEnergy is made up of two classes of membership. Community members are individuals who wish to support the growth of the low-carbon local economy. CoEnergy develops and finances projects by pooling impact investments from individual members. Membership is open to anyone living in Canada. Consumer members are the non-profits, social enterprises, businesses, and institutions who take on these low-carbon projects, and are based in Eastern Ontario or the Outaouais.
How has CSED helped you?
CSED provided CoEnergy Co-operative with funding and expertise through its UNCAPPED program. This allowed CoEnergy to grow its team’s capacity to deliver innovative low carbon projects.
What challenges do you face day to day?
CoEnergy’s challenge is finding Consumer members ready to take steps toward shrinking their carbon footprint. Despite the full-financing that CoEnergy brings to the table, many property owners and facility managers think that sustainable changes mean increases in operational costs, or added work. In fact, the opposite is true. Working with CoEnergy helps businesses and institutions of all kinds save time and money – both in the short and long term – while lowering their carbon footprint.
What are some of the lessons you and your team have learned along the way?
CoEnergy recognizes that all organizations have different needs and opportunities. Providing tailor-made solutions for our Consumer members is what CoEnergy does best, to ensure that the impact, both environmentally and economically, is maximized. We have learned that very few organizations have the time to focus on their carbon footprints. That is where CoEnergy seeks to take on that work for its Consumer members, allowing them to focus on their core goals and vision.
What is Co-Energy’s vision moving forward?
We picture a future where the impacts of climate change are mitigated through energy conservation and renewable energy generation, all while creating low carbon jobs, and achieving this transition in an economically democratic way. CoEnergy’s envisions a future where residents, institutions, and businesses have more choice over the energy they use. We want all property owners to be able to improve occupant well-being, lower operational costs and reduce their greenhouse gas emissions
What makes you most proud?
CoEnergy is proud to bring together a diversity of individuals through the co-operative business model to achieve significant change. While still in our early days, CoEnergy has been able to take on energy efficiency projects with housing co-ops, condos, and recreation centres, all made possible through investments from our Community members. CoEnergy hopes to strengthen the notion that in people together for a common purpose, even challenges as large as climate change can be overcome.
What keeps you up at night?
Climate change is truly the challenge of or time. While CoEnergy works every day to tackle this, we always fear it is not enough. We feel all groups, businesses, municipalities, and institutions must look at their ways of operating, and seek opportunities to reduce their carbon emissions. There are many examples of organizations doing this who maintaining, and often improving, the ways in which they serve their respective communities.
How can CSED help you further?
CSED does an incredible job supporting social enterprises of all kinds across Ottawa. Continuing to include co-operatives is critical in these ongoing efforts, given the integral role they play in creating positive change for their members and the broader communities they serve.