Property and finance committees often struggle to figure out how much an energy retrofit costs and how long they will take to pay back that cost. You have told us that it is difficult and time consuming to calculate a financial payback that can help your team make the right business decision.

Our webinar presenter is highly knowledgeable about project costs and savings. He will talk about how quickly your investment may be paid back by reducing hydro bills and CO2 emissions in several lighting conservation scenarios including: upgrading overhead fluorescent fixtures, replacing incandescent bulbs, using motions sensors to save electricity, and upgrading outdoor floodlights.

3 Things you will learn:

• How should I decide which lighting projects to choose?
• Which types of projects likely pay for themselves in a few years and which never pay off?
• How big are greenhouse gas emission reductions from these lighting projects?

Don N. Dewees, BSEE, LLB, PhD, Economics

Presenter Bio:

Donald Dewees is a Professor Emeritus of Economics and of Law at the University of Toronto.  He holds an engineering degree from Swarthmore College, an LLB from Harvard and a PhD in Economics from Harvard.  He retired from the University of Toronto in 2011 after 40 years of teaching but he continues to be active in research and teaching.  He served as Director of Research for the Ontario Royal Commission on Asbestos, has held many administrative positions at the University and during 1998 he served as the Vice-Chair of the Ontario Market Design Committee, which advised on the design of the competitive electricity market.  He is currently a member of the Market Surveillance Panel of the Ontario Energy Board.  His research is in environmental economics and energy economics.  Recent papers include ‘The Price Isn’t Right’ published by the CD Howe Institute in 2010, and ‘The Impact of Sub-Metering on Condominium Electricity Demand,’ with Trevor Tombe published by Canadian Public Policy in 2012.