Heat Pumps for Condos or Apartments

We get asked about condos and apartments a lot, which makes sense — when a large building makes the switch to heat pumps, the environmental benefits are massive. But we want to be upfront with you: Toronto Home Energy Network was set up to help single-family homeowners. To borrow a phrase from one of our founding Board Members, 

“We felt that Toronto’s 426,000 single family homes were a big enough piece to bite off.” 

Well said! Happily, other groups are working to switch condos and apartments (often called Multi-Unit Residential Buildings, or MURBs for short) to heat pumps. We’ve rounded up a few resources to point you in the right direction.

Resources to get you started 

1. Get your board up to speed in a single day 

This is the one we most want to put in your hands. Sustainable Buildings Canada's Better Condo Boot Camp is a one-day program designed specifically to help condo communities get informed on making their building more energy-efficient and sustainable. 

This Boot Camp is a one-stop shop for getting you and your condo’s decision makers up to speed. It’s open to unit owners, board members, condo managers, and condo consultants. Did we mention it’s free?  

2. Get a clear picture of your building's situation  

Before your condo board can plan for anything, they need to know what they're working with. The Toronto Atmospheric Fund (TAF) Enhanced Reserve Fund Study helps buildings evaluate their current state—including the cost of reducing their carbon footprint—and integrate those plans into reserve fund budgeting. Think of it as a financial roadmap that makes the case to your board in language they'll understand: dollars and timelines. 

3. Check if your building qualifies for the City of Toronto's Energy Retrofit Loans program

This program offers really favourable financing terms and upfront payments, but getting qualified is not easy (your building needs to present a substantial decarbonization plan). But, if your board or property manager are climate motivated, this program will help ease the upfront cost of retrofitting your building with heat pumps. See more about the Energy Retrofit Loan Program here.

4. See if federal tax credits apply to your building 

Large buildings may be eligible for the Federal Clean Technology Investment Tax Credit, which covers heat pump installations. This is a significant incentive that many condo boards don't know exists—it’s worth flagging to your property manager or board treasurer. 

5. For the data nerds: real-world results from a Toronto condo

The TAF French Quarter Measurement & Verification Report digs deep into the results of a real Toronto multi-residential heat pump retrofit project. It's pretty technical, but if you or someone on your board wants the hard numbers, they're in there. 

What you can do right now 

The most powerful thing a unit owner can do is come to their building's decision-makers prepared. We recommend:

1. Forwarding this post to your property manager or a board member. 

2. Sharing the Better Condo Boot Camp link — it's one day, and it's built for exactly this conversation. 

3. Asking your board whether your current reserve fund study includes energy efficiency and sustainability planning. If the answer is no, diving into the Toronto Atmospheric Fund (TAF) Enhanced Reserve Fund Study is a good next step. 

   
   

And if you ever do end up in a single-family home down the road — or know someone who is — you know where to find us. 👋 

Toronto Home Energy Network helps single-family homeowners in Toronto navigate the switch to heat pumps with expert guides and community support. Join our fun and infrequent newsletter to stay in the loop.