History of Ecosystem
1993 | Commitment, Boldness, & Innovation
After completing his studies in chemical engineering at Laval University, Andre Rochette began selling programmable thermostats. At the time, energy efficiency was still a relatively new idea and Andre saw the potential to think big. In 1993, Richard Tremblay, an experienced engineer with a remarkable capacity for innovation, arrived on the scene. Together, Andre and Richard helped clients reduce energy bills through new solutions: efficient lighting and dual-energy heating. Andre demonstrated his level of commitment, one of Ecosystem’s core values, by guaranteeing the savings. “It was the future, but we didn’t know it yet,” Andre later said about Ecosystem’s burgeoning mission and approach.
1999 | An Approach Ahead of Its Time
By the late 90s, energy efficiency was a concept that was steadily gaining traction and being backed by new legislation from the Quebec government: a project’s net present value (NPV) became the main criterion when selecting engineering firms for energy performance projects in school boards and hospitals. NPV indicates the financial benefit that a project will generate for a client over time. Ecosystem, whose team was continually growing, received numerous contracts for energy performance projects due to its experience implementing measures to increase the overall value of infrastructure. The approach that Ecosystem had championed for years was now becoming a recognized industry standard.
2000 – 2005 | A Growing Interest in Energy Performance
With energy prices rising in the new millennium, energy performance projects were becoming increasingly attractive. School boards and hospitals in the province of Quebec turned to Ecosystem for deep energy retrofits. The company continued to grow and opened an office in Montreal in 2000. Ecosystem’s success in Quebec sparked the interest of hospitals and the commercial sector in Ontario. Ecosystem saw this as an opportunity to establish a Toronto office in 2002.
2005 – 2010 | Entering the US Market
Ecosystem continued to strengthen its position as a leading energy services company, performing deep energy retrofits in nearly 20 Ontario hospitals and over half the school boards in the province of Quebec. In 2009, Ecosystem entered the American market and established an office in New York City. In 2010, the New York office implemented its first project at Beth Israel Brooklyn Hospital (today Mount Sinai-Brooklyn), which earned the company the Energy Project of the Year award from the Association of Energy Engineers in 2013/2014 and an EBie Award from the U.S. Green Building Council in 2015.
2011 – 2016 | Focusing on Outcomes
Still driven by creative thinking and bold leadership, Ecosystem continued to deliver customized energy projects that provide the results our clients seek. Continually adapting to emerging needs, Ecosystem remains at the forefront of new solutions for decarbonization, energy independence, and resiliency.
2017 – 2022 | An Expanding Network
Ecosystem continues to expand, opening an office for in Boston in 2017 to serve our clients in New England. Our ongoing collaboration with Brown University is helping the campus achieve its carbon neutrality targets.
That same year Ecosystem opened an office in Columbus, Ohio, to serve the Midwest, including our first P3 relationship, with ENGIE at The Ohio State University. In 2022, we launch our second P3 project with ENGIE at Georgetown University, Washington DC
In 2019, we expanded to the west coast, opening an office in Los Angeles, where our first project was at Petco Park, the San Diego Padres’ stadium.
2023 and on | Committed to our Clients’ Energy Transition
Entering our fourth decade, Ecosystem is continuing to innovate as we proudly advance the energy transition. We remain steadfast in our focus on delivering the results our clients seek and helping them to reach their decarbonization goals. Many of the strategies we developed in our early years are at the forefront of today’s electrification progress, and we are happy to contribute to a greener future.
In 2023, we signed on with the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi), committing to a 46% reduction in our own emissions by 2030. We made the SBTi commitment not just to advance our leadership in the field but also to participate in the global challenge on our own behalf and put ourselves in our clients’ shoes.
