Keeping the heat on is elementary A boiler or furnace breakdown in the mid-
Niven was tasked with implementing
dle of winter is never pleasant. But in an el-
projects that would have the greatest im-
ementary school, it could become a critical
pact. “We started with the low-lying fruit,
problem, even an emergency. Ken Niven’s
and after that, we made decisions based on
job is to make sure this never happens.
where we are going to find the most energy
In 2010, it was identified that four el-
savings.”
ementary schools in the Coquitlam district
When the project was put out to ten-
had boilers beyond their useful lives and
der, Niven analyzed many factors to make
Niven, the school district’s assistant direc-
his decision. An important one was the in-
tor of operations, put a plan in place to up-
centives offer by FortisBC’s Light Commer-
grade them.
cial ENERGY STAR® Boiler Program. He had
“We were looking at major costs to main-
first heard about the program at an energy
tain the systems,” stated Niven. “It was time
seminar and when the school’s consultant,
to replace the equipment for that very rea-
Rocky Point Engineering, suggested it, Niven
son. We also wanted to reduce our carbon
recognized it as a good option.
footprint and lower our energy costs.”
Most of the work took place during the
summer when the schools were closed. All four upgrades were completed by December 2011. “It was an extremely easy process for us,” adds Niven. “Our contractor submitted all the necessary documentation to FortisBC to ensure we’d meet the criteria for the rebates. Essentially, the process was painless!” Twelve 96 per cent efficient Viessman WB2B-60/80 boilers were installed (four each in two schools, and two each in two schools) and the projected energy savings are approximately 1,000 gigajoules of natural gas per year. As well as the savings over the life of the systems, the Coquitlam School District received a rebate of $14,180 from FortisBC for selecting high-efficiency models. Another school district reaping the benefits of retrofitting is School District No. 72 in Campbell River. In 2011, they replaced two aging boilers at Georgia Park Elementary with two high-efficiency condensing models, qualifying for a $12,625 rebate from FortisBC’s Efficient Boiler Program. In both schools, the money received from the rebate was reinvested into other school maintenance projects. FortisBC commercial rebates, like all our other energy efficiency incentives, are about helping customers save energy and money, while reducing greenhouse gas emissions. To learn more, talk to one our energy solutions managers or visit fortisbc.com/businessoffers. b
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Ops Talk • Spring 2012
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