Building Strategies & Sustainability - July/August 2010

Building Strategies & Sustainability

August 2010

Journal of Construction, Design and Sustainability

Marketing

+

Your Green Building

PM 40063056

Taking the Green Plunge Hamilton Health Sciences Harnessing the Sun's Potential

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in rebates available in Ontario See Back Cover

THINKING SOLAR? EARN INCOME

BY LEASING YOUR ROOF Consider these facts when choosing a solar developer • Will they be in business for the next 20 years?

• Are they reliable and financially stable with a respected brand?

• Can they help you achieve your environmental goals?

• Can they install, maintain and operate a best in class solar system?

Choose Horizon as a dependable solar developer • Horizon has been in the energy business for over 100 years. We are a reliable and financially stable company with a proven track record.

• Horizon is an award-winning Ontario leader in sustainable development, energy conservation and operational excellence.

• Horizon will install, maintain and operate best in class solar systems and work with you in reducing your carbon footprint.

Going green with solar is profitable for your company, good for the environment and will be appreciated by your tenants and employees.

Horizon Energy Solutions provides green energy solutions that generate benefits for customers and the environment.

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CONSTRUCTION LAWYERS www.glaholt.com

contents

Building Strategies & Sustainability Journal of Construction, Design and Sustainability

Volume 1 Number 1 • July 2010 Co- Publisher | Michael Blanchard

mblanchard@mediaedge.ca 416.512.8186 ext. 268 Co- Publisher | Paul Murphy paulm@mediaedge.ca 416.512.8186 ext. 264 Editor | Scott Anderson

Senior Graphic Designer | Annette Carlucci

annettec@mediaedge.ca

Junior Graphic Designer | Rob McFadden

robm@mediaedge.ca

Production Manager | Rachel Selbie

rachels@mediaedge.ca

Circulation Manager | Cindy Younan Contributing Writers

Keith Bannon, Brian Burton, Amanda Smith, Andres Duran, Edwin Lim, Doug Hitchcox, Darryl Neate, Megan Fielding, John Tenpenny, Jason Gray, Nada Sutic, Bradley Fowler Published by

President | Kevin Brown

kevinb@mediaedge.ca

Vice-President | Chuck Nervick

chuckn@mediaedge.ca

5255 Yonge St., Suite 1000 Toronto, Ontario M2N 6P4 Tel: 416.512.8186 Fax: 416.512.8344 www.mediaedge.ca

Building Strategies & Sustainability is published four times a year by MediaEdge Communications Inc. Subscription Rates (Canada): 1 year $46.50, 2 years $82.60, single copy $12.

For all subscription inquiries or changes of address, please contact customerservice@mediaedge.ca or 416.512.8186 ext. 259.

Reprints: No part of this magazine may be reproduced in any form – print or electronic – without written permission from the publisher.

Requests for permission to reprint any portion of this magazine should be sent to paulm@mediaedge.ca.

Copyright 2010.

Canada Post Canadian Publications Mail Sales Product Agreement No. 40063056 ISSN 1917-8026.

FEATURES 08 Project Profile Building Strategies takes a look at Toronto’s new green roof bylaw, the first in North America that requires and governs the construction of green roofs on all classes of new buildings.

34 Enterprising Canadians Shaping the skyline one building at a time, Vancouverbased Read Jones Christoffersen has built its reputation on providing cost-effective, client-tailored solutions.

INDUSTRY FOCUS

DEPARTMENTS

20 Infrastructure Bridging the Gap Concrete Roads

First-class fa_ade

06 Publisher’s Note

Green Games

24 Building Envelope A Paradigm Shift Rear Ventilated Rain Screens 28 Interiors Bringing Down the Decibels Addressable Dimming Controls

14 Legal File Planning for Cost Uncertainty Sponsored by Glaholt LLP 16 Environment Corner Advances in Asbestos Removal Methods Sponsored by Tri-Phase Environmental Inc. 18 Engineering Forum Energy Performance Sponsored by Manulife Financial

32 Mechanical Contracting Effective energy-efficient design strategies for buildings On the Cover: Green roofs allow vegetation to grow, but beyond that, no two green roofs are alike.

Rhodiola Pachyclados flower courtesy Therma Green Roof Garden Systems and Sedum Master Green Roof Photos courtesy Live Roof Ontario July/August 2010 5

Edito R's note

A strategic shift

W

What do you get when you cross one of Canada’s leading sustainable buildings magazines with one of the country’s leading construction publications?

The answer is “Building Strategies & Sustainability.”

This is the premiere issue of “Building Strategies & Sustainability” which sees Building Strategies, one of the top publications dedicated to the entire construction process, twinned with Canadian Sustainable Buildings, a leading publication for decision makers involved with developing and implementing energy management strategies.

There was really no better time for the two publications to come together, as the construction industry has seen a monumental shift towards sustainability and green buildings over the past few years.

Buildings are no longer just slapped together at breakneck speed; they are now designed and built with the environment and the world as a whole in mind. The buildings now do not just house a company they also serve as a key signpost to how the occupant values the environment.

“Developing a green building creates opportunity to demonstrate leadership in environment and community investment,” Megan Fielding at TELUS says in the feature article on “Marketing a green building.”

PLAN ON

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* For more information, visit our website today

www.horizonutilities.com or email

erip@horizonutilities.com A program offered by the Ontario Power Authority and Horizon Utilities Corporation. OM An official mark of the Ontario Power Authority. * Trademark of Horizon Holdings Inc.

6 Building Strategies & Sustainability

While the look of the new publication has changed, the fundamental editorial goals of the previous magazines have not. BS&S will still provide the same in-depth features, along with the same informative sections and the same expert columnists with which you have grown accustom over the years.

Welcome to your new publication!

Scott Anderson Editor

We Make Your Buildings

Work Better

Trane Building Controls The brain behind smarter buildings.

Š2010 Trane

www.trane.com

CONSTRUCTION LAW

Preserving your claim Know your E-discovery obligations

By Keith Bannon, Partner, Glaholt LLP

W

When a contractor decides to engage in litigation, a number of obligations arise with respect to the contractor’s documents.

A s soon as l it ig at ion is reasonably contemplated, a so-called litigation hold must be put in place in order to preserve potentially relevant documents. When litigation actually proceeds, all relevant documents must be listed in an affidavit of documents, and all relevant documents that are not privileged must eventually be presented to the other side.

Courts are serious about document preservation. A party that fails to preserve relevant documents may see its claim dismissed, its defence struck, or at the very least the costs awarded against it. It is therefore necessary to establish a few guidelines governing the protection and preser vat ion of documents, bot h t rad it iona l paper doc u ments a nd electronic information.

Preservation of documents When implementing the litigation hold the contractor should immediately ensure that any potentially relevant documents will not be destroyed through ordinary document destruction or recycling policies. Files cannot be shredded, e-mails cannot be deleted. The contractor should contemplate appointing one or more persons within the firm to oversee and implement this. That person should establish a time frame within which the events at issue in the litigation occurred. He or she should ascer tain which persons might have created or received documents relating to the relevant issues and notify them that they might be in the possession of relevant information that must not be destroyed, deleted or modified in any way.

Staff whose assistance is required to identify, preserve and collect potentially relevant documents must be chosen. If there is electronically stored information that continues to be used in the normal course of business, it might be necessary to preserve more snapshots of that information at particular points in time.

One balancing factor that courts will look at with respect to litigation holds is the 8 Building Strategies & Sustainability

principle of proportionality, which has been incorporated into the discovery rules in 2010. W hen ordering production of documents, courts must now consider whether the time required to produce the document would be unreasonable; whether the expense associated with production would be unjustified; whether production would cause undue prejudice; and whether production would unduly interfere with the orderly progress of the action.

For example, while it may be appropriate in a major litigation to order a party to take forensic mirror images of a company’s hard drives to avoid the possibility of data being modified or overwritten, the expense of such an undertaking will likely be disproportionate if the case is straightforward or involves very little money. In addition to these considerations, the court must assess whether an order would result in an excessive volume of documents required to be produced.

Disclosure of documents Under the Ontario Rules of Civil Procedure, every document relating to any matter in issue in an action that is or has been in the possession, control or power of a party to the action must be disclosed. To that end, the party must serve on the other party an affidavit of documents describing, in three separate schedules, all relevant documents the party does not object to producing; those documents which the party objects to producing because of privilege; and those documents that were, but are no longer, in the party’s possession. The party and its law yer will review the documents for relevance and privilege.

In major litigation involving a large volume of documents, a third party is usually hired to scan and/or input the documents into a litigation support software program and to uniquely identify the documents, i.e. number them. The schedules then list the number, date, author, recipient and type of each document. In smaller cases, this process can be done internally.

Production of documents All documents for which no privilege is

claimed must be produced to the other side for inspection. There are three types of privilege that commonly arise that preclude production. Solicitor-client privilege covers all communications between a party and its lawyers for the purpose of giving or receiving legal advice. Litigation privilege covers documents created for the dominant purpose of litigation. Settlement privilege protects communications containing or referring to settlement negotiations.

Costs If all of this sounds expensive, it usually is.

There are a number of steps a contractor can take, however, that minimize the costs.

There are three main categories of costs in legal proceedings: legal fees, consultant fees and the time of employees caught up in the proceedings.

CONSTRUCTION LAW

litigation as a normal incident of doing business and, therefore, implement a discovery readiness plan in advance. The committee suggests that the plan should i n c lu d e p r o c e d u r e s a n d fo r m s fo r implementing a litigation hold, designate a person responsible for responding to discovery requests, and outline procedures

for conducting searches for relevant records, all before litigation arises or is anticipated.

A contractor who follows these steps will reduce legal fees, consultant fees and employee time and thus successfully reduce the enormous costs of typical construction litigation.

“Nothing wasted, plenty gained is how we approach the recycling and waste management efforts at all our facilities. By significantly reducing our load on landfills and incinerators, we have reduced our greenhouse gas emissions and increased our over-all environmental performance.”

Woodbine Entertainment Group

“Nothing Wasted, Plenty Gained” The Ontario Bar Association and The Advocates’ Society established a so-called “E-Discover y Implementat ion Committee” to implement best practices with respect to electronic discovery. The c om m it te e de v e lop e d a nu mb e r of g uiding principles to minimize e-discover y costs. The most obvious point the committee stresses is the fact that an effective and properly implemented re c ord s m a n a g ement s y s tem w h ic h includes a formal retention and destruction policy dramatically reduces the volume of records to be searched. A lesser number of records requires less search time. The less time a law yer spends reviewing irrelevant files, the less time the lawyer can charge to the client.

Another useful suggestion is that a p a r t y shou ld re a s on a bly a nt ic ip ate

1 5 Ti d e m o r e Av e n u e - E t o b i c o k e - O n t a r i o - M 9 W 7E9 Tel: 4 1 6 - 6 7 5 - 3 7 0 0 To l l F r e e : 1 ( 8 6 6 ) 2 9 9 - 8 7 2 5 F a x : 416-747-8878

www.upak.net July/August 2010 9

Engineering fo Rum

Window into the industry

CSA prepares to launch new fenestration certification program

By Brian Burton

I

Scope of the program The program is designed to “address the need to ensure the competencies of the persons installing factory assembled fenestration products in residential buildings up to three stories.” Certified individuals will have demonstrated the ability to understand and apply manufacturer installation instructions, the CSA A440.4 window installation standard and other industry standards.

The program also provides a job description, a list of applicable standards, sets out the prerequisites, minimum qualifications and details how examinations will be conducted.

Performance checklist The CSA has developed a “performance checklist” that is used to describe the skills and knowledge required to meet the criteria.

In this case, fenestration component installers need knowledge of health and safety issues, the abi l it y to understa nd const r uct ion documentation, knowledge regarding industry standards and an understanding of the concept of the “house as a system”. They also need a certain degree of manual dexterity and must be able to communicate effectively and solve problems.

Miles Murphy, Manager of the program for the CSA, said roll-out of the program is expected late this year or in early 2011.

Raising the bar for fenestration product installation I spoke with Kevin Pelley of Kohltech International Ltd who is also the President of the CWDMA about the benefits of the program for all parties involved. According to 10 Building Strategies

Courtesy of William Conway, Progress Photography

It is generally recognized that there is considerable room for improvement when it comes to the installation of new and replacement windows in our industry. In recognition of the need, the CSA, with the support of the CWDMA and the NRC, have taken steps to initiate what is called the Fenestration Installation Personnel Certification Program.

A committee made up of 25 representatives from all sectors of the fenestration industry is currently working with the CSA to ensure that the program is comprehensive and addresses the needs of the various stakeholders.

Fenestration component installers will need to demonstrate that they are able to understand the A 4440 Window Standard and the concept of the “house as a system”. They also need a certain degree of manual dexterity and an ability to communicate effectively and solve problems.

Pelley, the certification program is viewed as a major step forward and although it will take some time to implement, will definitely “raise the bar” for fenestration product installation.

“There is no doubt that creating this program is a significant challenge, however, in our view it will benefit all of the stakeholders including consumers, manufacturers, dealers and the installers themselves,” said Pelley.

Pelley also added that most members of the CWDMA felt that this initiative was long overdue.

Steve Hopwood of Natural Resources Canada reports that the program is being considered as a requirement for window and door dealers listed with the ENERGY STAR Program at some point in the future.

When I spoke to Ivan Saleff, an Architect who teaches at the University of Toronto, he explained that once the program is up and running, design professionals would be inclined to routinely reference the certification program in their construction documentation.

Fenestration defined There was a time when the term “fenestration” referred to the proportioning and placement of windows in the wall system. As is the case with

most construction technologies it has become a lot more complex in modern structures. In today’s world fenestration refers to any aperture in a building envelope that permits passage of light, air or allows access or egress.

Fenestration components include glazing materials, fenestration fixtures, opaque door slabs; external, internal or integral shading systems and more. Fenestration can serve as a physical and/or visual connection to the outdoors, as well as a means to admit solar radiation.

Fenestration components can be fixed, operable, translucent or transparent and impact on buildings through four basic mechanisms: namely thermal heat transfer, solar heat gain, air leakage, and daylighting, all of which can be effectively controlled by the use of the appropriate technology and design strategies.

Brian Burton is a regular columnist for Glass Canada and the TowerWise newsletter. Brian’s article on the “Evolution of Building Science” was published last year in Building Strategies” Brian is a Building Science Marketing Consultant for Kleinfeldt Consultants Ltd. & can be reached at bburton@kcl.ca or visit www.kcl.ca <http:// www.kcl.ca>

By Grace Pickard, Manulife Financial

Can you afford NOT to be covered for health and disability expenses?

Most people recognize the need for home insurance, car insurance and even life insurance.

x-rays, cleaning, fillings, crowns, root canals and even dentures.

If you are self-employed, your premiums for extended health care plans may be tax deductible.2

But many overlook the need for two types of insurance, the absence of which could strike at the heart of your finances especially if you’re self-employed or don’t have adequate coverage at work.

Extended health insurance. About half of all Canadians do not have extended health insurance through their employers, so must pay out of their own pocket, or hope their provincial health plan covers it.

In fact, Canadians are spending more out of their own pocket on health care than they were two decades ago — $452 per person in 2007 compared with $222 in 1981. Much of the increase was due to the rising costs of health care not covered by provincial insurance, and the fact that fewer costs are being covered.1 It has never been more important to have an extended health care plan that covers what your provincial health insurance doesn’t: prescriptions, diagnostic services, chiropractors, physiotherapists, semi-private or private hospital rooms, out-of-Canada emergency medical care, ambulances and more. Dental coverage can help cover the cost of examinations,

Disability insurance. It is far more likely that you will become disabled before age 65 than die. In fact, disability strikes working people far more often than premature death.

If a disability lasts 90 days, it is likely to last three years or more for a 35-year-old man or woman, and four years or more for a 45-year-old man or woman.3 How is a person with dependants supposed to survive without any source of income? Where will the money come from if you’re unable to work?

Disability insurance provides a source of income if you should become ill or injured and can’t work. These plans provide monthly benefit payments, based on a percentage of your monthly earnings, while you are disabled and unable to perform your occupation.

only portable: some also provide coverage between jobs so you can continue to receive benefits if you become disabled within 12 months of your last employment ending.

Look for a disability plan that offers coverage for different types of disability, such as total disability, residual disability, partial disability and catastrophic loss.

And remember that as long as you pay your own premiums (not your employer or partnership), your monthly disability benefits are tax free.2 Being ill or injured can be challenging enough without worrying about being driven into serious debt. With the financial safety net provided by private health and disability insurance, you can focus on your recovery, not on the bills. ■ 1GPI Atlantic, Economic Security in Nova Scotia and Canada,

July 2008.

2Contact Canada Revenue Agency for details.

3Disability Insurance: Where Will the Money Come From If

You’re Disabled? Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association. January 2004.

While many employers offer disability coverage, keep in mind that you can’t take your company plan with you if you leave your job. A private disability plan is not

Engineers Canada-sponsored plans: Your financial safety net Extended Health Care Plan & Dental Care Plan

Disability Income Replacement Plan

These plans help reduce your out-of-pocket medical costs by paying for those expenses not covered by your provincial health plan.

Affordable coverage for you and your family.

Provides you with a generous monthly benefit to replace lost income if a serious illness or accident keeps you from making a living — so you can continue to provide for your family.

Visit

www.manulife.com /EB to get more plan details, calculate your monthly benefits, get no-obligation quotes and apply online.

Or call toll-free 1

877 598-2273 Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET

Sponsored by:

Underwritten by:

The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company

Engineers Canada plans are underwritten by The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company (Manulife Financial).

February/March 2010 11

environment co Rner

Harnessing the sun's power Horizon Energy Solutions turns rooftops into cash flow opportunities

By John Best

C

Commercial, industrial and institutional rooftops are the hottest new real estate commodity in Ontario. This is thanks to the Ontario Government’s Green Energy Act (GEA) and Feed-in Tariff (FIT) program.

Its aim is to increase Ontario’s generation of renewable green electricity, and larger, commercial-sized rooftops provide the perfect setting for solar installations.

Horizon Energy Solutions Inc., a sister company of Hamilton and St. Catharinesbased Horizon Utilities Corporation, provides commercial property owners in Ontario an opportunity to participate in green power generation and receive a new steady revenue stream, without the investment or hassle of acquiring, installing and maintaining the solar systems themselves.

“Commercial property owners have prime real estate idling in the sun,” noted Scott Knapman, Vice-President of Horizon Energy. “They can gain a new income stream, without undertaking any financial investment, by simply leasing their vacant rooftop space.”

Revenue aside, host companies list a variety of reasons for participating in solar energy. Organizations see improving the environment as part of their corporate social responsibility. Environmental sustainability is an integral part of their core values and brand reputation.

The FIT program has now spawned a number of start-up green energy companies, but established suppliers caution roof owners to think about long-term stability and reliability when making a decision to partner with a solar developer.

What matters most to customers is choosing a dependable developer. Horizon assumes full responsibility for the ownership of the system, including installation, operation and maintenance. In exchange for the use of the rooftop space, it pays the building owner an attractive rent. With a century of experience in electricity systems, customers have the peace of mind knowing Horizon has the expertise to deliver and will be around for the 20-year term of the lease.

Recently, the provincial government has

12 Building Strategies & Sustainability

been forced to re-evaluate its FIT price structure and has introduced a new, lower price for ground-based systems which some new operators say will force them out of the business before they get started. All of this points to the need for building owners to move quickly with an operator who has the track record and financial resources to fulfill long-term contracts.

Horizon is helping St. Catharines and Hamilton harness their potential for solar energy. In Hamilton, Horizon and the city have just completed an arrangement that will see large scale solar operations on such diverse facilities as the city’s transit centre, and several multiple-pad public arenas.

Detailed engineering reviews of all pilot sites will be completed to determine the feasibility of installing solar technology. These studies are expected to be completed this fall and construction could start in early 2011.

“We are thrilled to be collaborating with our partners at Horizon Energy Solutions on another clean and green initiative,” said Hamilton Mayor Fred Eisenberger. “This pilot project could yield well over $1 million in revenue for the city over the 20-year life of the project, in addition to the significant energ y product ion, c lea ner a ir a nd environmental benefits.”

It’s a similar situation in St. Catharines.

"From our perspective, this partnership is a win-win scenario," said Mayor Brian McMullan. "By exploring roof leases with Horizon, the city is able to support clean energy while realizing a new source of revenue benefiting local taxpayers."

In addition, Horizon will be installing solar on its own buildings. “Horizon is proud to lead in solar installations on our own roofs. This reinforces our commitment to sustainable development and cleaner sources of energy for communities we serve,” said Max Cananzi, President and CEO. A typical 40,000 to 45,000 square foot commercial rooftop can produce about 250 kW of electricity, suff icient to power approximately 29 households. This size of installation can displace about 207 tonnes of greenhouse gas per year -- the equivalent of taking 36 cars off the road permanently.

Horizon was the first energy company in Ontario to make a filing with the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) for sustainability reporting. This was done in combination with its annual report covering social, environmental and economic issues in equal measure. For its effort, Horizon was named “Company of the year”, by the Ontario Energy Association in September 2009.

“We see our efforts as a solar developer integral to our sustainability responsibilities in working with commercial building owners to make a significant impact on reduce carbon footprint in Ontario,” said Cananzi.

Companies wishing to learn more about hosting a solar and green energy solution can call 1-877-517-4727 for a no-obligation solar assessment.

Green CONSTRUCTION

A greener future for Ontario

Infrastructure Ontario managing $14 billion in green construction across the province

By Amanda Smith and Andrés Durán

T

The Province of Ontario strives to be a leader in green infrastructure. Infrastructure Ontario, a government agency tasked with building and renewing public infrastructure in the province, is committed to ensuring the goal of a greener, more sustainable Ontario is met with success.

Ensuring appropriate public control and ownership, Infrastructure Ontario uses an alternative financing and procurement (AFP) model to rebuild vital infrastructure. AFP provides the opportunity to transfer project risks to the private sector, which commits to delivering projects on time and on budget.

AFP allows the government to deliver more infrastructure projects sooner by tapping into alternate sources of capital.

Currently, Canadian commercial and institutional buildings use 14 per cent of Canada’s end-use energy and create 13 per cent of the count r y ’s ca rbon emissions.

Infrastructure Ontario’s AFP model is helping to address this through a number of initiatives including: using the LEED Green Building Rating System to set standards for energy efficient design and operations; and transferring energy consumption risk to the private sector firms that design, build, finance, and maintain its facilities, thus encouraging the private sector to drive reduction.

Achieving Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Certification W it h i n it s p o r t f o l i o o f p r o j e c t s , Infrastructure Ontario currently manages 28 projects that are seeking certification through the LEED for New Construction and Major Renovations (NC) rating system. Representing nearly 15 million square feet of new and renovated space, most of the projects are targeting LEED Silver or higher.

While a level of energy efficiency for the base building and systems is required to achieve any level of LEED certification, Infrastructure Ontario has ensured an increased level of energy performance above and beyond the prerequisite standard by making a number of the LEED NC

14 Building Strategies

Optimize Energy Performance (EA1) credits mandatory on most projects. As well, to ensure that buildings function as designed, the Best Practices Commissioning (EA3) and Measurement and Verification (EA5) credits are mandatory on most projects.

Ensuring long-term env ironmenta l sustainability is another key component of Infrastructure Ontario’s green building program. Several of Infrastructure Ontario’s projects are looking to make further use of the LEED building rating system and have their sights set on achieving certification under the LEED Existing Building: Operations and Maintenance (EBOM) program. Pursuing certification through this system represents a commitment to the environmental performance of the buildings throughout the operating period.

The Durham Consolidated Courthouse, which recently opened in Oshawa, Ontario, is an example of this achievement. The project is on track to achieve LEED Silver NC certification and targeting LEED Gold EBOM in the future.

Targeting energy efficiency through risk transfer As part of the competitive bidding process for Infrastructure Ontario’s projects, hospitals and government building projects establish best practices and drive private sector innovation in energy modeling and energy consumption metering by requiring proponents to assume energy consumption targets in their building design. Who better to take on the risk of base building energy consumption than the building designer, const r uc tor, f ina nc ier, a nd fac i l it y

management providers?

These consortium proponent team members work together to determine energy consumption targets for each energy source for the building (gas, electricity), and are measured against these targets after the facilit y becomes operational. R isk is t ransfer red to t he pr ivate faci l it y's management provider through the use of a pain share formula where the facilities management provider shares in energy costs when consumption exceeds established targets (typically 105 per cent). The facilities management provider can also share in the savings if actual consumption is less than projected (typically less than 95 per cent). This is the gain share mechanism in Infrastructure Ontario’s projects.

Of course, the facilities management provider will not be bound to targets that no longer make sense for the 30-year operating term of the facility. The targets may be adjusted periodically based on significant changes in climate or significant changes in operational usage by the owner. Each of the owner and the facilities management providers can request periodic energy audits to determine whether targets need to be adjusted.

Finally, the owner and the facilities management provider work together to understand the building’s energy consumption patterns through comprehensive metering data that is shared, discussed and analyzed on joint energy committees. Each commit to making the building work in the most energy-efficient way possible in serving the operational needs of the facility.

Delivering projects that give Ontarians the best value for their tax dollars -- while ensuring that Ontario’s infrastructure is sustainable and energy efficient -- will continue to be a priority for Infrastructure Ontario, now and into the future.

Amanda Smith and Andrés Durán are members of Infrastructure Ontario’s Green Building Committee.

Infrastructure Ontario is an arm’s length crown corporation that manages projects assigned to it under the Province of Ontario’s Alternative Financing and Procurement (AFP) model.

An idea whose time has come.

But hurry.

It will soon be gone.

New commercial buildings, additions and major renovations planned for construction anywhere in Ontario outside the 416 area code may be eligible for major grants and incentives from the High Performance New Construction (HPNC) Program. Incentives are based on verified kW savings. If you incorporate energy efficiency measures into your new construction project, not only will it qualify for significant incentives and grants from HPNC, it will provide a lifetime of energy cost savings and have a higher market value.

‘

The HPNC program is one of those financial incentive concepts that actually works.

We got on board early and we’re already seeing a payback. Plus, the incentives are a real bonus. It was easy, and they made it happen for us. paul allen, distribution manager, Columbia sportswear

’

Application Deadline - October 31, 2010

Contact us today. The rewards could be green – in more ways than one. For more information call 1-888-opa-hpnC or visit www.hpnc.ca. applications available online.

Green Economy

Taking the plunge Making a commitment to reduce carbon emissions

By Edwin Lim

A

As part of their corporate social responsibility programs, many organizations have made or are contemplating making commitments to carbon emission reduction. For many organizations, the first step is performing an inventory of their carbon emissions and budget for carbon or renewable energy credits to offset their carbon impact on the environment and/or identifying potential opportunities to reduce carbon emissions.

Rea l Estate’s role in an organization’s carbon footprint: For many organizations that have a significant real estate foot print, they discover that the consumption of energy in their real estate represents the vast majority of their carbon footprint. For one of our clients, a major Canadian f i n a n c i a l i n s t it ut ion , it represented more than 80 per cent of their carbon footprint.

As they explore reducing their net carbon emission through offsets, they discover that the purchase of either renewable energy credits or carbon offsets is a recurring annual cost. It is therefore not surprising that in numerous recent executive surveys identifying building efficiency is one of, if not the top carbon strategies for organizations.

This is because energy conservation measures reduce recurring energy and operating costs, facilitate addressing deferred maintenance and asset re-investment issues and ultimately reduce carbon emissions, thus reducing the ongoing cost of offsets required to take an organization to carbon neutrality.

The role of building operations and maintenance: Much of the attention in the Green Building industry has been on the design and construction of new buildings. There is a lot of excitement around a movement to utilize “passive design concepts” and “living building concepts” going forward. But it is estimated that these “new” buildings represent less than 10 per cent of the building industries Green House gas emissions.

The balance is the existing everyday buildings which we all live, work and play in day after day. In these buildings, interestingly enough, operations and maintenance plays a much larger role in reducing carbon emissions than most organizations recognize due to the simple volume of existing buildings. A 5-per

16 Building Strategies

cent improvement across 90 per cent of the buildings has a larger impact than a 25-per cent impact on 10 per cent of buildings.

Energy audit and commissioning: The concept of an energ y audit and commissioning is quite simply to do an evaluation of building performance against a building’s original design intent, based on current building usage and the availability of new technology.

The evaluation of current building operation against the original sequence of operations from the building designers is to ensure that the building operates as originally designed. This typically uncovers temporary adjustments that have become permanent inefficiencies which are often very obvious such as a mechanical or lighting system operating 24/7 to correct a temporary situation and that was never returned to the proper automatic time schedule.

Considering the actual building usage allows for the update of the sequence of operations based on real performance data that was not available to the original building system designers. An example is at a facility managed by BLJC, our team was

able to balance the cooling system and heating systems in the building such that gas consumption for the building dropped by more than 40 per cent.

Further, new building technologies are continually introduced into the marketplace and need to be evaluated. The availability of new technology creates opportunities to further reduce the energy consumption of facilities. The introduction of new technology can require capital and need to be planned, however, identifying and understanding the opportunity allows this to be integrated into the facilities capital plan as deferred maintenance items are addressed.

But beyond replacing the direct system, the implementation of new technology often creates more opportunities for adjusting other systems and introducing new sequences of operation. An example is where the introduction of new, more efficient lighting technology often means less waste heat in space areas, creating the potential need for more heating in the space during the winter, and less cooling in the summer. Re-tuning the HVAC systems accordingly, ensures that any opportunity to reduce mechanical heating and cooling is leveraged.

The concept of commissioning is generally accepted in larger, more complex buildings, however, discounted when it comes to smaller more simple buildings. It has been

Green Economy

m y experience that t h e opportunit y to apply these principles in smaller simpler buildings is equally present. This is because the larger and more complex a building is, the more likely that the building is assigned a dedicated onsite operations team. For smaller and simpler buildings, there is rarely an onsite operator available to maintain performance on an ongoing basis.

To this end, BLJC has implemented an energy conservation program for approximately 1,000 retail banking locations for one of its clients coast to coast. The program consisted of several steps including: Desktop energy analysis to identify opportunity and trends, program development and design for consistent implementation and performance metrics, onsite energy audit, onsite low cost energy conservation measure implementation and identification of additional energy conservation measures.

The desktop energy analysis enabled the BLJC team to categorize the retail locations and identify unique and common opportunities. It allowed for the evaluation of the economic viability based on environmental benefits by location category during the program development.

For geographic diverse portfolios such as this retail banking network, travel costs for the energy audit and energy conversation measure implementation provides an additional challenge to viability of

such a program. Integrating these two activities into a single trip as part of the program design, enabled BLJC to significantly reduce cost and the carbon footprint of the program. This involved both training and equipping the team to perform the low cost measures in a single trip.

Energy conservation measures delivered in this program included: adjustment and commissioning of HVAC controls and equipment, adjustment of occupancy schedules to match building use, measures for the reduction of air infiltration, and employee and occupant awareness.

During the program, additional energy conservation measures were id e nt i f i e d t h a t c o u l d n o t b e implemented during the initial visit due to the requirement of additional financial approvals, the requirement of effectiveness of a more specialized skill set, or the uniqueness of the measure to a specific retail location. After all, even buildings of the same vintage and design are different through their evolving usage and operation.

Through this program, our client has been able to reduce energy consumption by approximately 7 per cent in the sub set of p a r t ic ip at i n g r e t a i l l o c at ion s a n d coincidentally approximately 7 per cent less t ha n t he avera ge Bu i ld ing Energ y Performance Index (BEPI) of 316 ekW per square metre which is the current average for similar retail locations participating in the Canada Green Building Council’s Green Up™ retail pilot program. The Green Up™ program allows participants to benchmark their performance on energy, water and green house gas emissions against other simila r pa r ticipants anonymously.

Conclusion An organization’s real estate portfolio represents a signif icant and attractive opportunity to reduce its net carbon emissions.

Regardless of a building’s size or complexity, a review of a building’s operation against the original design, current usage and the availability of newer more efficient technology produce carbon reduction projects with an overall better return on investment than simply buying simply carbon offsets.

Organizations should look at making investments to reduce their carbon footprint to minimize the volume of carbon credits required to offset their residual carbon footprint.

Edwin Lim is VP, Energy & Sustainability with BL JC, leading its consulting practice of 25 professionals. BL JC is a real estate services firm operating in Canada with over 100 million square feet under management. In addition, as a volunteer for the CaGBC, Edwin chairs both the Adaptation Task Force for LEED™ E xisting Buildings and Operations and the Development Committee for Green Up. He is also a presenter for The Climate Project Canada, Al G o r e’s o rganiz ation to promote awareness on Climate Change in Canada. Edwin holds an Electrical Engineer degree from Queen’s U ni v e r si t y an d an MBA from the University of Western Ontario.

July/August 2010 17

INDUSTRY Q&A

Marketing your green building BS&S recently talked to three experts in the field about how to market their green buildings. The participants were Doug Hitchcox, Cushman & Wakefield; Darryl Neate, Oxford Properties; and Megan Fielding, TELUS. Doug Hitchcox Vice President, Office Leasing Division Sustainability Practice Group, Leader Cushman & Wakefield Ltd.

W

When a company decides to “green” its building it not only benefits from the cost savings involved, but it also sends out a powerful message to customers and the community that it is serious about the environment and the effects which its operations have on the earth as a whole.

Why market/promote a green building?

Hitchcox: Green buildings attract top q u a l it y te n a nt s . T he For t u ne 50 0 companies have mandated green buildings as the preferred a lternative for consolidation and growth. These major corporations recognize the advantage of green buildings evidenced by TELUS and Royal Bank of Canada consolidating into t wo new state-of-the-art LEED Gold buildings in downtown Toronto and Pepsico’s new Canadian Head Office in Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan’s AeroCentre V in Mississauga which will be one of the best sustainable buildings in Canada.

Neate: S u s t a i n a bi l it y m a k e s g o o d business sense for Oxford. There are two reasons why.

First, because our customers demand it.

Ever y year more tenants are making sustainabilit y a priorit y and tenants demand the buildings in which they live and work have as minimal an impact on the environment as possible. We are me e t i n g t h at d em a nd b y t a k i n g a leadership role in implementing green building standards and practices.

18 Building Strategies & Sustainability

Darryl Neate, Director of Sustainability, Oxford Properties

Second, sustainability makes financial sense. Improving the performance of our buildings in the areas of energy, water and waste has a positive effect on the long run financial performance of our assets.

It’s important for us to recognize our f iduciary duty to maximize value and minimize risk to OMERS stakeholders.

Decisions about sustainability are made because they make good business sense, t he y enable us to bet ter ser ve ou r customers, a nd u lt imately del iver a superior return to OMERS pensioners.

Because Oxford takes sustainability seriously, much of the marketing work gets done for us. Oxford was recently profiled favourably (ranked first overall in Environmental Performance) in an independent st udy on Canad ian Commercia l land lords conducted by Jantzi/REALpac, a leading independent authority. We could not ask for better publicity.

Fielding: A company’s building is a physical calling card for their brand. It is the first impression as a meeting place for potential and existing customers, key stakeholders, local community members and employees. It follows that the way you r bu i ld i ng is p erceived -- bot h internally and externally -- shapes your brand. Developing a green building c reates oppor t u n it y to demonst rate leadership in environment and community investment.

At TELUS, we a re commit ted to environmental sustainability. It is part of

Megan Fielding, TELUS Media Relations, TELUS

our culture in the way we live and work through our technology and community investments, including our real estate.

TELUS House Toronto is our most recent achievement in our environmental strategy. Our $250-million office tower is bu i lt to Gold cer t i f icat ion f rom Leadership in Energy and Environmental D e si g n ( L EE D), t he i nte r n at ion a l standard for sustainable design. TELUS House Toronto is wired to enable a mobile workforce.

We wanted to communicate to our customers, community partners and key stakeholders our meaningful investment in Toronto to create a future-friendly work i ng env i ron ment for ou r tea m member s a nd a com mu n it y-m inded bu i ld ing t hat embraces t he Cit y of Toronto in its design and operation. It also provides us with an opportunity to establ ish our roots in Onta rio as a bu s i ne s s a nd c om m it te d c or p or ate citizen.

What are the most important considerations when deciding to market/promote a green building?

Hitchcox: Commitment: Deciding to go green is a real commitment if you want to do it properly. It is not a one-time cer tif ication process. Continued i mprov ement i n ene r g y a nd w ate r consumption and increased commissioning will be required as green rating systems evolve. Today’s lower level certifications will be next year’s building code.

INDUSTRY Q&A

Landlords will f ind that greening a building through a process of picking the low hanging fruit will not be sustainable.

A more holistic approach should be taken where improv ing one aspec t of t he building’s design will also positively inf luence other areas. As an example, larger windows provide more natural light while reducing the requirement for artif icial light, the result is increased employee satisfaction while reducing energy consumption.

Neate: Tenant demand and f inancial fe a sibi l it y a re t he mo s t i mp or t a nt considerations in deciding which buildings to improve f irst. It’s not a question of whether we will implement increasingly stringent practices at our sites, but rather a question of when. We are rapidly rolling out sustainabilit y initiatives across our portfolio. Once we have taken steps to improve the environmental performance of a building, we make a point of telling tenants and prospective tenants about what we have done.

Fielding: We developed TELUS House Toronto on the 30 acres of railway land south of Union Station, a piece of land that had been ignored for more than a decade. This was a unique opportunity to demonstrate our commitment to the city and the prov ince, our belief in our business strategy and bring many of our Toronto team members together in a state-of-the-art workspace that sets a new standard in functional and environmental friendly building design. We invited business and community leaders, local dignitaries, politicians and media to celebrate groundbreaking of the f irst office tower development south of the tracks in more than a decade.

We wanted to inspire the public and other businesses to pursue sustainable design and operation, innovative technology and an overall integration within the community. In order to bring those to life we invited a targeted audience into TELUS House Toronto to see firsthand how this building embodies these elements. By orchestrating guided-tours, live demonstrations while communicating TELUS’ green message, we were successful in educating our audience on TELUS House Toronto’s environmental innovations.

The guided-tours showcased the key features of the building while creating a natural backdrop to anchor our strategic messages. Live demonstrations offered an

interactive opportunity to engage our aud ience w it h T ELUS's tec hnolog y s olut ion s t h at of fe r e nv i ron me nt a l eff iciencies for our organization while creating a visual experience. By offering a tr uly interactive experience for your aud ience it eng a ges t hem w it h t he messages you are communicating.

How does the marketing/promoting of the green building relate to decisions about what green or sustainable features to include in the building?

Hitchcox: Differentiation: Office space has been commoditized to the point where tenants typically look at only the net and additional rents to make their decisions. The actual work environment has been far down on the list of decision criteria. Many sophisticated companies believe that attraction and retention is the number 1 concern in real estate decisions. Accordingly, real estate can play a big role by providing better “indoor environmental quality” as some of the new sustainable buildings a re being designed to provide a substantially better work environment. As an example Allied Properties REIT is now promoting QRC West at 134 Peter Street, this 370,000 square foot phased development seeking LEED Gold offers: 11-foot high, f loor to ceiling windows with daylight harvesting providing more natural light which allows dimmable light fixtures, reducing our dependence on artificial f luorescent light.

State-of-the-art raised f loor HVAC prov ides employees w it h ind iv idua l control of air conditioning, on f loor CO2 sensors and operable windows resulting in far more fresh air and a substantially better work environment. Additionally non-pressurized office space reduces the dissemination of viruses and bacteria resulting in reduced absenteeism.

More natural light and better and more cont rol lable hea lt h ier a i r resu lts in happier more productive employees.

That’s a compelling differentiator which can be seen at www.qrcwest.com Neate: Third party standards guide our decisions as to what specific improvements to make at our sites. LEED in North America and BREEAM in Europe are the two standards we typically strive to meet. For instance, we recently achieved LEED EB Gold certification at Royal Bank Plaza in Toronto. In the UK, we ac h ie v e d BR EE A M ‘ E xc e l lent ’ for Watermark Place.

Fielding: A building is your physical footprint in the community, one that is seen by local traffic on a daily basis, a workplace for your employees and f lagship to your customers. To develop a green bui lding is a commitment and consideration to the local community. By proactively showcasing that commitment you are inviting local stakeholders and audiences to learn about your decisions a n d w h y it i s i m p o r t a nt t o y o u r organization and create an opportunity for t h at au d ie n c e to r e f l e c t t h e i r perceptions to key audiences of interest.

T E L U S ’s c o m m i t m e n t t o t h e environment is an enterprise-wide priority from helping out in the community, to integrated business decisions, to our employee work programs and our real estate developments. Our development of TELUS House Toronto to achieve gold L E E D s t a n d a r d a l i g n s w it h t h a t commitment to operate as a company and invest in a future-friendly environment.

The sustainable features of the building were developed to enhance the working env ironment for our team members, while also considering what would be communit y-f r iend ly for t he Cit y of Toronto.

The sustainable features of TELUS House Toronto that were incorporated to create a future-friendly workplace and community-minded building created an interesting story to share with the public, but were made with a view to what makes sense for our overall commitment to the environment.

What other advice would you give in regard to marketing/promoting green buildings?

Hitchcox: Don’t Green Wash. Since sustainability is relatively new to the development industry “Greenwashing” is a big concern of major tenants. Developers not familiar with sustainability ratings often market their new developments using “green” branding without knowing the required process to achieve the designation.

Do your homework with qualified resources and determine the green benef its and potential rating of your building and market them appropriately.

We believe that a well-designed green building will be substantially more costeffective than the a lternatives when analysing the “total cost of occupancy”.

The most effective way to market these buildings is to use a broker with extensive sustainability expertise.

July/August 2010 19

Q&A

Neate: Landlords have a significant role to play in improving the environmental performance of buildings, but we can’t do it alone. The success of any sustainability i n it iat ive a l so dep end s on tena nts.

Tenants directly account for roughly a third of a building energy use through “plug load” (e.g. anything occupants plug in that use electricity), and ultimately their actions and behaviours contribute to a larger share of a building’s energy use (e.g. HVAC, lighting).

It’s very important to engage tenants, help tenants understand the role they play and offer tenants simple concrete steps they can take to improve the environmental performance of their workspaces. Small actions such as powering down monitors over lunch time and lowering blinds during periods of intense sunlight have a cumulative effect.

Fielding: It is important to find elements of your building that showcase leadership in environmental design. Metrics around t he s u s t a i n a bi l it y fe at u re s prov ide tangible examples and quantif ies the env i ron menta l i mpac t. For T ELUS House Toronto, we created a fact sheet to outline the environmental sustainability features and metrics and the amenities that enhance overall human comfort.

This provided a concise way to capture all of our key points in one place for reference

"Every year more tenants are making sustainability a priority and tenants demand the buildings in which they live and work have as minimal an impact on the environment as possible" materials for media.

Offering demonstrations of environmental sustainable features helps to create a visual example of environmental features to make sure the elements you want to showcase are real for the audience.

With TELUS House Toronto, we didn’t just talk about the green features, we showed them. For media, the tour of the building provided a way to communicate our messages, while offering visually compelling examples to help illustrate.

Hosting the tours with a passionate e x p er t he lp s to c om mu n ic ate you r message accurately, and is complemented by the visuals and demonstrations on the tour. We hosted our media tours with principal architect Dermot Sweeney.

Dermot offered leadership as both an expert in his field and on TELUS House Toronto to communicate the sustainability features and answer any questions. We also had Joe Natale, chief commercial officer for TELUS, speak to some of the technology innovations that add to the overall environmental leadership of the building.

Including industry experts, numbers and visual elements paint the complete picture for print, broadcast and online media to engage with. It allows them to see why the building is unique, how it h e l p s t h e e n v i r on m e nt a n d of f e r s interesting examples for different areas of interest.

2nd Annual Community Power Conference

presented by

November 15-16, 2010 Ontario Sustainable Energy Association

20 Building Strategies & Sustainability

Power Networking Centre trade show

Metro Toronto Convention Centre presented in co-operation with the For conference details visit www.cpconference.ca Association of Power Producers of Ontario or call 1-866-573-6732 November 15-17, 2010

BBP new in not checked

project profile

Keeping Hamilton Healthy Hamilton Health Sciences completes one of the largest energy saving retrofits undertaken at a Canadian hospital

By John Tenpenny

H

Hamilton Health Sciences will complete a three-year implementation shortly of one of the largest energy saving retrofit projects ever undertaken in a Canadian hospital.

A performance contract with Johnson C ont rol s h a s m a de it p o s sible for Hamilton Health Sciences to carry out about $50 million in facility improvements without touching the hospital’s capital budget. The expected savings from the 10-year performance contract will be used to offset the cost of the improvements.

Hamilton Health Sciences is Ontario’s second-la rgest hospita l cor porat ion.

With si x unique hospita ls, a cancer centre, and an affiliation with McMaster University’s Faculty of Health Sciences, it offers care to more than 2.2 million re sident s of H a m i lton a nd c ent r a l Ontario. By investing more than $500 million to upgrade clinical care and re sea rc h c apabi l it y, t he hospita l is transforming the region’s health care with modern clinical environments, latest medical technologies and state-of-the-art research facilities.

Energy and engineering staff at the hospital faced an array of building needs across multiple facilities. Most of the basic technologies ranged in age from 25 to 50 years. Some of the older systems were simply falling apart while others did not offer the best efficiencies or operating performance.

“The concept for our retrofit project came about when we were trying to find

22 Building Strategies & Sustainability

money for some infrastructure upgrades,” said Alan Olinyk, Director of Engineering at HHS. “We enlisted the support of Johnson Controls LP to lead the retrofit and we’re already realizing signif icant energy savings from improvements to lighting, ventilation, heating and cooling systems. The best part is that the cost of the improvements is offset by the energy and operational savings.”

Challenges included: • Heating and cooling equipment at or near end of life • Ve n t i l a t i o n s y s t e m s i n n e e d o f updating • Unreliable medical air and vacuum systems • Inefficient lighting systems • Outdated building automation systems Add it iona l ly, H HS ’s t h ree onsite co-generation plants located at Hamilton General Hospital, McMaster University Medical Centre and Henderson General Hospital produce enough electricity to supply power to all three sites. During the busy summer season, the on-site generators cou ld produce additiona l power to top up the area’s power grid.

“The key with cogeneration is to be able to properly utilize all the waste heat streams,” said Chris Cuthbert, Energy Manager, at HHS. “With all of the work we’ve done, we can now fine tune the buildings to make maximum use of the waste heat, which in turn drives our expenses even lower. So not only are we

using less, but the utilities we’re using are cheaper to generate.”

With an ambitious redevelopment program under way, capital for other building needs was understandably tight.

So faci l it y ma nagers looked for a n a lter nat ive avenue to f ina nce t hese essential building improvements.

Performance contracting offered a proven solution that was already delivering results for other Canadian hospitals.

A f ter a bidd ing process, Ha m i lton H e a lt h S c i e n c e s s e l e c t e d J oh n s o n Controls.

“The hospital was looking for someone to be fully accountable, so it was a turnkey project, meaning not only did we do the engineering and auditing up front, we were responsible for implementation and p r o j e c t m a n a g e m e n t ,” s a i d Pe t e r Krajcovic, Account Executive, Healthcare Solutions for Johnson Controls. “And the final step was quantifying and verifying that the savings were there.”

Union Gas provided assistance for five engineering st udies that determined baseline energy and water consumption, identif ied upgrade opportunities and estimated the potential for eff iciency ga ins. T he per for ma nce cont ract is expected to create about $50 million in s a v i n g s . I f a d d it ion a l s a v i n g s a r e generated, Hamilton Health Sciences will keep the extra. Hamilton Health Sciences obtained third-party financing to fund the improvements.

project profile

The extensive retrofits included: • New, more eff icient boiler plants at Ch e d ok e a n d H a m i lton G e n e r a l campuses • Complete HVAC retrofit at McMaster University Medical Centre (MUMC) and a partial HVAC replacement at Henderson Hospital • A l l lighting replaced at Hamilton Genera l; mechanica l and common s p a c e l i ght i n g r e pl a c e d at ot he r campuses • Replace and re-zone existing HVAC systems through the use of Building Automation Systems (BAS) that allow for indiv idua l occupancy and temperature control of zones • Installing up-to-date and interconnected BA S at a l l s ite s for c e nt r a l i z e d monitoring and control • Replacing medical air and medical vacuum systems • New air handling units and new heat recover y systems at the Henderson Site • Replacing old chi l lers w ith higheff iciency chillers featuring environmentally-friendly refrigerant • New chiller plant and chiller controls at Hamilton General; and • Expanded use of cogeneration heat recovery to provide heating and air conditioning at MUMC, Henderson and General sites.

Other benefits for HHS included: • Cost of improvements offset by energy and operational savings over 10 years

• Upgrades complement redevelopment projects -- adding both capacity and efficiency • Heat recovery improvements optimize the benefits of existing investments in tri-generation; and • Equipment that will continue to deliver sav ings and other benef its beyond contract payback period.

T he env i ron menta l benef its of t he projects included: • 3.7 million m3 annual natural gas savings • 26 million kilowatt hours in annual electricity savings • 66,000 m3 in annual water savings • Reducing greenhouse gases equivalent to removing the emissions from 4,500 cars every year; and • B e t t e r a n d h e a l t h i e r i n d o o r environment for staff and patients.

Taking a comprehensive approach to the retrofit saved project costs, minimized disruption and meant that short payback items could help pay for longer-term measures. This approach also ensured t hat sy stems and equ ipment a re standardized and work together more effectively, reducing long-term operating and maintenance costs.

Work i n g w it h Hor i z on Ut i l it ie s Corporation as well, Hamilton Health Sciences received a rebate cheque for $639,138, the largest Electricity Retrofit Incentive Program (ERIP) cheque ever

presented in the province of Ontario.

Hamilton Health Sciences received the rebate for energ y-ef f icient l ighting, heating and cooling retrof its. These retrof its have reduced the hospita l ’s average peak demand for electricity by 2,574 kilowatts to date.

“Horizon Utilities is committed to he lpi n g i nst it ut ion s l i k e H a m i lton Health Sciences take a proactive approach to energy conservation and, in doing so, contr ibute to bui ld ing economica l ly viable and sustainable communities,” said Max Cananzi, President and CEO, of Horizon Utilities.

“HHS demonstrates the importance of work ing w ith your uti l it y and understanding how incentives can shape you r energ y ret rof it s ,” added Br ad Gallant, Manager, Commercial CDM for Horizon.

Union Gas also presented Hamilton Hea lt h Sc iences w it h a c heque for $20 0,0 0 0 to suppor t prog rams implemented which resulted in improved energy efficiency. “ Union Gas’s Energ y w ise program d i r e c t s i n v e s t m e nt s i nto n e w a n d retrof itted energy eff icient equipment, technologies, and training for la rge commercial industrial customers,” said Mel Ydreos, Vice-President of Marketing and Customer Care for Union Gas. “We are pleased to be a partner with Hamilton Health Sciences in their focus on energy eff iciency and help lower its annual utilit y costs and annua l nat ura l gas consumption.”

July/August 2010 23

project profile

The facility’s makeover has obvious patient benef its -- the new Building Automation Systems provide air volume and temperature control in 1,300 zones, letting occupants control their rooms ind iv idua l ly. Add it iona l vent i lat ion system redundancy ensures operating r o om s c a n b e u s e d w it h m i n i m a l downtime.

Of course, new equipment and systems are of little use if they are not run properly. Under their agreement, Johnson Controls will train Hamilton Health S c ience s sta f f to use , mon itor a nd ma inta in equipment and systems to achieve sustainable savings.

Chedoke Hospital Over the years, a gradual reduction in steam load demand at Chedoke Hospital’s facilities meant that the old Babcock and Wilcox boilers were costing them a fortune in excessive gas usage.

The old boilers were large water tube boilers, which occupied the space of two basket ball courts and required enormous amounts of energy to keep the backup boiler as a hot standby, so they could provide crucial steam when needed.

Energy losses in using antiquated boiler equipment are something that people are not used to thinking about in day to day l i fe , but i n mo s t a ny bu i ld i n g or 24 Building Strategies & Sustainability

manufacturing process, steam generation is a key element of our daily lives. The d i f ferenc e b et w e en ef f ic ient ste a m generation and cumbersome 19th and 20th century methods of steam generation can save thousands of cubic meters of natural gas, barrels of oil and, when all is said and done, thousands of dollars.

T he d i f fe r e nc e i n ho w s t e a m i s generated has much to do with what is done when we aren’t using that steam -- a boiler should not be wasting fuel, when there is no call for steam. Old technologies rely on the fire tube or large water tube technology, which heats large vessels of water in order to produce steam. This method requires preheating time that can be as long as 3 to 4 hours -- this is time in which fuel is burned to heat water, but t here is no product ive stea m being generated. Also, when there are lulls in steam demand, the burner will idle, in order to keep the water warm so that steam can be generated when needed next.

Today, steam generation should match but not exceed the demand for steam, and modern technologies are slimmer, more compact and eco-friendly. In place of the fire tube technology, modern boilers boil low volumes of water rapidly -- meaning minimal preheating of water, no idling times, safer application, reduced f loor

space, greener use of fuels and lower costs to the end user.

When it was realized just how much energy and money was being wasted by maintaining the old boilers, Chedoke turned to Johnson Controls, who after an extensive steam load study, recommended the use of three Miura LX 200 Horse Power boilers to replace the two 30,000 lb/hr old boilers.

The boilers were installed in 2008 and Chedoke’s facilities instantly benefitted from the high efficiency of the units. In one half of the boiler room space, with plenty of room to spare for additions, they installed three boilers that currently operate on a synchronizing control that monitors steam load and sets the boilers to fire up in the most efficient pattern available.

The boiler generates steam at full pressure in less than five minutes from a cold start and as a result there is practically no pre-heat time required, and idling is non-existent.

Consequent ly, Chedoke Hospita l ’s operation is vastly improved and its gas savings are not the only reason why. The local community is also benefitting from the Hospital’s decision to retrofit the boilers as the new models have a much greener carbon footprint than conventional boilers.

Building Rating Systems - PROFILES

A commitment to the environment BOMA BESt is building environmental standards

By Nada Sutic, Manager, Environmental Initiatives, BOMA Canada certification every day BOMA Canada expects the 2,000th certification to be awarded before its National Conference and Exhibition (BOMEX) this September. The manager of the 2,000th building will be offered a complimentary invitation to BOMEX and will be singled out for special recognition at the Nationa l Awards ceremony on September 15th. The 2,000th BOMA BESt certified building could be a shopping centre, an open air retail plaza or even a light industrial property.

I

If you think eco-friendly choices only happen on an individual level. Think again.

Canada’s commercial real estate industry continues to demonst rate ded icated commitment to improving environmental practices and reducing pollution by using BOMA Canada’s Building Environmental Standards Program (BOMA BESt) across entire portfolios.

BOMA BESt was created to fulfill a very simple purpose: To take all the initiatives, activities and best practices individual building owners, managers and operators use to run cleaner, greener and more efficient buildings, and apply them on a scale as large as the skyscrapers that define the skylines of our cities. BOMA BESt empowers the real estate industry to transform spaces where people work, shop and spend most of their time into increasingly sustainable spaces.

BOMA BESt’s environmental evaluation and certification uses third party verification and has certified hundreds of millions of square feet of commercial real estate since its inception in 2005.

BOMA BESt considers six areas of env ironmenta l per formance and management: energy, water, waste and site,

26 Building Strategies & Sustainability

BOMA BESt for multi-unit residential buildings Looking ahead, BOMA Canada is currently developing a BOMA BESt assessment for multi-unit residential buildings slated to launch this fall. The program will be suitable for addressing condominiums as well as apartment buildings with the aim of making the places people live as environmentally friendly as the places they work. emissions and effluents, indoor environment, and environmental management systems.

BOMA BESt includes assessments for four types of existing buildings: office, enclosed shopping centres, open air retail, and light industrial.

BOMA BESt in 2010 BOMA BESt continues to serve the real estate industry across Canada with expansion into multi-unit residential properties, continued growth in applications and many buildings recertifying this year.

BOMA BESt recertification A BOMA BESt certification is valid for three years, and 370 buildings are due to recertify this year. The recertification process is straightforward and also includes third party verification. Any specific questions regarding recertification can be directed to the local BOMA association.

BOMA anticipates 2,000th certified building More than 1,600 buildings have achieved BOMA BESt certification since 2005. With more buildings applying for BOMA BESt

BOMA BESt makes sense BOMA BESt offers the real estate industry convenient, consistent standards to assess env ironmenta l per formance and management in commercial buildings. It also provides on-the-job environmental learning opportunities for staff and a way to ga in recog nition for env ironmenta l practices. BOMA Canada, in conjunction with the 11 local BOMA associations across Canada, continue to be impressed by the paradigm shift in commercial real estate and the industry’s enthusiasm for achieving BOMA BESt certification across entire portfolios while aiming for BOMA BESt Level 4, the highest level of certification.

Two thousand buildings certified before September is an excellent start and with the continued commitment of our partners BOMA Canada looks forward to greening the skyline of every city across the nation for years to come.

Based on the analysis of program data, the BOMA BESt program provides a realistic model of what the real estate industry can achieve voluntarily on a large scale.

Building Rating Systems - PROFILES

Canada Green Building Council to launch

LEED NC 2009

Working together to green commercial real estate in North America The Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC) launched LEED Canada for New Construction and Major Renovations (NC) 2009 and LEED Canada Core and Shell Development (CS) 2009.

These updated rating systems include current reference standards, re-weighted credits, and improved credit compliance pathways. LEED Canada NC 2009 will allow for faster review of applications¬ and a streamlined certification process.

Registration for new projects opened on June 21, 2010. Projects registered with the CaGBC before June 21 had the option to continue certification under LEED Canada NC 1.0 or opt into the new LEED Canada NC 2009 system.

“The LEED NC 2009 rating system takes a very practical and scientific approach to reduce env ironmenta l impacts from buildings” said Thomas Mueller, CaGBC President and CEO. “Each credit has been reviewed with the intent to streamline and step up the requirements for LEED certified buildings. Some credits are more demanding now and greater emphasis has been placed on reducing carbon emissions from new buildings.”

More information on the new rating systems can be found on the CaGBC website. Reference guides for the new systems are also available.

GREEN UP The Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC) has also embarked on a multi-year development project to introduce the next generation of LEED in Canada through the LEED Canada Initiative. In parallel to this effort, the CaGBC also launched GREEN UP -- Canada's building performance program (formerly called Green building performance initiative) a focused effort to develop an affordable and easily accessible tool for energ y a nd env i ronmenta l management for new and existing buildings.

Both initiatives will enable large-scale reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, energy savings, and other environmental benef its for a l l bui ld ing t y pes and communities across Canada.

Towards a buildings-centric climate change strategy Through market-based solutions and

provision of tools to industry and partners, the CaGBC aims to support the performance improvement of 100,000 buildings and 1 million homes across Canada by 2015, with a verified 50-per cent reduction in energy and water use from a 2005 baseline.

Realizing these goals could result in: 50 MT/year reduction in GHG emissions; proinvestment strategies where owners will invest in building improvements across all regions of the country, to stay competitive in the marketplace and demonstrate corporate env ironmenta l responsibi l it y ; d irect employment in construction, manufacturing and professional services, with new skills, products and markets; large, measurable, and immed iate reductions in water consumption, use of resources and generation of waste; a receptive market for new, green technology, products and services; building renewal, and signif icant reductions of publ ic-sec tor defer red ma intena nce liabilities; avoidance of electricity generation and transmission capacity; reduced pollution and improved indoor environmental quality, with direct benefits to public and community health; utility cost savings for homeowners and for public and private-sector building owners, and creation of a large supply of certified carbon credits.

Buildings represent the largest “no-regrets” opportunity to reduce GHG emissions and to contribute to economic growth. Through the next generation of LEED and the building performance management system, the CaGBC will provide the framework for building owners, corporations and policymakers to guide continuous improvement towards these goals.

A buildings-centric strategy will engage all Canadians in the climate change solution, leading the way to the broader societal changes required for a sustainable future.

Working together to green commercial real estate in North America The Building Owners and Managers Association of Canada (BOMA Canada) signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) International to work together on joint ventures promoting sustainable development and energy efficiency within Canada and the United States.

Building on the strengths of their flagship programs, BOMA Canada's BOMA BESt and BOMA International's BOMA 360 Performance Program, the cross-border collaboration will focus on several areas, including: • promoting commercial real estate that is env ironmenta l ly responsible, comfortable, profitable and sustainable by more efficiently using limited resources and by sharing information; • working together to cross-promote sustainable initiatives among each association’s memberships; • cooperating on the development and promotion of educational materials, w o r k s h o p s , t r a i n i n g a n d ot h e r educational programs; • cooperating on future green building research for possible joint publication.

BOMA BESt (Building Environmental Standards) is BOMA Canada’s national online assessment program that provides the Canadian real estate industry with realistic standards for energy and environmental performance of existing buildings based on accurate, independently verified data. The four-level performance certification program also identifies best practices and provides members with educational and on-line assessment tools, independent data audits and more.

BOM A Internationa l ’s proprietar y BOMA 360 Performance Program is an online self-assessment program that evaluates buildings on six major areas of building management and operations, and benchmarks a building’s performance against U.S. industry standards.

BOMA 360 helps real estate professionals demonstrate to ow ners, tenants and prospective tenants that their buildings are managed to the highest standards of excellence.

The Memorandum of Understanding was signed on behalf of BOMA Canada by Chairman Ian Stewart and President Diana Osler-Zortea. Jim Peck, Chairman and Chief Elected Officer, signed for BOMA Inter nat iona l. Hen r y Cha mberla in, President and Chief Staff Off icer for BOMA International was on hand for the signing.

July/August 2010 27

co Rpo Rate sustainability

Greenhouse Gas Footprints The low carbon economy is coming

By Bradley Fowler

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exist in compiling a carbon footprint. Just as with financial accounting, organizations are advised to seek outside help in setting up a carbon accounting and reporting system.

What is a carbon footprint?

Also known as a greenhouse gas inventory, a carbon footprint is an estimate of all the greenhouse gas (“carbon”) emissions from an organization’s operations. These are categorized as: Direct emissions (also called “Scope 1”) that physically occur at sites under the direct ownership or control of the organization (e.g., on-site combustion of fossil fuels for heating).

Energy indirect emissions (“Scope 2”) that are due to imported electricity, heating or cooling, where the actual emission source is under another organization’s control (e.g., grid electricity consumption).

Other indirect emissions (“Scope 3”) that include all other emissions related to the organization (e.g. business travel, emissions associated with consumables, water use, waste disposal, etc.). Reporting of these emissions is voluntary under established practice and organizations need to decide which emissions are relevant.

Standards and guidelines have been established to guide organizations in identifying emissions sources and estimating the associated emissions. However, the field continues to evolve and many complexities

Know your audience A greenhouse gas inventory must be designed to meet the needs of its audience.

A key question is who will be interested in the results and what will they want to learn?

Interested parties have diverse needs and the inventory must reflect these. Likely audiences include: Environmental regulators: Are you obliged to report your emissions under environmental legislation? If so, it is likely that the regulations will specify in some detail how the inventory should be compiled.

Most regulations in Canada are currently targeted at medium-to-large direct emitters of greenhouse gases on a facility basis.

Typically, the majority of building emissions are from grid electricity consumption; these are indirect, since the actual emissions occur at the generating facility, and in most cases are not likely to exceed current emissions thresholds for reporting, although there are likely some exceptions. However, reporting regulations are evolving and a potential future switch from facility-based to organization-based reporting thresholds would likely include organizations with control of many buildings.

Securities regulators: The stance of securities regulators has recently shifted to be far more pro-active in requiring that risks associated with both greenhouse gas emissions in particular and climate change in general be disclosed. If your organization is faced with material f inancial risks associated with climate change then they may need to be disclosed. As well as potential liabilities arising directly from emissions and the costs to reduce them, this

The low carbon economy is coming. This will affect the way all businesses operate.

Risks and opportunities abound. Faced with a shif ting landscape of government regulations and stakeholder interests, is your company ready to manage these risks and seize the opportunities as they arise?

The first step in answering this question is to understand your carbon footprint and identify who is interested in it and why it matters to them. Once the footprint is understood and the stakeholders are identified, it is possible to develop a strategy to manage the associated risks and to develop opportunities to realize value for your business.

28 Building Strategies & Sustainability

includes risks such as exposure to severe weather events and flooding due to the changing climate, increases in the cost of insurance or difficulties obtaining insurance, and so on.

Investors: Investors in public companies are increasingly interested in the greenhouse gas emissions and carbon management strategies of those companies. Ethical investors have a special interest in this area, but investors in general are coming to expect that companies understand and manage their carbon footprint.

Public sector organizations are likely to face similar scrutiny. Many governments internationally are adopting emissions or energy reduction targets for their own operations, and buildings are a major contributor to these emissions.

Tenants: Efforts to reduce your emissions will have an impact on your tenants.

Measures such as energy efficiency may be beneficial for both parties. There is a need for a dialogue to understand how the carbon management goals of both tenants and manager/owner can be synchronized to realize value for both parties.

Employees: Increasingly, employees expect to see their personal ideals reflected in the organizations they work for. With increasing public awareness and concern about climate change -- particularly among t he you n g er g ener at ion -- c a rb on management can be beneficial for recruitment and lead to improved employee satisfaction and retention.

The local community: Your carbon inventory and management plan can support activities to promote your organization in the local community.

What is a greenhouse gas?

Greenhouse gases (GHGs) are responsible for causing global warming and climate change. The major GHGs (defined under the Kyoto protocol) are carbon dioxide

co Rpo Rate sustainability

(CO2), methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O). In buildings, these will typically be emitted directly from fossil fuel combustion for heating and in maintenance equipment.

Less prevalent -- but very powerful -GHGs are hydro fluorocarbons (HFCs) and perf luorocarbons (PFCs), found in refrigeration and fire suppression equipment, and sulphur hexafluoride (SF6), used as an insulator in high voltage switchgear.

Emissions may arise during maintenance activities or as a result of leakage.

Know your limits In order to prepare a carbon footprint, an organizational boundary must be selected.

This boundary will determine how the emissions are categorized as direct and indirect. Emissions can be reported on the basis of equity share, operational control or financial control. The appropriate boundary depends both on the structure of the reporting entity and the needs of the audience for the inventory.

Organizations also need to decide which indirect emissions should be accounted for.

These include everything relating to your operations, such as business travel, commuting, consumables, etc. Once all the

Responsibility for the carbon inventory should reside at a senior managerial level and appropriate resources need to be devoted to its creation and maintenance emission sources are identified, decisions can be made as to which are appropriate for inclusion given the needs of stakeholders.

Measure and record Carbon footprints are evidence-based.

Emission sources must be identif ied, calculation methods determined and data gathered to support the calculations. All this should be carefully recorded so that claims made on the basis of the inventory are justified and credible. This is particularly true if public claims are going to be made.

Consideration should also be given to thirdparty verification of the inventory -- akin to

Looking to save energy and money?

Double your incentive on VFD technology.

By varying the speed at which motor-driven equipment operates, Variable Frequency Drive (VFD) technology helps reduce energy use. For a limited time, large commercial customers who implement a VFD project may qualify for a one-time incentive of $0.20 per m3** of the project’s estimated natural gas savings.

Offer expires September 30, 2010.* For more on this special offer, talk to an Enbridge Energy Solutions Consultant. It’s easy and the service is FREE. Trust your consultant for:

an audit of financial statements.

Responsibility for the carbon inventory should reside at a senior managerial level and appropriate resources need to be devoted to its creation and maintenance. A carbon inventory is an ongoing project -- each year it needs to be updated and re-evaluated to ensure it is meeting the organization’s changing needs.

Next steps Development of an inventory is only the first step on the carbon management journey.

Your footprint gives you an understanding of your emissions profile.

time Limited rr y call Hu offer – oday! us t

• Excellent Service • Reliable Energy Solutions • Financial Incentives • Technical Expertise

To get started call David Stelzer at 416-495-5298 or 1-866-844-9994.

Please reference promo code: BSSAD to receive this time limited offer * **

Complete terms and conditions available at www.enbridgegas.com/doubleincentive Project must be implemented this year. Savings calculated over a one year period. Maximum available incentive is lesser of $100,000 or 50% of VFD technology project cost.

ELC257_EC_BSSAD_7.5x5.25.indd 1

10-07-16 1:01 PM

July/August 2010 29

energy incentives - Agency Profile

Simplifying energy efficiency

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Implementing energy efficiency doesn’t have to be complicated. All you need is a few key ingredients. Chief among them are the right energ y solutions, broad technical expertise, and awareness of the best financial incentives. In fact, when you work with an Enbridge Energy Solutions Consultant (ESC), it can be remarkably easy. ESCs have the industry knowledge to assist you with any energy initiative.

“Our team of ESCs work closely with our customers, at no cost, to provide advice on the strategies, programs and e q u ip m e nt t h at of f e r t h e g r e at e s t eff iciency and benef its,” said Walter M at i a s , Por t fol io M a n a g e r, L a r g e Commercial / Industrial, at Enbridge.

“Our driving force is finding solutions that lead to energy savings.”

30 Building Strategies & Sustainability

Consider Great Wolf Lodge in Niagara Falls, Ontario. The resort is a unique tourist destination, featuring a 103,000-squarefoot indoor water park. Behind the scenes, it’s a prime example of something else -- the way in which ESCs work with large customers to ensure energy efficiency.

Among Great Wolf Lodge’s challenges: Humidity had to be controlled, and all that water -- 2.5 million litres in the water park, 450,000 litres in the wave pool, 500,000 litres in the lazy river, plus activity pools and whirlpools -- had to be kept consistently warm.

Through consultation and incentives, an Enbridge ESC helped the developers c ho os e h i gh-ef f ic ienc y n at u r a l g a s equipment. That included natural gasfired boilers (to keep water temperatures

re l i a ble a nd com for t a ble); i n-ro om temperature controls fueled by natural gas; and an air-bypass dehumidifier to keep air comfortable, even with the high moisture levels.

In all, the recommended solutions from the Enbridge ESC have translated into annual savings of 817,762 cubic metres (m³) of natural gas and up to 1,546 tonnes of CO2, and a payback on investment in under four years.

“Enbridge was involved with us every step of the way, helping things to run smoothly,” said Joe Krawczyk, Great Wolf Lodge’s Director of Engineering. “Their expertise and knowledge was an asset for us as we looked for the most energ y eff icient technologies and solutions that would perform for us, day in and day out.”

energy incentives - Agency Profile

Enbridge’s energy efficiency programs have been around since 1995, and have saved enough natural gas to date to serve more than 1.4 million homes for one year Consultants identify energy efficiency opportunities Through a series of related ser vices, Enbr idge’s ESCs help customers to develop and carry out a conservation plan of action. “Our role is to be a trusted resource,” Matias said.

The consultants will review energ y eff iciency options, prov ide gas consu mpt ion data for a na ly sis, a nd calculate the return on investment of various options. Paybacks can be as quick as 2 to 3 years, Matias said, considering the incremental costs of high-efficiency versus standard equipment.

As wel l, the ESCs can create benchmarking activities for the buildings, and walk customers through the range of incentive programs that can help them meet their goals.

“We can work with our customers to put a capital plan and operational plan together, providing them with a direction for where to ma ke t he best energ y investments,” said Matias.

With potential solutions identified, the ESCs can also connect customers with Enbridge’s independent business partners -- a range of manufacturers, contractors and energy specialists -- who can provide estimates for equipment, installation, maintenance, and ongoing operations.

For both existing buildings and new construction, the range of Enbridge’s services and programs can help large c u s tome r s s a v e c o s t s , i mprov e t he efficiency of their operations, and protect the environment.

Incentives keep evolving One of the most valuable roles performed by Enbridge is providing information about incentive programs and being a personal contact throughout the process of applying.

“Our ESCs work with customers to understand the programs and get all of the necessary documentation in place,” said Matias. “That saves time, and helps ensure that your project will be eligible and that you can start right away. We work hard at making it simple for the customer.”

Enbridge’s energy efficiency programs have been around since 1995, and have saved enough natural gas to date to serve more than 1.4 million homes for one year. The

incentives continually evolve, as options expand, incentive rates become simpler, and the cap on incentive amounts grows too -up to 50 per cent of the project cost to a ma ximum of $100,000 now for large commercial and industrial customers.

For l a r g e c om m e r c i a l b u i l d i n g s , financial incentives cover a wide range of areas: Capit a l i mprov e me nt s: O ne -t i me retrof it incentives a re ca lcu lated on projected first year’s natural gas savings -- 10 cents/m3 saved up to 50 per cent of t he c apit a l c o s t to a m a x i mu m of $100,000.

O p erat iona l i mprovements: Usi ng monthly or real-time monitoring, these promote continuous operationa l improvements t h rough pred ict ive modeling. The incentives rate is 10 cents/ m 3 s av e d , ba s e d on 1 2 mont h s of operational improvements.

Condensing boilers: 15cents/m3 of e s t i m a t e d n a t u r a l g a s s a v i n g s fo r condensing boiler technology. Incentives are a one-time payment based on the estimated first year natural gas savings, up to 50 per cent of the capital cost to a maximum of $30,000 per building.

Audit incentives: Customers can receive either half the cost of the energy audit, up to $5,000 per building, or 1 cent per m3 of gas consumed in the last full calendar year, up to $15,000 for a portfolio of buildings (whichever is less).

Showerhead rebate program: Customers receive rebates for replacing existing s t a nd a rd show e rhe a d s w it h e ne r g y efficient ones.

School board boiler program: This incentive is for space heating only -$1,000 per elementary school and $4,300 per secondary school.

Enbridge offers an additiona l f ive incentives for new construction: Design assistance program (DA P): $3,000 per building for design activities aimed at improving a building’s energy and environmental performance -- whether a new building, an addition to an existing building, or a major renovation.

Implementation support: $2,000 incentive to offset the administrative cost of assessing and reporting the energy efficient design alternatives included in the new building.

New building construction program (NBCP): This provides an incentive for energy savings resulting from adding efficiency measures to a reference design building. The natural gas savings are ba s e d on t he re s u lt s of a n ener g y simulation. Enbridge will pay 10 cents/ m3 of projected annua l nat u ra l gas savings, up to $30,000 per building.

New construction program (NCP): If a building simulation hasn’t been completed for a new building, incentives are still available to add energy efficient natural gas equipment to a new building design.

Enbridge will again pay 10 cents/m3 of annual natural gas savings, up to $30,000 per building.

O PA’ s h i g h p e r f o r m a n c e n e w constr uction (HPNC) program: Customers may be eligible for electrical peak demand reduction incentives.

Additional terms and conditions apply: For more on all of these incentives, visit www.enbridgegas.com/commercial.

Numerous incentives are also available for smaller commercial customers, such as a Spray ‘N save program (for food service customers, rinsing dishes/utensils); a demand control kitchen ventilation system program; a tankless water heater program; a programmable thermostat program; an infrared heater program; and heat and energ y recover y vent i lator programs. For more, see www.enbridgegas. com/smallbiz. “ W h e t h e r of f e r i n g i n c e nt i v e s or consulting services our objective is the same -- ensuring the most energy efficient benef its for Enbridge customers,” said Matias.

At Great Wolf Lodge, Joe Krawczyk can attest to that. “For anyone undertaking to retrofit a facility or building one from the ground up, having key people from the utility here from the beginning is priceless.”

Want to lea r n how you r bu i ld ing project can save? To get started on an energy eff iciency project or for more information, ca l l Enbridge Gas Distribution at 1-866-844-9994 or see www.enbridgegas.com/business.

July/August 2010 31

ENERGY INCENTIVE UPDATE

Energy saving opportunities

Toronto Hydro’s incentives provide attractive returns

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Many organizations and businesses are a lready engaged in their traditiona l planning and budgeting process for 2011. Most of these plans will include the reg ular day-to-day budget items including cosmetic facility improvements, equipment replacements and maintenance projects. As energy costs continue to rise, eff iciency-related projects will be an attractive investment for your company.

To m a x i m i z e y o u r R e t u r n o n Investment and payback period, you may want to enlist the help of Toronto Hydro to identify and analyze energy saving opportunities and potential measures to allow prospective projects to be included in next year’s budget. For customers that qualify, Toronto Hydro will cover the c o s t fo r e n e r g y e f f ic i e n c y s t u d i e s conducted by a qualif ied consultant -up to $4,000.

New incentive programs Under the new Green Energy Act, the scop e of cons er v at ion a nd dema nd m a n a g ement prog r a ms (CDM ) h a s changed. Utilities like Toronto Hydro will now have a CDM target obligation as part of their distribution license and as a result, we will be expanding our CDM i n c e nt i v e p r o g r a m s to m e e t t h e s e aggressive reduction targets. Starting in 2011, there will be a variety of new CDM and demand response programs available with a strong focus on commercial and industria l sector customers. Toronto Hydro is work ing with a number of pa r t ners l ike Bu i ld ing O w ners a nd M a n a g e r s A s s o c i a t i o n s ( B O M A ), Enbridge and the City of Toronto to deliver CDM programs tailored to market segments and customer needs. To provide CDM market continuity, Toronto Hydro aims to take the CDM programs offered today and transition them into 2011 as seamlessly as possible -- providing you

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32 Building Strategies & Sustainability

w it h t he con f idence to bud g et for efficiency projects in your 2011 budget.

What’s available now?

The Business Incentive Program (Soon to be called Electricity Retrofit Incentive P r o g r a m / E R I P): P r oj e c t s s u c h a s mo d i f ic at ion s to pro duc t ion l i ne s , compressed air improvements, HVAC upg rade s , motor repl acements , a nd building envelope improvements are eligible for the program and will yield up to $800 per kW. As well, lighting retrofits would fall under BIP. Applications are usually reviewed and approved within five business days and payments are typically made within six weeks after verifications and invoices are received.

Data Centre Improvement Program (DCIP): If you have a data centre or area used to house computer systems and associated components, such as telecommunications and storage systems you can also apply for incentives to improve energ y eff icienc y. Potentia l retrof it projects that may be eligible include: data centre improvements (such as virtualization and HVAC upgrades), modif ications to industrial production lines, compressed air improvements, energ y ef f ic ient l ight i ng upg r ade s , motor replacements and variable speed drive applications, building automation and control upgrades, as well as other energy eff icient measures.

Depending on your configuration, it’s possible to save up to 30 per cent in electricity use in your data centre. If your data centre’s peak electricity demand is 100 kilowatts, operating 8,760 hrs/yr and you reduce your use by 30 per cent, you could save approximately $20,000 per year and be eligible for a DCIP incentive of approximately $26,000.

Suite Metering: Condominium boards and residential unit owners will see i nc re a s e d b enef it s by s w itc h i n g to

individual suite meters. Unit owners then become responsible for only their own electricity use, as opposed to a share of the entire building. Condo corporations are then responsible for costs associated with common areas reducing one of the biggest operational costs. Toronto Hydro offers a complete ser v ice to convert buildings to suite meters. This includes the assessment, system design, project management, installation and customer education and support.

Power Savings Blitz/PSB (soon to be c a l l e d D i r e c t I n s t a l l e d P r o g r a m): Smaller businesses that use less than 50kW are also eligible for the program.

It offers small businesses a free energy assessment to identify possible energy savings and up to $1,000 of energye f f ic ie nt r e t rof it s - - i nc lu d i n g a l l equipment and labour resulting in an annual savings of up to $400.

Ty pica l upgrades include overhead lighting such as T-8 f luorescent tubes and compact f luorescent bulbs, LED exit lights, and water heater insulation blankets.

Coming in 2011 (more details this September): Existing commercial and industrial programs will be expanded beginning in January, 2011. Signif icant changes and enhancements to current programs include audits and ongoing operator training and facilit y performance excellence.

Add it iona l ly, Toronto Hyd ro w i l l develop prog rams to meet unique Toronto Hydro customer needs, as well a s work i ng a long side neighbou r i ng utilities and gas companies to ensure s e a m l e s s p r o g r a m a p p l ic a t i o n a n d comprehensive program coverage. Most importantly, there will be no disconnect in program offerings.

More information is available on the w e b site at w w w.torontohyd ro.c om / business

ADVERTISING FEATURE Smardt

Chiller Flexibility For todays Market

Unmatched Flexibility Helping engineers be engineers!

Smardt chillers have more water pass arrangements, stacked and low-profile orientations and more compressor sizes to meet customer needs. Air cooled, water cooled, condenserless, customized orientation, special water ports, single-two-three-four and six pass depending on the model. Smardt has the worlds largest array of standard designs and can accomodate the most ambitious requirements. Smardt is solution oriented in the LEED friendly world in which we breathe.

Air Cooled vs Water Cooled Smardt is your temperate marketing solution!

Smardt entire chiller line is ARI Certified and field proven ARI certified and field proven all variable speed air cooled chillers in multiple sizes. Highly efficient, oil-free air cooled chillers are viable replacements for conventional water cooled plants. Why would you do all that extra work and waste all that water to use the same or more energy that would be used by a much simpler Smardt air-cooled plant? In a recent project Smardt replaced a 260 ton Carrier water cooled central plant and the customer received a utility rebate with a single air cooled Smardt chiller.

LEED The Turndown Story Smardt advanced controls makes your plant respond to the demands of your building.

Many of Smardt’s water cooled chillers with 30:1 turndown are available in several sizes and arrangements. Unheard of in a market full of the same 3:1 turndown on/off competitors.

With Smardt chillers, the chiller can turn down in synchrony with your building. Buildings we study, model and tour typically have substantial operational hours at less than 15% load. Many have real operational cooling requirements of 25:1 turndown. How can a design engineer envision a bunch of on/off equipment serving variable loads as logical? Since traditional chillers can’t take advantage of variable pumping as well and don’t have infinite variable speed unloading, applying them in today’s variable load/variable primary designs is a challenge and not the most efficient system possible. With Smardt, engineers have a better choice for the most efficient chilled water solution and the lowest total cost of ownership available today.

For more information, please contact sales@smardt.com.

The CEEMA partners consist of the following organizations:

Sales, Installation and Service

Manufacturer of High Efficiency, Oil-less Chillers

Integrated Building HVAC Solutions

If you would like more information on CEEMA or are interested in reducing energy costs in your facilities, please contact: John McIsaac, 1-866-841-6668 or ceema@directenergy.com

Enterprising Canadians

Take Me Out to the Ball Game Accolades for Toronto design firm’s work at New Yankee Stadium

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Toronto firm II BY IV Design Associates was recently presented with two awards from the Association of Retail Environments (ARE) for their work at the New Yankee Stadium.

The awards, which recognize innovation and excellence in the areas such as design, originality in the use of space and materials,

provide a dramatic entry are constructed of custom-laminated glass panels tinted Yankee blue and bearing a pattern of repeated team logos.

The designers used the interlocking ‘ N Y ’, one of the most recognizable insignia in sports, in diverse graphic treatments printed on glass, jet-cut in

service. Patrons dine in the presence of the greats, surrounded by walls paneled with backlit acid-etched bronze mirrors with illuminated autographs of extraordinary contributors to the team’s history from the Hall of Famers to inspirational leaders, including the late George Steinbrenner.

Set off by flooring in limestone and two-

quality in executing the total concept, were for II BY IV Design’s NNY Steak (2010 Grand Prize Restaurant/Fine Dining) and Legends Suite Club (2010 Grand Prize Restaurant/Casual Dining) restaurants at Yankee Stadium.

When the New York Yankees selected II

BY IV to create the interiors of some 37,000 square feet of hospitality amenities for the much-anticipated New Yankee Stadium, the internationally acclaimed Toronto firm felt they had “made it to the bigs.”

The New Yankee stadium features more modern amenities, better sight lines and greater fan and player comfort, but above all, it is a monument to the team’s glorious past.

The II BY IV designers developed their principal themes in close collaboration with Yankees management, supporting the team’s branding objectives and building on the character of the new structure itself. Their design decisions focused on providing a unique sense of place, ref lecting the dynamism of the game and creating an emotional bond with the patrons.

Offering premium amenities to Legends Suite ticket holders, the Legends Suite Club is a 700-seat, exclusive bi-level casual dining club located behind home plate, which is also available for special events in the off season. The ‘blue cube’ vestibules that

lacquer screens housing internally lit memorabilia vitrines, and both embossed and debossed in collage panels of burled walnut veneer and high gloss lacquer.

The Legends Suite Dugout Lounges are private clubs located behind the Legends Suite seats along the first- and third-base lines. The polished concrete flooring and exposed galvanized steel decking of the seating above contribute to a ‘stadium i n sider ’ fe e l i n g. T h at de c k i n g , by precluding the use of recessing lighting, also impelled the design of a complex illumination scheme that adds to the remarkable feeling of intimacy.

Wall sconces provide subtle up lighting while invisibly mounted bottle display shelves in white and blue are internally lit, as are the cylindrical high top cocktail tables.

Below its silver grey resin top, the backlit bar front’s striped acrylic panel alludes to the most famous uniform design in sports history. Similarly, the swooping shape carved into the polished plaster feature wall behind the back bar makes a tongue-incheek subtle reference to a curve ball.

NY Y Steak offers a ref ined dining experience just inside Gate 6, overlooking the Stadium’s Great Hall, and the warm, inviting ambiance supports the upscale blend of fine food, beverages and superior

toned oak, custom-designed, generouslyscaled club style dining chairs in Yankee blue leather surround diamond bookmatched Mozambique veneer table tops.

That veneer also appears on nearby walls, horizontally slatted in feature locations, such as flanking the open kitchen.

On the same level as the suites and reachable from NYY Steak, the Banquet and Conference Center enables corporate guests to conduct business while enjoying the baseball experience. In addition to a private conference room and business centre, the flexible space can be divided into two individual areas, each with their own access from a main corridor. The principal design elements are the walnut veneer wall panels, Yankee blue veneered doors, a retractable canvas-patterned glass wall, terrazzo flooring complete with a logo medallion, and a custom-tufted logoed carpet.

The designers worked closely with the audio-visual consultants to accommodate sophisticated technology supports, including video conferencing, liquid crystal display projectors and wireless microphones, to meet the most demand ing business requirements.

34 Building Strategies & Sustainability

Time and Energy are Precious Resources.

We’ll pay you now to save both! $25,000,000 in rebates for energy efficiency improvements.

For owners of apartment buildings and condominium corporations.

The more the savings, the bigger the rebate!

The Multifamily Energy Efficiency Rebates initiative pays cash for almost any electricity saving project you undertake for your building, even if the work has already been completed. You can receive: Up to 40% of the project cost.

Up to 100% of the cost of a building energy audit.

A free energy education kit delivered to each building resident.

We’ll even do the paperwork at no cost to you!

GreenSaver is one of Ontario’s most respected, non-profit organizations dedicated to energy efficiency. GreenSaver is the provincial program manager for the rebates under contract to the Ontario Power Authority (OPA).

Projects completed before December 31, 2010 qualify.

A conservation initiative funded by:

Call 1-877-697-MEER (6337) today to speak with a program specialist!

Visit www.meerontario.ca for more information.