Sustainable Business Magazine 05/16

05

SUSTAINABLE ISSUE 05/16

B U S I N E S S

M A G A Z I N E

MARKHAM DISTRICT ENERGY ENVIROSYSTEMS CITY OF TORONTO THERMAL ENERGY

CORPORATION

JADA GROUP

ALSO FEATURED THIS ISSUE

IDEA • UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA

S U S TA I N I N G T O M O R R O W. T O D AY

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All lithographic printer inks used are vegetable-based.

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Editor:

Fiona FitzGerald

Assistant Editor:

George Newell

Senior Writer:

Marcus Bonnano

Contributors:

Ted Lomond

Rob Thornton

Meghan Fay Zahniser

Commercial Manager: Kaye Kalu Web Administrator: Steve Phipps

CONTENTS ISSUE 05/16

Welcome to the latest issue of Sustainable Business Magazine Sustainable Business Magazine aims to spread awareness of the values of sustainability, as well as the brilliant ways in which organizations continue to meet challenges and champion corporate social responsibility.

We are proud to present our new ‘District Energy’ series in partnership with the International District Energy Association (IDEA). Each installment of the ‘District Energy’ series will feature detailed profiles of companies demonstrating state-of-the-art best practices in district energy across North America. For the first installment of the series we spoke to Bruce Ander, President and CEO of Markham District Energy, about withstanding extreme weather, attracting tech companies, and how flexibility is integral to sustainability, and we spoke to Steve Swinson, President and CEO of the Thermal Energy Corporation (TECO), about providing reliable, cost-effective energy to the world’s largest medical center.

For an in-depth look at how the City of Toronto is managing waste, Carlyle Khan, Director of Infrastructure Development and Asset Management at the City of Toronto’s Solid Waste Management Services Division, spoke to us about an expanding organics processing facility, anaerobic digestion, and closing the loop.

For the second part of our ‘Newfoundland and Labrador Green Economy’ series in partnership with the Newfoundland and Labrador Environmental Industry Association (NEIA) we look at how Envirosystems are deriving value from waste, employee-driven innovation, and pushing the envelope on safety. In their Newfoundland and Labrador Division we spoke to General Manager Dave Warren and Director of Environmental Services Roy Baker, and we also spoke to Scott Sangster, Senior Vice President for Health, Safety, Environment, Quality, and People Services. The series is once again prefaced by a foreword from NEIA Executive Director Ted Lomond.

Our ‘Sustainable Campuses’ series in partnership with AASHE celebrates how universities continue to develop and operate sustainably, as well as the role they’re taking in educating students and the wider public about sustainability. The series is prefaced by a foreword from AASHE’s Executive Director Meghan Fay Zahniser. For the latest installment we spoke to Trina Innes, Chief Sustainability Officer at the University of Alberta, about visibility, academic integration, and working together.

To continue our focus on sustainability in the Caribbean we spoke to Paul Lewis, General Manager of JADA Group in Barbados, about property development and how even the most luxurious buildings can have positive impacts on local communities and the environment.

We hope that you find this issue both interesting and inspiring. Thank you for reading.

The Sustainable Business Magazine Team

02

International District Energy Association (IDEA)

04

Markham District Energy

12

Thermal Energy Corporation (TECO)

20

City of Toronto, Solid Waste Management Services Division

26

Newfoundland and Labrador Environmental Industry Association (NEIA)

28

34

Envirosystems Inc. The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE)

36

University of Alberta

42

JADA Group

50

Global Events

52

Advertisers Index

ISSUE 05/16 FRONT COVER IMAGE IMAGE COURTESY OF MARKHAM DISTRICT ENERGY

© SBM Media Ltd 2016. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form for any purpose, other than short sections for the purpose of review, without prior consent of the publisher.

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INTERNATIONAL DISTRICT ENERGY ASSOCIATION UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN COOLING TOWERS.

“DURING THIS ERA OF HISTORICALLY LOW FUEL COSTS, THE IMPORTANCE OF ENERGY AND RESOURCE EFFICIENCY IS ESCALATING.”

DISTRICT A foreword to the ‘District Energy’ series by Rob Thornton, President & CEO of the International District Energy Association (IDEA).

ROB THORNTON, PRESIDENT & CEO OF THE INTERNATIONAL DISTRICT ENERGY ASSOCIATION (IDEA).

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On behalf of the board of directors and over 2100 members of the International District Energy Association (IDEA), I am pleased to support this special focus on district energy and combined heat and power

(CHP) for Sustainable Business Magazine. In light of the growing interest and investment in district energy/CHP as a more efficient and sustainable energy solution for cities, communities, and campuses, we applaud

SBM’s interest in sharing successful case studies from our industry. In particular, IDEA institutional members at colleges, universities, and healthcare campuses are demonstrating highly valuable and innovative approaches to reducing energy and carbon footprints while enhancing operational resiliency and economic sustainability.

Now in our 107th year of operation, IDEA members are witnessing a profound paradigm shift “back to the future” in the way energy is produced, distributed, and consumed locally. In fact, the district energy renaissance marks a return to local generation of power and heat, reminiscent of the era of Thomas Edison when cities first turned to district energy/CHP to cut emissions, reduce fire risks, and improve urban air quality. Today, the convergence of generating electricity and useful heat and cooling is a proven technology that can reduce regional greenhouse gas emissions and help to optimize the grid. As our cities expand in population and the need for more resilient energy services increases, the value and appeal of district energy/ CHP widens.

Even during this era of historically low fuel costs, the importance of energy and resource efficiency is escalating. Conserving water, recovering surplus heat, and balancing renewable energy supplies are all possible when multiple buildings are interconnected and a district energy system provides the thermal network scale to optimize production and distribution. We appreciate SBM’s interest in advancing understanding and providing insight to these

useful technologies, business practices, and integrative strategies.

For his 2016/2017 term, IDEA Chair Tim Griffin has established “Sustaining our Success” as his theme to represent the importance of continued relevance, attention to environmental performance, and building on our legacy of collaboration and knowledge-sharing. We believe the ensuing articles and case studies to be shared in SBM will strengthen our outreach and support our mission. We are pleased to engage with the readers of SBM and welcome your inquiries at www.districtenergy.org. c

PRINCETON UNIVERSITY CO-GEN PLANT.

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MARKHAM DISTRICT ENERGY

“THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT BENEFITS FOR A MUNICIPALITY USING DISTRICT ENERGY CAN BE HUGE. THIS PLATFORM CAN ATTRACT BUSINESS, AND SKILLED EMPLOYEES.”

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THE

PERFECT

STORM

Sustainable Business Magazine speaks to Bruce Ander, President and CEO of Markham District Energy, about withstanding extreme weather, attracting tech companies, and how flexibility is integral to sustainability.

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MARKHAM DISTRICT ENERGY

Markham is the 16th largest city in Canada, home to around 350,000 residents, as well as headquarters of more than 400 Canadian head offices and 1000 high-tech and life sciences companies. Yet thirty years ago, the population was only 70,000. The story of this dramatic expansion is also the story of how a municipality can use district energy to provide reliable, cost-effective heat and power to densely-populated areas – and how quickly this investment can pay off.

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SELF-SUFFICIENT “One could say that we had a perfect storm in Markham for the development of district energy,” explains Bruce Ander, President and CEO of Markham District Energy. “In the late ‘90s, the electricity sector in Ontario was being restructured so municipalities could not only own their local utilities but also start affiliate utilities to get into industries like district energy.

Then in January of 1998 we had a large

ice storm in Ottawa and the Quebec area.

One of the lessons we took from that is to be less dependent on external grids.”

At the time, to accommodate unprecedented population growth, Markham was encouraging areas of increased density, one of which was right in the geographical center of the municipality. “They decided to make that a downtown center, with a community energy system being created in concert with the new downtown,” says Mr. Ander.

Markham Center will eventually be 40 million square feet, home to 40,000 residents and 40,000 employees. So far, the city is a quarter of the way through that build, and every building which has been constructed so far is connected to the Markham District Energy system. “We started operations in 2000, so we’re now in our 16th year,” says Mr. Ander. “In 2012 we launched our second system. That’s about 10 kilometers to the east, serving another

planned area of urban density called Cornell Center.”

INSURANCE POLICY In Ontario, winters are cold, and a consistent supply of power is essential. “If we lose power in the depths of winter for any period of time, lives are at risk,” says Mr. Ander. “We started out with the goal of increased resiliency within the city for major utility disruptions or severe weather. We have a 15 megawatt

electrical fleet of Caterpillar generators fueled by natural gas, providing combined heat and power. In the case of a municipal emergency, we can work with the local electrical utility and begin opening up manual pathways to a series of public buildings in our downtown system here, which would be the places people would be encouraged to go. That’s now a part of the City’s emergency preparedness plan. It may never happen, but it’s good to have an insurance policy.”

www.urecon.com SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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MARKHAM DISTRICT ENERGY

In the winter of 2013-14, another ice storm struck Eastern Canada, and this time it hit Markham. Markham District Energy’s second system at Cornell Center serves Markham Stouffville Hospital, a major regional hospital. “We simply separated from the grid,” explains Mr. Ander. “So we’re able to keep running indefinitely.

After a couple of days of the regional power outage, citizens dependant on home dialysis or oxygen machines flooded to the hospital as a place of refuge. It could have been worse. The damage these ice storms do goes up exponentially as the ice builds in depth, and fortunately this one fell just short.”

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Since the establishment of Markham District Energy, three data centers and several other companies have opened in Markham. “Back 8 | SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE

at the beginning of Markham Center, before we had any buildings, IBM were looking into relocating their Software Lab,” says Mr. Ander. “The City said: ‘How about you stick to what you do well, which is software development, and we’ll be the energy provider.’ That way, IBM didn’t have to worry about running their own big chiller plants and heating plants. IBM said yes to that, which brought 3000 highly educated employees to Markham.”

Since then, another data center has opened in Markham, and a third was recently announced. Markham District Energy’s cooling system has 99.998% reliability, which allows businesses to avoid putting capital into non-core assets. “The economic development benefits for a municipality using district energy can be huge,” says Mr. Ander. “This platform can attract business, and skilled employees.”

ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS Markham District Energy has reduced Markham Center’s greenhouse gas emissions by 35% compared to conventional buildings with their own heating and cooling plants. The next step, as Mr. Ander sees it, is a transition to alternative fuels. “We’re only fifteen years old, and we’re going to be around for another hundred,” says Mr. Ander. “Sometime in the near future, we will introduce renewables to our fuel mix including biomass, biogas, and solar.

Because of the nature of district energy, we have fuel flexibility at a community scale.

We can change the technology and the fuel, and as long as we’re distributing hot water to their buildings, it makes no difference to our customers. If we wanted to phase out natural gas, I could do it tomorrow without any building code changes, or increase in electricity rates, or anything like that. That’s

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MARKHAM DISTRICT ENERGY

a significant sustainability component of district energy.”

SUSTAINABLE EXPANSION Next on Markham District Energy’s radar is a third system. “Markham has been designated by the provincial government as one of the Places to Grow,” says Mr. Ander.

“There are four areas of urban density that are identified and are being planned. We have district energy systems in two of them,

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and we’re planning our third one right now.

We’re the first municipally-owned district energy utility to have two systems, and we’ll also be the first to have three.”

This new system will be at the Buttonville Redevelopment. “It’s currently a small regional airport, which is closing,” explains Mr. Ander. “Once it’s closed, they’re developing it into a mixed use community, and we are the selected district energy partner.

So district energy and combined heat and

power is an official city policy; in high-density developments, district energy is the assumed base case. We’re also going to be expanding our flagship system in Markham Center, where it all started.”

Markham District Energy’s model is an unusual one, because it’s not mandatory to connect to their system. “Some jurisdictions where they have regulated district energy, the connection to the district energy utility would be mandated,” says Mr. Ander.

“Here, that’s not the case. If our company was expensive and unreliable, buildings wouldn’t have to connect to us. Fortunately, we’re not, and so far we’ve had 100% takeup. The Ontario Energy Board has been asked: ‘Should you regulate district energy?’

And their answer so far has been: ‘Why should we? It seems that customers signing district energy contracts are satisfied and well served. We are proud of our commercial contracts and the service we provide.”

AWARD-WINNING ENERGY In addition to his role at Markham District Energy, Mr. Ander is the outgoing Chair of the International District Energy Association (IDEA). In fact, Markham District Energy won IDEA’s System of the Year Award in 2013. “If you compare us to a lot of the other winners along the way, we’re not the oldest or the largest by a large stretch,” says Mr. Ander. “But our story is unique, building these systems in-step with the

build-out of major green-field developments. Importantly, we are closely tied to the city’s development process. So we’ve done a lot in 15 years. We’re very proud of that award. With Superstorm Sandy and some of the other severe weather that’s hit us, systems like ours are foremost in the minds of many mayors in this region. I think our city is delighted that we started down this path many years before others were even talking about it." c

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THERMAL ENERGY CORPORATION

TECO’S KEY TO SUCCESS IS CONSISTENTLY OPERATING AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL.

CRITICAL LOAD STEVE SWINSON, PRESIDENT AND CEO OF TECO.

Sustainable Business Magazine speaks to Steve Swinson, President and CEO of Thermal Energy Corporation (TECO) , about providing reliable, cost-effective energy to the world’s largest medical center. www.tecothermalenergy.com

The Texas Medical Center (TMC) is the largest medical center in the world, consisting of numerous hospitals, medical schools, dental schools, nursing schools, research facilities, and other institutions.

More than 110,000 people work on the 12 | SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE

TMC campus, with the average daytime population increasing to 250,000 people, including patients and other visitors.

In 1968 Houston Natural Gas (HNG) built a district energy plant to provide chilled water and steam to institutions on the TMC

services, you need to be invested in 1% of our equity; if you’re using 20%, you need to be invested 20%. Nobody is subsidizing anyone else. Everybody pays the same rate, and everybody gets a vote on the board, regardless of size. Because our customers give us an aggregated load, we can maximize resulting efficiencies.”

Today, TECO serves customer institutions that represent 7,000 hospital beds and a billion and a half dollars of annually

funded medical research – and since 2010 it has used combined heat and power (CHP) to do so.

RELIABILITY, EFFICIENCY, SUSTAINABILITY In anticipation of growth among TMC member institutions, TECO developed its own master plan in 2006. “There were several specific things we decided to focus on,” says Mr. Swinson. “Reliability was – and continues

OPERATIONAL SINCE 2010, TECO’S 48 MW COMBINED HEAT AND POWER (CHP) PLANT INCLUDES A HEAT RECOVERY STEAM GENERATOR. CHP ENABLES TECO TO SEAMLESSLY CONTINUE CHILLED-WATER AND STEAM SERVICE TO CUSTOMERS ON THE WORLD’S LARGEST MEDICAL CENTER CAMPUS, EVEN IF THE GRID’S POWER IS DOWN. COURTESY THERMAL ENERGY CORPORATION. PHOTOGRAPHER PAUL HOWELL.

THERMAL ENERGY CORPORATION’S CENTRAL PLANT – THE PAUL G. BELL, JR. ENERGY PLANT – IS LOCATED ON THE CAMPUS OF THE TEXAS MEDICAL CENTER ALONG THE BRAYS BAYOU IN HOUSTON, TEXAS. THE COMPANY’S 48 MW COMBINED HEAT AND POWER PLANT IS LOWER CENTER. COURTESY THERMAL ENERGY CORPORATION. PHOTOGRAPHER PAUL HOWELL.

campus. In 1975, TMC’s member institutions joined together as a cooperative to purchase the district energy system from HNG and formed Thermal Energy Corporation (TECO). Although TECO became a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation in 2003 to access tax-exempt financing, it is still governed using the cooperative business model.

“Everybody’s in this together,” explains Steve Swinson, President and CEO of TECO. “We’re really just an extension of the customers we serve. They comprise our board, set our rates, and approve everything we do. Each institution is invested in TECO the same percentage as its usage. So if you’re using 1% of TECO’s SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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THERMAL ENERGY CORPORATION

THEN U.S. SECRETARY OF ENERGY DR. STEVEN CHU TOURED TECO’S CHP PLANT AND EXPANDED DISTRICT ENERGY SYSTEM IN FEBRUARY 2012. DR. CHU STATED THAT, “INVESTMENTS IN ENERGY EFFICIENCY LIKE THE COMBINED HEAT AND POWER PLANT AT TEXAS MEDICAL CENTER ARE HELPING TO CREATE NEW JOBS, EXPAND U.S. MANUFACTURING AND STRENGTH AMERICAN COMPETITIVENESS GLOBALLY. BY REDUCING THE ENERGY NEEDED TO POWER MULTIPLE FACILITIES, THIS PROJECT IS SAVING MILLIONS OF DOLLARS AND REDUCING CARBON POLLUTION, WHILE IMPROVING THE RELIABILITY OF ONE OF THE COUNTRY’S TOP MEDICAL CAMPUSES.” PHOTOGRAPHER CHRIS CURRY.

TECO’S CHP SYSTEM USES APPROXIMATELY 30 PERCENT LESS FUEL THAN GRID-SUPPLIED ELECTRICITY AND CONVENTIONAL STEAM PRODUCTION TO COOL AND HEAT 19.3 MILLION SQ FT OF SPACE ON THE TEXAS MEDICAL CENTER CAMPUS. IT ALSO AVOIDS EMITTING AN ESTIMATED 32,700 TONS OF CARBON DIOXIDE ANNUALLY. COURTESY THERMAL ENERGY CORPORATION. PHOTOGRAPHER PAUL HOWELL.

to be – extremely important for us. 85% of the 19 million square feet of building space we serve is classified as critical load – either clinical care for patients or research that’s environmentally sensitive. On top of that, we’re only 50 miles due north of the Gulf of Mexico. It’s been a few years, but hurricanes come through here on a regular basis.

“We also wanted to use the most efficient way of converting fuel to useful energy.

We have no control over the cost of fuel, but we can control how efficiently we use it.

Plus, we wanted to make sure the people we serve are never at a disadvantage; we always want to be energy competitive. Our customers also care a lot about environmental responsibility, and efficiency helps us to be environmentally responsible.”

HUGE SAVINGS TECO decided to implement a combined heat and power system to achieve these

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goals. “TMC is a very concentrated, very condensed campus, which makes district energy and CHP such a great fit here,” says Mr. Swinson. “CHP gives you great efficiency, but it also gives you reliability.

Our plant is designed to withstand sustained 110-mile-an-hour winds. Now, on top of that, we’re totally self-sufficient in terms of energy because we can produce enough of our own power to keep chilled water and steam service running even if the electricity grid goes down. Basically, our emergency generator runs the whole time, so we are ready for any disaster.

Also, our plant went from being about 40% efficient, in terms of fuel in to useful energy out, to almost 70% now, which means huge economic savings for our customers.”

And now that the CHP plant is up and running, TECO has been able to share the financial savings with its customers. “In the

TECO’S EXPANSION AND NEW EQUIPMENT MEANT ADDITIONAL EQUIPMENT MONITORING AND CONTROLS, WHICH RESULTED IN A NEW CONTROL ROOM, SHOWN HERE AT THE MAIN PLANT. EQUIPPED WITH 24 FLAT-SCREEN MONITORS, TECO’S CONTROL ROOM IS STAFFED 24 HOURS A DAY YEAR-ROUND. COURTESY GE POWER & WATER. WOODALLEN PHOTOGRAPHY.

past five years, we’ve been able to return $20 million of the revenue they’ve paid us in large part because of savings realized through CHP,” says Mr. Swinson. “And the rebates have only been part of the savings. In our budgeting process, we plan

for other savings that result in lower rates to our customers.” CHP has also reduced greenhouse gas emissions and regional air pollutants, equal to the emissions produced while generating electricity for more than 4,000 homes.

TECO’S SYSTEM EXPANSION REQUIRED EXTENSIVE EXCAVATION TO MAKE ROOM FOR 42-INCH SUPPLY AND RETURN PIPES IN 2010. COURTESY THERMAL ENERGY CORPORATION.

STRONG PARTNERSHIPS TECO’s expansion project had a value of almost $380 million. “We’re normally an $80 million business,” says Mr. Swinson.

“We undertook a project that was four times our size, which meant it was impor-

AS PART OF ITS SYSTEM EXPANSION, TECO INSTALLED 42-INCH CHILLED-WATER SUPPLY AND RETURN PIPES IN 2010. COURTESY THERMAL ENERGY CORPORATION.

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THERMAL ENERGY CORPORATION

tant we had partners who appreciated our mission and would take it as seriously as we did. Burns & McDonnell did a great job at the design-build and start-up, and we worked very closely with GE on the CHP project. We also worked with Johnson Controls/York, Marley Cooling Towers, Tower Engineering for cooling towers, ChemTreat for water treatment services, and Toshiba for instrumentation and controls.”

One expansion project challenge was keeping construction on track while keeping the existing plant running. “It’s like doubling the size of your kitchen while you’re still cooking in it,” says Mr. Swinson. “Failure just wasn’t an option for us. And it’s an extraordinarily tight site. It’s the equivalent of the deck on an aircraft carrier. We didn’t have a place for trucks to park or a bunch of materials to be laid down and waiting, so

it meant we had to do a really good job of planning and preparing.”

VITAL MISSION With expansion construction well behind it, TECO’s key to success is consistently operating at the highest level. “We continue to optimize operational excellence,” says Mr. Swinson. “We try to be proactive in forecasting what’s going to happen instead

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16 | SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE

PHOTO CREDIT: BURNS & MCDONNELL.

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THERMAL ENERGY CORPORATION THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS MD ANDERSON CANCER CENTER – A TECO CUSTOMER – HAS BEEN NAMED ONE OF THE TOP TWO U.S. HOSPITALS FOR CANCER CARE CENTERS IN U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT’S “BEST HOSPITALS” SURVEY EVERY YEAR SINCE THE SURVEY BEGAN IN 1990.

PHOTOGRAPHER GETSHORTY23.

MEMORIAL HERMANN-TEXAS MEDICAL CENTER IS A TECO CUSTOMER AND ONE OF THE NATION’S BUSIEST LEVEL I TRAUMA CENTERS. IT ALSO SERVES AS THE PRIMARY TEACHING HOSPITAL FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS HEALTH SCIENCE CENTER AT HOUSTON MEDICAL SCHOOL. COURTESY MEMORIAL HERMANN.

TECO HAS APPROXIMATELY 90 EMPLOYEES, ALL OF WHOM RECEIVE TRAINING AND EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES TO ENSURE THEIR TECHNICAL SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE BASE KEEP THEM UP-TO-DATE ON THE LATEST PROCESSES AND TECHNOLOGIES. COURTESY THERMAL ENERGY CORPORATION. PHOTOGRAPHER JULIAN BREWSTER.

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TEXAS MEDICAL CENTER INSTITUTIONS PERFORM 180,000 SURGERIES EVERY YEAR, WHICH EQUATES TO STARTING ONE SURGERY EVERY THREE MINUTES. COURTESY THERMAL ENERGY CORPORATION.

of waiting until it happens and reacting to it. We want to schedule maintenance; we don’t want maintenance scheduling us.”

Mr. Swinson attributes much of TECO’s success to diligent employees who understand the gravity of their work. “We’re the largest chilled-water district energy system in North America, and if our services go down, people’s lives or research that’s been decades in development can be lost. We have a great group of passionate people who really appreciate the importance of our mission, and they take it very seriously. They function every day knowing if they make

a mistake, it could be devastating, and so they’re very thoughtful, they plan, and they stay focused.”

“Every day, the people at TECO are contributing to healing sick kids, curing cancer, and educating the next generation of healthcare professionals in the Texas Medical Center. I know the patients don’t know who we are, and a lot of the physicians, the healthcare providers, the educators, the researchers – they don’t know who we are.

But we know, and we know that if we don’t do what we do, they can’t do what they do.

That’s all that counts.” c

A TECO CUSTOMER, TEXAS CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL IS A NOT-FOR-PROFIT ORGANIZATION WHOSE MISSION IS TO CREATE A HEALTHIER FUTURE FOR CHILDREN AND WOMEN BY LEADING IN PATIENT CARE, EDUCATION AND RESEARCH. IT CONSISTENTLY RANKS AMONG THE TOP CHILDREN’S HOSPITALS IN THE UNITED STATES. COURTESY TEXAS CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL.

TECO SERVES CHILLED WATER AND STEAM TO 18 CUSTOMER INSTITUTIONS ON THE TEXAS MEDICAL CENTER CAMPUS IN HOUSTON, TEXAS. RELIABLE STEAM AND CHILLED-WATER SERVICE ENSURE STABLE TEMPERATURES THAT PROTECT DECADESLONG RESEARCH IN MULTIPLE BUILDINGS ACROSS THE CAMPUS. COURTESY THERMAL ENERGY CORPORATION.

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CITY OF TORONTO

“WE’RE LOOKING AT CONSERVING RESOURCES AND PRIORITIZING WASTE PREVENTION. OUR ASPIRATIONAL GOAL IS WE’RE WORKING TOWARDS ZERO WASTE.”

TORONTO’S ORGANIC TREASURE Sustainable Business Magazine speaks to Carlyle Khan, Director of Infrastructure Development and Asset Management at the City of Toronto’s Solid Waste Management Services Division, about an expanding organics processing facility, anaerobic digestion, and closing the loop.

The City of Toronto’s Solid Waste Management Services (SWMS) Division is responsible for collecting, transporting, processing, composting, and disposing of all residential and some private solid waste for the most populous city in Canada. SWMS manages a roughly fifty-fifty split between single family homes (461,000) and multi-residential units (416,000), along with 14,500 20 | SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE

small commercial establishments, and other City divisions, agencies, and corporations. In 2015 alone, the City managed approximately 510,000 tonnes of garbage, 216,000 tonnes of recyclables, 136,000 tonnes of organic waste, and 98,000 tonnes of yard waste, for a total of 1 million tonnes of waste a year.

The City of Toronto was one of the first municipalities in Canada and North

America to announce its intention to reduce Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions by 80% compared to Toronto's 1990 baselines, and was one of the first (and largest) cities to implement a source separated organics program (Green Bin Program). “We’ve implemented a triple bottom line lens in the way we view the world,” says Carlyle Khan, Director of Infrastructure Development

and Asset Management at SWMS. “It’s no longer only: ‘Can you make the business case?’ but also: ‘What are the environmental and social considerations that go along with that business case?’ We’ve introduced the idea of the circular economy within our Division, and we’re looking at utilizing resources and prioritizing waste prevention. Our aspirational goal is we’re working towards zero waste.”

GREEN BIN PROGRAM SWMS’s Green Bin Program was first introduced in 2002, with a current city-wide participation rate of over 90% among single family residences. “We attribute that mainly to the convenience factor,” says Mr. Khan.

“Toronto residents can just line their kitchen catchers with plastic bags, and if it’s organic in nature they can throw it in there. We’re rolling out larger bins now, moving up from a 40-liter bin to a full-size cart to allow for automated collection.”

The Dufferin Organics Processing Facility (DOPF) has been around since the start of the Green Bin Program. The facility was originally designed to process 25,000 tonnes of organic material into digester solids that is further processed into compost by a third-party. “It’s the circular economy,” says Mr. Khan. “Residents throw away organics, and then they have the opportunity to buy a bag of Class-A finished compost at the other end. A certain percentage of the compost is also returned to us, and we give that away on our Environment Days.”

DISCO ROAD ORGANICS PROCESSING FACILITY.

SELF-SUFFICIENCY In 2007, the City Council made the decision that Toronto would aim to manage organics within its own boundaries. “To find a home

for 135,000 tonnes of material at any given point in time isn’t an easy thing to do,” explains Mr. Khan. “We ran the risk of someone shutting down operations or closing the border.” The Disco Road Organics Processing Facility began operations in 2014, and currently manages 75,000 tonnes of organic waste. Now, the City has begun work on expanding the DOPF. When completed in 2018, the expansion project will allow Toronto to process an additional 55,000 tonnes of organic waste per year, for a combined processing capacity of 130,000 tonnes annually.

The project team which developed and awarded the contract for the project for the DOPF expansion was formed in 2013, comprising personnel from Solid Waste Management Services and Engineering Construction Services. “We also ended up working very closely with the contract administrator, GHD,” says Mr. Khan. “With their guidance and input, it helps drive towards a successful project.”

The project represented a large capital investment, in excess of $50 million, and the team chose an alternative delivery model.

“Working with GHD, we developed a design, build, commission contract, followed by an operate and maintain contract,” says Mr. Khan. “We recognized that the private sector is really good at this sort of thing, so we didn’t go design, bid, build. We wanted to make sure we hired the right people to do this.”

NEW FACILITY Ultimately, the team selected W.S. Nicholls as the general contractor, who had previously worked with SWMS on an emergency repairs project at DOPF in 2010-12, and

DUFFERIN COMPOSITE DRAWING.

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CITY OF TORONTO DISCO ROAD ORGANICS PROCESSING FACILITY.

DOPF PHASE1 SOIL PILE.

Anaergia were selected to provide the technology. To date, 70% of the design documents have been completed and selective demolition has begun at the DOPF. “Siting a solid waste management facility within the City of Toronto is very difficult, so we’ve optimized the existing infrastructure,” explains Mr. Khan. “Part of the bid process involved a number of site meetings, where W.S. Nicholls assessed what they wanted to keep or salvage.

We’re keeping a lot of elements of the

facility that were there already; it wasn’t a clean-slate.”

The new facility will meet or exceed all the relevant Toronto Green Standards.

The roof will have steel decking and a white membrane cover in order to reduce contributions to urban heat. Energy performance will be improved by recladding walls, insulating the roof, replacing the existing boilers with co-fired boilers to use onsite-generated biogas, replacing the existing HVAC systems with high-efficiency

units, and minimizing glazing on the building walls. A new advanced membrane bioreactor wastewater and process water treatment system will be installed, maximizing water recycling and minimizing potable water use.

What’s more, by using a contained anaerobic digestion vessel, processing the waste indoors, and using high efficiency odor treatment systems, the expanded DOPF will be able to operate within Toronto’s boundaries without odor complaints from neighboring residents.

DOPF NEW BIOFILTER.

DOPF NADS FOUNDATION.

DOPF NEW BIOFILTER BASE.

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DOPF NEW BIOFILTER.

CONGRATULATIONS CITY OF TORONTO For your leadership on environmental issues, including your highly successful Source Separated Organics program, and other visionary strategies for a sustainable future.

Proud to be your partners to Design, Build, Operate and Maintain the expanded and upgraded Dufferin Organics Processing Facility.

WSN takes pride in our in-house multi-trade expertise. As an industry leader we are able to provide consistent, reliable, quality construction on each project, large or small since 1996. We appreciate the opportunity to continue our relationship & lead the construction activities with the City of Toronto for this design, build, operate & maintain contract.

OCWA provides a full range of water and wastewater services to Ontario municipalities, First Nation communities, institutions and private sector companies. A “Total Solutions Provider”, we offer a full range of services to support clients at every stage of the asset lifecycle. OCWA is committed to helping build a cleaner, more sustainable environment by supporting innovative projects like the Dufferin Organics Processing Facility. exp provides professional, technical and strategic services to the world’s built and natural environments in six key practice areas: Buildings; Earth & Environment; Energy, Industrial; Infrastructure; and Sustainability.

With close to 3,000 creative exp professionals across North America and around the globe, exp provides the expertise and experience needed to deliver successful projects for clients.

Anaergia is the global technology leader in recovering value from waste for the municipal, industrial, and agriculture sectors. Through its proven portfolio of proprietary technologies, Anaergia’s integrated solutions create value for its customers in the forms of clean water, renewable energy, and quality fertilizers while reducing the cost of waste management. Anaergia is pleased to be the chosen supplier for all major processing technologies including the exclusive BIOREXTM system for separating organic material and diverting organic waste from landfills.

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CITY OF TORONTO ORGANIC EXTRUSION PRESS.

ORGANIC POLISHING SYSTEM.

Operations at the expanded DOPF are projected to begin in the third quarter of 2018. “One of the advantages of the design, build, commission approach is it allows the project to move really fast,” says Mr. Khan. “It allows work to start right away on decommissioning, site preparation, and mobilization, even while they work through the detailed design elements.”

UNDER PRESSURE “The easiest way to describe the anaerobic digestion process in layman’s terms is that it’s like the human body,” says Mr. Khan. “You have your teeth, where you grind and pulp and break down organic material. Then it goes to your stomach, where it’s processed, and things settle out. Then it goes to the intestines, and you’re left with solid waste and biogas. That’s the easiest way to describe it so my daughter can understand it.”

Anaergia’s Pre-Qualified Pre-Processing technology uses an organic extrusion press which applies 165 bar (2400 psi) pressure to the organic waste, which effectively separates the organic material (referred to as pulp) from other non-organic material, known as residue. The pulp is then put

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GARBAGE TRUCK DUMPING SSO ON TIP FLOOR.

THE NEXT STEP FOR THE CITY IS EXPLORING HOW TO USE THAT BIOGAS AS A SOURCE OF RENEWABLE ENERGY OR FUEL.

through a pretreatment process, where plastics are removed and water is added to create a slurry. “Next the slurry is put through a hydro cyclone, which removes the small fraction of heavier material, thereby leaving a clean stream which is fed into the digester,” says Mr. Khan. “The end product is then sold on to a third party, who processes it further to make a Class-A finished compost which you can use in your garden.

CLOSING THE LOOP Another byproduct of the anaerobic digestion process is high-quality biogas, which is made up of approximately 70% methane.

The next step for the City is exploring how

to use that biogas as a source of renewable energy or fuel.

Traditionally, the waste management sector has often chosen to use biogas or landfill gas to generate electricity, which uses robust, straightforward, proven technology. However, Toronto is going down a different route. “There are ways of scrubbing and cleaning the biogas to bring it up to natural gas quality,” says Mr. Khan.

“If I do that, I can put it in the pipeline, and then put it into my trucks. For every cubic meter of renewable natural gas I produce, I displace diesel. Just with one of our facilities right now running at 75,000 tonnes, we could cover 93% of our collection fleet requirements.” These emissions reduc-

tions are far more dramatic than could be achieved through the generation of electricity, as Ontario’s electricity mix is already relatively clean.

As Ontario looks into a cap-and-trade program, the benefits of renewable natural gas (RNG) will continue to grow. For Mr. Khan, it all comes back to closing the loop.

“The truck collects the material from the resident, takes it to a facility where it’s processed into compost and biogas. The biogas is cleaned, scrubbed, and injected into the natural gas grid, and then the RNG is put into the truck, which goes around again to pick up more materials. It’s all a part of that triple-bottom-line approach, and the idea of the circular economy.” c

GRIT SAMPLE.

DIGESTER SOLIDS.

HEAVIES.

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NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR ENVIRONMENTAL INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION

THERE ARE A NUMBER OF ENVIRONMENTAL AND ECONOMIC FACTORS WHICH ARE PROVIDING FAVOURABLE CONDITIONS FOR SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS GROWTH IN THE PROVINCE.

SHARING NEWFOUNDLAND

AND LABRADOR’S GREEN ECONOMY SKILLS

WITH THE WORLD TED LOMOND, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, NEIA.

A foreword to the “Newfoundland and Labrador Green Economy” series

by Ted Lomond, Executive Director of the Newfoundland and Labrador Environmental Industry Association (NEIA).

In the 1990’s, following the collapse of Newfoundland and Labrador’s cod fishery, there were grave concerns about the province’s future. But since that time, the small Canadian province has in fact seen significant economic development, and

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there is great confidence, opportunity, and excitement for its future.

Entrepreneurs and business leaders are now looking at how to make that future sustainable, and this is leading to firm-level strategies that embrace the relationship

between business growth and environmental stewardship. A new green economy is emerging in Newfoundland and Labrador.

There are a number of environmental and economic factors which are providing favourable conditions for sustainable business growth in the province. A significant driver is its strong oil and gas sector, which presents opportunities for local firms to address environmental challenges related to offshore oil production. NEIA members supply the industry with expert solutions in oil spill detection and response, effects monitoring, efficiency, and emissions reductions.

Because of the harsh ocean environments in which these solutions are deployed, local businesses are able to export their niche skills and products worldwide, while firms come to the province from all over the globe to test and market their own.

Geography is a primary contributor in product and service development. The

vast majority of the province’s population of just 515,000 resides on the island of Newfoundland, located in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean. The relative isolation of Newfoundland and the rural nature of many of its communities presents challenges in transportation, food quality and security, water quality, waste management, and just about any activity which requires economies or volumes of scale.

These challenges, however, have provided an excellent opportunity to deliver innovative solutions. How do we accomplish what we need to environmentally in a practical and cost-effective manner?

How do we protect the ocean environment while supporting economic growth in our fisheries, aquaculture, shipping of goods, recreation, and of course oil production?

While these solutions are designed to service local needs, local industries and entrepreneurs are realizing there are other

regions across the globe which face similar challenges. The sustainable products and services developed here in Newfoundland and Labrador have applications globally in other marine, island, or rural contexts.

NEIA’s role is to support the expansion of these businesses. We do so by providing firm-level programs and services, training tailored to environmental sector employees, tools to encourage and foster innovation and productivity, leadership on domestic policy and advocacy issues, and the support needed to export and engage in business internationally.

There are exciting things happening in Newfoundland and Labrador’s green economy. NEIA looks forward to sharing with Sustainable Business Magazine’s readers some of the sustainable products and services emerging from our province – products and services which you may very well see soon in your community or on your project. c

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ENVIROSYSTEMS

FOCUSED ON INNOVATION AND PRODUCTIVITY Sustainable Business Magazine speaks to Envirosystems Inc.’s Roy Baker, Director of Environmental Services at the Newfoundland and Labrador Division, Dave Warren, General Manager at the Newfoundland and Labrador Division, and Scott Sangster, Senior Vice President for Health, Safety, Environment, Quality, and People Services, about deriving value from waste, employee-driven innovation, and pushing the envelope on safety.

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TO SUPPORT NEWFOUNDLAND’S ENERGY INDUSTRY, ENVIROSYSTEMS IS CURRENTLY CONSTRUCTING A NEW MARINE FACILITY AT PIER 18 WEST, ST. JOHN’S HARBOR.

For over twenty years, Nova Scotia-based Envirosystems Inc. has been helping businesses and governments in North America achieve their industrial and environmental management goals. Operating out of over 40 locations across Canada and the United States, with a workforce of over 1000 people, Envirosystems is able to offer clients the resources of a big firm alongside the expertise of a local company through a business model emphasizing organic growth and by acquiring smaller regional companies.

In 2011, Envirosystems acquired Crosbie Industrial Services Ltd and Newfoundland Environmental Services Ltd, both based in Newfoundland and Labrador. With facilities

in St. John’s, Come By Chance, and Pasadena, Envirosystems delivers industrial and environmental services to the whole province.

“Our vision is to provide superior solutions, customer service, and value,” explains Dave Warren, General Manager at the Newfoundland and Labrador Division. “We focus on innovation and productivity to reduce total costs for our customers.”

MARINE FACILITY To support Newfoundland’s energy industry, Envirosystems is currently constructing a new marine facility at Pier 18 West, St. John’s Harbor. “It’s a turnkey solution we’re offering to the offshore oil and gas

operators,” explains Roy Baker, Director of Environmental Services at the Newfoundland and Labrador Division. “It’ll be kind of a one-stop shop for them.”

“It’ll offer vessel offloading of bulk fluids, waste transfers and handling, fluids loading, and robotic vessel tank cleaning,” says Mr. Warren. “Basically, it’s a full service deal for the industry. It’s going to provide a quicker turnaround time for vessels, as well as cut down on entries into confined spaces with our labor force.”

“The oil and gas operators are keen to find better ways to manage waste activities and also to reduce any risk of injury or incidents,” says Mr. Baker. “This new

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ENVIROSYSTEMS

facility will be perfectly aligned with those expectations. The timing couldn’t be better to bring efficiencies and stability to the local industry.”

INVESTING IN INNOVATION Envirosystems’ R&D department, referred to within the company as the Innovations Team, is currently working on 26 different projects, with several in the early stages of first commercial activity. But good ideas don’t only emerge from one place. The Envirosystems web portal, Bright Ideas, allows any employee to submit an idea for review. “Many of the ideas we’re currently tracking have come through that portal,” says Mr. Baker. “We believe this goes handin-hand with our goals of efficiency, safety, and sustainability.”

One notable new technology is Envirosystems’ Waste Drilling Mud and Cuttings Treatment System. “For some time, oil and gas operators have been looking for innova-

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tive ways to recycle and reuse drilling waste,” explains Mr. Baker. “Our new technology provides complete onsite treatment using indirect thermal desorption, which also allows us to recover hydrocarbons from the drill waste for beneficial reuse. Currently, the process is to shift all the drilling muds off-island, travelling long distances into other provinces.

This project will reduce transportation associated with drill mud disposal by 90%.”

TREATING CAUSTIC Another new technology developed by Envirosystems is the Ozone Ultrasonic Treatment (O.U.T.™) system. “Refineries generate caustic waste streams which contain very high amounts of hydrogen sulfides, organic disulfides, phenolics, mercaptans, and other hydrocarbons, which are very difficult to treat,” says Mr. Baker. “The O.U.T.™ system makes treatment of those streams safe, efficient, cost-effective, and mobile. We commissioned that for the very first time

here in Newfoundland, and under our trial project we treated in excess of 300,000 liters of spent caustic.”

The system operates at ambient temperatures and pressures, converting hazardous waste into benign water which is ready for discharge. “It basically uses an advanced oxidation process to achieve very high levels of efficiency,” says Mr. Baker. “One of the key benefits of this system is its mobility. Spent caustic waste can be treated onsite or offsite, wherever the customer prefers.” As with Envirosystems’ Waste Drilling Mud and Cuttings Treatment system, customers no longer have to ship caustic waste long distances to specialized facilities for disposal, saving on shipping costs and vastly reducing the risk of an environmentally-damaging incident.

CATALYST FOR CHANGE Envirosystems’ new Matta-Lift™ technology applies a new approach to the catalyst

change-out process at refineries. The traditional method is to use a crane to lift a container of catalyst to the top of a reactor to load it. “This method can encounter significant down time due to inclement weather,” explains Mr. Warren. “The Matta-Lift™, on the other hand, is an elevator system. It’s totally enclosed, with a conveyor, so weather doesn’t affect our ability to operate at all.

The elevator transports the catalyst containers to the top of the reactor and offloads the catalyst via the conveyor.”

“For many years, the slowest point or weakest link in the process of catalyst exchange has been lifting the catalyst to the top of the reactors a hundred feet or more,” says Mr. Baker. “This new technology is substantially more efficient.”

“We just started a side-by-side turnaround using the Matta-Lift™ alongside the traditional way,” says Mr. Warren. “The Matta-Lift™ outperformed the traditional method hands down. It’s the first technology like it in the world. You limit anything over your head swinging from a crane, and you haven’t got wind effects that could jeopardize the health and safety of individ-

uals standing on the reactor. It’s revolutionizing the whole process, both in terms of efficiency and safety.”

CONTROLLING SLUDGE The Envirosystems Extractor™ is another piece of equipment developed in-house.

A maintenance tool to help control sludge build-ups in petroleum storage tanks, the

Extractor™ offers the unique capability to desludge storage tanks while they are still in operation. “Typically, you have to shut down a tank, blind it out, and put men and equipment inside the tank to clean it,” says Mr. Warren. “That can take days. The Envirosystems Extractor™ reduces that time to hours.

We can attach the system to a flange on the tank, slurry the materials, and extract the

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ENVIROSYSTEMS

“OUR TECHNOLOGIES ARE BASED ON A WASTE-TO-RESOURCE MODEL, WHERE WE TREAT THE WASTE OF ONE INDUSTRY TO SOLVE THE RESOURCE NEEDS OF OTHER INDUSTRIES.”

sludge from the tank. It also improves safety, because we don’t have to do an entry.”

In their operations across Atlantic Canada, Envirosystems recovers more than 15 million liters of used oil every year for use as fuel in an energy recovery system, and they treat more than 50 million liters of wastewater annually. “Our technologies are based on a waste-to-resource model, where we treat the waste of one industry to solve the resource needs of other industries,” says Mr.

Baker. “This creates a loop of sustainability between industries, and lessens the impact on the environment. In the long term, we intend to get to a zero-waste business model, and Envirosystems will continue leading the way towards that goal.”

RECORD OF SAFETY In 2015, Envirosystems employees across North America worked 1.3 million hours with zero lost time injuries, while Canadian

employees recently achieved a total of over 2.4 million hours worked since the last lost time injury. In the Newfoundland and Labrador Division alone, Envirosystems personnel have worked 500,000 hours since the last lost time injury.

“It ultimately comes down to our employees and the safety culture we have established,” says Scott Sangster, Senior Vice President for Health, Safety, Environment, Quality, and People Services at

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Envirosystems Inc. “We took a slow and steady approach to the development and implementation of our Safety Management System, which we started back in 2010, and which really is still ongoing. It was extremely important to us that our management teams were involved in the development process through consultation, participation, and buy-in.”

Though Envirosystems’ safety statistics are enviable, they’re always striving to

improve. “Inevitably incidents do happen from time to time, and when they do, we do not shy away from them,” says Mr. Sangster. “We have a well-defined incident management process in which all incidents, including near misses, must be investigated to find the root cause and identify corrective actions to ensure that incident does not happen again. Anytime we have an incident that could be repeated at another Envirosystems location or operation, we utilize our safety alert process so that all our employees can learn from those events and management can make the necessary changes elsewhere.”

Of course Envirosystems’ technology provides safety benefits not only for employees but also for clients. “Ultimately, one of our roles is to make the work our customers do safer,” explains Mr. Warren. “Some of the work that was traditionally done manually is being automated. Wherever possible we are working towards automation.”

NEW OPPORTUNITIES Envirosystems recently received approval from Environmental Assessment to temporarily store and clean low level Naturally

Occurring Radioactive Material (NORM) waste and equipment and treat wash-water at their Akerley Facility in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. This facility will be the first in Eastern Canada permitted to receive and decontaminate NORM, which previously had to be shipped long distances to Western Canada. “NORM originating from offshore oil and gas operations is usually brought to the surface in produced water,” says Mr. Baker. “As the water approaches the surface, temperature changes cause NORM to precipitate as scale onto equipment.

We’re very excited about this new approval, and we look forward to bringing another solution to our customers.”

In response to the current market pressures on the oil and gas sector, Envirosystems is investing in technologies which will help reduce the cost of operations for their client base. “Our customers are very cost-conscious right now, and we’ve embraced that,” says Mr. Warren. “We’re finding better ways of delivering our services, and improving the cost structure. We want to assist our clients going forward, and make it easy for them to do business with us.” c

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AASHE

SUSTAINABLE EMORY UNIVERSITY.

CAMPUSES A foreword by Meghan Fay Zahniser, AASHE Executive Director

MEGHAN FAY ZAHNISER, AASHE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR.

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The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) is proud to support the “Sustainable Campuses” series that recognizes achievements of the higher education community and their efforts towards developing a thriving, equitable, and ecologically healthy world.

AASHE empowers higher education faculty, administrators, staff, and students to be effective change agents and drivers of sustainability innovation. We enable members to translate information into action by offering essential resources and professional development to a diverse, engaged community of sustainability leaders. Additionally, we work with and for higher education to ensure that our world’s future leaders are motivated and equipped to solve sustainability challenges.

We support the higher education community through the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS), the AASHE Conference & Expo, Campus Sustainability Month, and the Green Gigawatt Partnership, as well as other professional development opportunities.

STARS STARS was launched in 2010 as a transparent, self-reporting framework for colleges and universities to measure their sustainability performance. STARS was designed to provide a structure for understanding sustainability in all sectors of higher education, enable campus sustainability comparisons over time, incentivize institutions to boost future sustainability efforts and initiatives, as well

as provide an open platform for information sharing both nationally and internationally.

With more than 550 ratings since the program’s inception, the importance of the rating system as a valuable tool for both seasoned campus sustainability leaders and institutions just beginning their sustainability endeavors is clear.

AASHE 2016 CONFERENCE & EXPO Expected to draw over 2,300 participants, AASHE’s annual conference is the largest stage in North America for sharing effective models, policies, research, collaborations, and transformative actions which advance sustainability in higher education and beyond.

Higher education institutions have been modeling sustainability solutions on their campuses for many years. With a theme of “Beyond the Campus,” the AASHE 2016 Conference & Expo will focus on a crucial next step: The dissemination and implementation of these solutions in communities throughout the world. Meeting the sustainability challenge will require collaboration across sectors and with stakeholders outside of academia.

This year’s conference takes place Oct. 9-12 in Baltimore, Maryland, USA. Attendees can expect thought-provoking keynote speakers, hundreds of sessions to engage all higher education sustainability interests, and an Expo Hall with innovative products and services sure to inspire.

CAMPUS SUSTAINABILITY MONTH Held each October, Campus Sustainability Month is an international celebration of sustainability in higher education. During this month, colleges and universities have STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK AT CORTLAND.

organized events on campus and elsewhere to engage and inspire incoming students and other campus stakeholders to become sustainability change agents. These events include teach-ins, sustainability pledgedrives, zero energy concerts, waste audits, green sporting events, letter writing campaigns, service projects, and more. Campus Sustainability Month raises the visibility of sustainability and provides advocates with a platform to deepen campus engagement and address pressing environmental and social challenges.

GREEN GIGAWATT PARTNERSHIP The Green Gigawatt Partnership (GGP), launched by AASHE last October, works to catalyze at least one gigawatt of new green power in higher education by 2020 by recognizing colleges and universities sourcing large-scale renewable energy and by helping more campuses do the same by using long-term, large-scale, power purchase agreements. The GGP supports green

power in higher education by providing in-person training workshops, instructional webinars, educational materials, recognition in written, electronic, and in-person forums, networking opportunities with peers, project tracking, and no-cost assistance to assess large-scale renewables opportunities.

These are only a few ways we inspire and catalyze higher education to lead the global sustainability transformation. We are proud of our nearly 1,000 members and look forward to welcoming all institutions and businesses who are motivated to make meaningful and lasting change towards campus sustainability. Visit AASHE.org to learn more about how you can help advance sustainability in higher education. c

Meghan Fay Zahniser AASHE Executive Director THOMPSON RIVERS UNIVERSITY.

UNIVERSITY OF MANITOBA.

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UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA

UPLIFTING THE WHOLE

PEOPLE Sustainable Business Magazine speaks to Trina Innes, Chief Sustainability Officer at the University of Alberta, about visibility, academic integration, and working together.

EMERALD AWARD.

Alberta, Alberta, where you been so long? The answer, it turns out, is racking up sustainability awards.

Back in 2014, when Sustainable Business Magazine last spoke to the University of Alberta (UAlberta), they had a Silver rating in AASHE’s Sustainability Tracking, Assessment, and Rating System (STARS), and were pursuing STARS Gold. “We got it,” confirms Trina Innes, Chief Sustainability Officer at the University of Alberta.

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UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA (UALBERTA), WERE AWARDED A GOLD RATING IN AASHE’S SUSTAINABILITY TRACKING, ASSESSMENT, AND RATING SYSTEM (STARS).

But it doesn’t end there. “We were recognized by the Alberta Emerald Foundation, who gave us an award for our waste-in-residence programs,” explains Ms. Innes. “Then we’ve had seventeen new and existing buildings receive certification under Green Globes, LEED, and BOMA BEST. Plus, we were just named one of Canada’s Greenest Employers for 2016 – for the eighth year in a row.”

Not bad for a university with a population of 55,000 students, faculty, and staff.

For Ms. Innes, visibility is an essential part of sustainability in a campus environment.

“We’re not just looking to contribute to sustainability behind the scenes. We actively seek out opportunities which make our commitment really visible.”

STRAIGHTEN UP AND FLY BRIGHT Case in point: The new Jeanne and Peter Lougheed Performing Arts Centre, located on UAlberta’s Augustana Campus. The

building achieved four Green Globes, the highest available level of achievement.

It is the first theatre in North America to exclusively use LED lighting, including for the stage lights. The building’s most striking sustainability feature, however, shows a flair for the dramatic which Paul Gross (who graduated from UAlberta in ‘77) might envy.

“It has a seventy-foot tall fly tower,” says Ms. Innes. “That’s a tower which performing arts buildings use to hold things like SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA JEANNE AND PETER LOUGHEED PERFORMING ARTS CENTRE.

rigging, curtains, and pieces of sets for scene changes. The unique thing about this one is it is clad on all four sides by 122 kW of solar panels.”

In fact, the fly tower of the new Performing Arts Centre is the largest integrated solar PV system in Canada. “The panels weren’t originally part of the design, but our Envision Energy Management Program made it possible,” explains Ms. Innes.

ENVISION Envision is lead by Michael Versteege a professional engineer and manager with UAlberta’s Facilities and Operations portfolio. “By 2020, we’re looking to have 780

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND WELLNESS CENTRE.

kW of renewable and alternative energy capacity installed,” says Ms. Innes. There’s a 250 kW microturbine in the Li Ka Shing building. There’s also the new Physical Activity and Wellness Centre, which has a roof mounted solar system to provide heating for the pool, and also a photovoltaic screen which both generates power and acts as a solar shade. The Agriculture and Forestry building’s renewed atrium is expected to have 20 kW of renewable energy capacity online by the end of 2016. This renovation gave UAlberta the opportunity to use custom-fabricated photovoltaic cells incorporated into the windows to generate electricity while still letting the space be JEANNE AND PETER LOUGHEED PERFORMING ARTS CENTRE. PHOTO: CREDIT ADAM CAREY.

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND WELLNESS CENTRE.

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“WE’RE NOT JUST LOOKING TO CONTRIBUTE TO SUSTAINABILITY BEHIND THE SCENES. WE ACTIVELY SEEK OUT OPPORTUNITIES WHICH MAKE OUR COMMITMENT REALLY VISIBLE.”

daylit. This reduces the payback period on the renewable energy investment.

Then there’s the Universiade Pavilion.

The building, better known as the Butterdome due to its bright yellow exterior, is a 5,500 seat arena built for the 1983 Summer World University Games. It’s a gigantic golden landmark on campus which lies on one of the main thoroughfares, and it’s going to have solar technology incorporated into it. “The cladding on there is aging and needs to be replaced, so our Envision team is currently designing an integrated solar PV installation. It’s going to be pretty prominent,” says Ms. Innes, perhaps understating it a little.

creating safe and sustainable labs, with a focus on energy conservation, waste reduction, and water use,” says Ms. Innes. “We’ve got a whole suite of activities in place that are part of it.” These range from a Green Labs Leaders Network, to grant programs, to identifying model labs. “We are looking at solvent purification and recycling,” says

Ms. Innes. “Then there’s our Shut the Sash program, which focuses on buildings which have variable air volume fume hoods, which are very energy consuming if people don’t shut the sash. We’ve partnered with the Environmental Health and Safety people on that one. We’re very excited to be coupling safety and sustainable practices.”

GREEN LABS One of UAlberta’s newest sustainability programs is the Green Labs Initiative. “It’s about SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA CERTIFICATE IN SUSTAINABILTY STUDENT.

“WHEN EVERYONE WORKS TOGETHER, THAT’S A REAL EXAMPLE OF UPLIFTING THE WHOLE PEOPLE.”

In November, UAlberta will be hosting the Sustainable Labs Canada conference.

“It offers a way for labs everywhere in the community to share best practices with each other,” says Ms. Innes. “It’s also going to be a really great way to elevate excitement about this initiative on campus. Our university has hundreds of labs, so programs like this have the potential to touch thousands and thousands of people every year.”

TEACHING AND RESEARCH In September 2014, UAlberta launched their new Certificate in Sustainability. It’s a certificate which students can pursue concurrently with their degrees. “Many of

the faculties on campus offer courses that have been identified as having an academically rigorous sustainability component,” says Ms. Innes. “Then, on top of that, there must be some kind of hands-on, experiential learning taking place. That can be part of a community service learning course, an internship, a field course, or a student-led project done in collaboration with a faculty member. We have over 90 students registered for the certificate at the moment, and it continues to grow.”

In addition to the Certificate in Sustainability, UAlberta has developed the LEAP Program (Learning Experiences through Applied Projects). “It’s an umbrella brand

representing a collection of experiential learning opportunities,” says Ms. Innes. “It could be the natural environment; it could be building or grounds; it could be social sustainability questions that we want to have answered. We work with staff and faculty to identify projects which will provide a meaningful learning experience for students, and we seek to embed those projects in existing initiatives. We want to leverage and support what already exists.”

BRINGING PEOPLE TOGETHER The new Sustainability Scholars Program was created by UAlberta’s Director of Sustainability Scholarship and Education,

CERTIFICATE IN SUSTAINABILTY STUDENT.

CERTIFICATE IN SUSTAINABILTY STUDENTS.

40 | SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE

SUSTAINABILTY BUSINESS STUDENTS.

AGRICULTURE AND FORESTRY BUILDING.

Dr. Naomi Krogman, working alongside the Office of Sustainability, the Careers Centre, and the City of Edmonton for a program which balances academic rigor and real-world applicability. “The program provides graduate students an opportunity to work on challenges that the City of Edmonton is facing when it comes to advancing their environmental plan,” says Ms. Innes.

“Last year, they identified six projects and matched them with grad students to work on over the summer. It’s great because it offers professional development opportunities with organisations that grad students might be working with one day.” This year,

the city has doubled the program to fourteen places, plus another four on campus.

“We had over 130 applications for the 16 positions offered this year!” says Ms. Innes.

Partnerships are crucial to UAlberta’s promotion of sustainability. The university works with post-secondary institutions across the province to offer a Student Sustainability Summit, and with the City of Edmonton to expand engagement in the Sustainability Speaker Series.

“What makes me most proud is the relationships and collaborations that take place when people move out of their silos to work with others and make a difference,” says

Ms. Innes. “Our Buildings and Grounds Services unit, for example, has everyone from facility managers to building occupants to specialists in waste systems coming together to work on a zero-waste initiative. They’re all working on achieving an overarching outcome, and they all have a role to play in it. That’s where change really happens.

When everyone works together, that’s a real example of the university’s motto: Uplifting the whole people.” c To learn more about sustainability at the University of Alberta please visit www.facebook.com/greenuofa or follow @GreenUofA on Twitter.

SUSTAINABLILTY PLANNING AND CONSULTING.

SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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JADA GROUP

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CREATING GREAT BUILDING EXPERIENCES Sustainable Business Magazine speaks to Paul Lewis, General Manager of JADA Group, about how even the most luxurious buildings can have positive impacts on local communities and the environment.

EVERY STAGE OF JADA GROUP’S CONSTRUCTION PROCESS TAKES THE ENVIRONMENT INTO ACCOUNT.

SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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JADA GROUP

THE GROUP’S BUSINESS IS TARGETED AT THE HIGH-END RESIDENTIAL AND HOLIDAY HOME MARKET.

JADA started out over forty years ago as a small construction company serving the Barbadian market. Since 1997, when Managing Director Philip Tempro began collaborating with Chairman Bjorn Bjerkhamn,

JADA Builders Inc. has expanded extensively into a Group consisting of nine subsidiaries, all focused on delivering high-quality services and products within the development and construction sector. Today, JADA Group’s op-

erations have grown to include; construction, development, manufacturing, quarrying, ready mix concrete, plant and equipment rentals, and civil engineering. In addition to the main contracting division JADA Builders Inc., the Group recently also set up JADA Improvements as a small minor works and property maintenance division to service existing clients through the lifespan of their products. The Group boasts an extensive and proven track record for delivering projects of superior quality by capitalizing on their in-house expertise and resources in certified civil engineering services, infrastructure development, and equipment rentals through the INFRA division, aggregate supply and ready mix concrete through Bess Mining Inc., and woodwork solutions from within Millworks Inc. As a result of this expansion, JADA Group can offer clients a comprehensive package at a competitive price.

HIGH-END BUSINESS The Group’s business is targeted at the high-end residential and holiday home market which has become an important feature of Barbadian economic life. In 2009, the Group was responsible for every

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JADA

clients get the best electrical installations done by us.

Our work is found in many outstanding buildings in Barbados.

Williams Industrial Park, Cane Garden, St. Thomas Tel: 425-6000 e-mail: cowelec@caribsurf.com

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SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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JADA GROUP stage of developing the Saint Peter’s Bay luxury beachfront condominium complex that comprises 57 beachfront apartments surrounded by communal facilities including gyms, a beauty salon, and a 160-foot swimming pool. JADA Group have also participated in the first stage of expansions to the famous Sandals resort in St. Lawrence.

Because the JADA Group’s clientele put an emphasis on quality, the Group’s reputation predominantly travels by word of mouth and personal recommendations, placing additional pressure on the Group’s companies to deliver the highest-possible quality every time.

Paul Lewis, General Manager of JADA Group, talks a little more about this vital aspect of the business. “The average person looking to build a luxury home is not necessarily going to flip through the Yellow Pages looking for a builder. They will find out who has carried out the most recent buildings, see what the quality is for themselves, and get it professionally checked out. That leads to a direct referral to us, and that is how we get most of our business – based on the quality of job that we do.

That means a bad job equals a tarnished reputation, so we make sure we do not do any bad jobs. Quality is everything.”

NO NEGATIVE IMPACTS One of JADA Group’s most significant recent projects was Port Ferdinand Marina,

46 | SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE

a complex of 96 apartments including 120 berths for yachts. It was first opened in 2011 and quickly became popular among high net worth individuals and celebrities, including international sports stars. The most recent phase of development on this complex, located just two miles from sister development Saint Peter’s Bay, was recently completed by JADA Group to

continue improving the standards and offerings available.

When designing a project such as Port Ferdinand Marina, environmental considerations are a major factor. This and many other JADA Group projects feature their own wastewater treatment systems – important for inhabitants of a nation under the pressure of water scarcity. Furthermore, the architects the Group works with are often keen to contribute to the greening of Barbados as a country, so JADA Group’s buildings often embrace environmentally-friendly design.

Every stage of JADA Group’s construction process takes the environment into account. This is especially important given that many of the Group’s builds take place on the seafront, a zone that is particularly prone to environmental harm. “We work with various agencies to ensure that everything we do is properly environmentally vetted, to make sure there is no negative impact on the environment,” says Mr. Lewis.

One example of this approach is the responsible disposal of construction waste.

Once upon a time, it was easy enough for construction companies in Barbados to simply take their waste to landfill and forget about it. Today, though, JADA Group is pioneering a more environmentally-conscious method of managing waste, beginning with the incorporation of a screening and filtering stage into their waste disposal.

“It is a big educational process and we’re delighted to be part of that,” adds Mr. Lewis.

what we do here....

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In the Caribbean, we’re at the fore-front of Air-Conditioning Our expertise & brands make us leaders in the industry.

D&A Mechanical Services Inc. Goodings Alley, Speightstown, St. Peter, Barbados, WI Tel: (246)419-0750 | admin@dams.cool | www.dams.cool

SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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JADA GROUP

PALAZATTE JADA Group have a history of creating landmark buildings, such as the two tallest high rise towers in Barbados, the imposing Supreme Court building, and a BDS$46 mil-

lion relocation of the Barbados Coast Guard.

This trend is set to continue with the most recently completed JADA Group project.

Palazatte is the name of a four apartment complex that is being hailed as one of

the finest, most luxurious residences in Barbados. Palazatte consists of four condominiums measuring between 12,000 and 16,000 square feet, each one coming with its own cinema and gym. An innovative ‘stacked’ design is employed so that people cannot look into other homes, including underground parking with an elevator entrance, to provide maximum privacy and security.

“We have just finished the Palazatte project and are about to put it on the market,” explains Mr. Lewis. “It is by far one of the highest spec projects along the whole of the west coast of Barbados.”

COMMUNITY BENEFITS You don’t need to look far to see how JADA Group’s business has been a boon to Barbados. Many of the Group’s clients are high net worth individuals, injecting wealth into the local economy. Furthermore, the large scale projects and foreign investment that JADA Group bring into the country are an essential part of the Barbadian economic model.

48 | SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE

work with local children, and the island is fortunate to have them here. JADA Group are very pleased to be able to support and facilitate this client’s presence in Barbados.”

Until the end of 2017, JADA Group will be focusing on Phase Two of development at the Sandals resort, having recently won bidding to carry out a complete new build located adjacent to the existing resort property, overlooking the southern coast of Barbados. This marks yet another collaboration that speaks of the quality that JADA Group can offer.

There are also a number of other as-yet-unannounced projects currently in development which will once again benefit not only the Group itself but the local economy, culture, and infrastructure.

GROUP EFFORT On being asked to talk about what he is most proud of within JADA Group, Mr. Lewis explains that the companies are nothing without the very people that make them up: “I have been with the Group for 20 years and am very fortunate to be part of an amazing team of professionals. One of the greatest things is the team and the people I have the fortune to work with, from our Managing Director, to our project managers and office staff, through to the workers and artisans that work in the field. We are proud to have some of the best people on the island. It’s a great source of pride, just being part of a team that wants to make a difference and who are achieving things with a social conscience.” c

The success of their local developments has allowed JADA to experience rewarding and continuous growth. As a result, the JADA Group of companies now employs in excess of 1,500 professionals, directly or indirectly. The team of experts now includes professionals in all areas of building, development, mining, infrastructure, finance, and resort management and operation. It additionally includes dedicated artisans and construction workers who provide the backbone to the company’s continued success.

Once the families of employees are factored in, more than 6,000 local people benefit directly from the Group’s work. Many of JADA Group’s clients are also philanthropists, whose presence in the country is thanks to the comfort afforded to them by their high-quality condominiums. “These are people of means and influence, some of whom are in their own right philanthropists in terms of giving back,” Mr. Lewis states. “We have one particular client, for example, who we are very proud to be associated with. They have given greatly to the community in their SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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GLOBAL EVENTS

SEPT

2016

1st - 10th

IUCN World Conservation Congress Hawaii, USA http://www.iucnworldconservationcongress.org

13th - 16th

Social Capital Markets Conference – SOCAP16 San Francisco, CA, USA

SOCAP16 is the world’s leading conference on impact investing and social enterprise. The event unites innovators in business, tech, the sharing economy, health, philanthropy, and more to advance environmental and social causes.

Yale Sustainability Leadership Forum Yale University, USA

Explore 21st Century Sustainability in an intimate setting with a diverse set of thought leaders, industry practitioners, policy experts, and scholars.

http://www.socialcapitalmarkets.net

21st - 23rd

Held once every four years, the IUCN World Conservation Congress brings together several thousand leaders and decision-makers from government, civil society, indigenous peoples, business, and academia, with the goal of conserving the environment and harnessing the solutions nature offers to global challenges.

http://sustainability-forum.yale.edu/

27th - 30th

Retail Sustainability Conference 2016 Washington, DC, USA http://www.rila.org

5th - 7th

Greenbuild International Conference & Expo Los Angeles, CA, USA

Greenbuild, owned and operated by Informa Exhibitions U.S., Construction & Real Estate and presented by the U.S. Green Building Council, is the world’s largest conference and expo dedicated to green building.

AASHE 2016 Conference & Expo Baltimore, MD, USA

This year’s theme, “Beyond the Campus”, focuses on meeting sustainability challenges in collaboration with sectors outside academia.

The annual SXSW Eco 2016 Austin, TX, USA

SXSW Eco creates a space for business leaders, investors, innovators, and designers to drive economic, environmental, and social change.

The Behavior, Energy and Climate Change Conference (BECC) 2016 Baltimore, MD, USA

The Behavior, Energy and Climate Change Conference (BECC) is the premier international conference focused on understanding human behavior and decision making so that this knowledge can accelerate the transition to an energy-efficient and low-carbon future.

International Conference on Sustainable Environment and Agriculture (ICSEA 2016) San Francisco, CA, USA

ICSEA 2016 is sponsored by the Asia-Pacific Chemical, Biological & Environmental Engineering Society (APCBEES). It is one of the leading international conferences for presenting novel and fundamental advances in the fields of Sustainable Environment and Agriculture.

http://www.greenbuildexpo.org

9th - 12th

http://www.aashe.org/conference

10th - 12th

http://www.sxsweco.com

19th - 22nd

http://beccconference.org

26th - 28th

http://www.icsea.org

50 | SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE

Each year, the top retail sustainability and compliance professionals gather at RILA’s Retail Sustainability & Environmental Compliance Conference for t​ he outstanding educational program and exceptional networking opportunities.

OCT

2016

TORONTO, ON (SEPT 19-20)

CERTIFIED SUSTAINABILITY PRACTITIONER PROGRAM, ADVANCED EDITION 2016 Don’t miss out on the opportunity to become the next certified CSR Practitioner!

This challenging 2-day training offered by Centre for Sustainability and Excellence (CSE) aims to give you all the latest tools and resources required to implement or upscale existing sustainability initiatives taking place in your organization.

Training will provide explanations of: • Sustainability Reporting: Key concepts used in the GRI G4 guidelines • Ways to benefit from all the new trends and legislation on sustainability • Tips for creating beneficial stakeholder and community engagement • Several misconceptions and risks about Corporate Social Responsibility • Ways to use the CDP system to mitigate environmental risk in supply chains For more information visit http://www.cse-net.org/article/127/upcoming-trainings or contact us at sustainability@cse-net.org SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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ADVERTISERS INDEX A Alpha Chemical Ltd P32 Anaergia Inc. P23 Aqua-Tec Inc. P45 Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) Inside Back Avalon Recycling Services Ltd. P32

G Groupe Simoneau Inc.

B Borden Ladner Gervais LLP

P09

K KDL Security Services Ltd.

P45

P09

M Marshall Trading Ltd.

P47

N Next Generation Electrical Inc.

P47

O Ontario Clean Water Agency

P23

C C&C Construction Trades Centre for Sustainability and Excellence (CSE) D D&A Mechanical Services Inc. E exp.

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P51

P47

P23

H Harris Paints J Johnson Controls Inc.

P09

P47

P17

R RTEK Refridgeration & Air Conditioning Services Ltd.

P45

S Structural Systems Ltd.

P45

T Toromont Cat Toshiba International Corporation

P09 P16

U Urecon Ltd.

P07

W Water Expo 2016 Back Cover Williams Electrical Ltd. P45 W.S. Nicholls Construction Inc. P23 Y Yale Sustainability Leadership Forum

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