Energy Efficiency and Demand-side Management Projects
From Common Energy UVic
The following is the Seven Question Tool that we have developed. Actively answering these questions will lead to the creation of a network of people engaged in solving the problem the project is trying to address, and a plan for them to do it. The process is iterative, as the planner goes out to answer the questions those answers will invariably change, becoming more precise and likely to create the desired change.
Using the tool, a group of planners can take on a project. This is a useful tool for just about any kind of project, whether an action project or a Planning Project.
In the context of creating the beyond climate-neutral plan the end result will be a document that will include answers to all of the questions. These Planning Projects will focus on the last three elements about decision making, engagement, and the plan.
Those plan elements will then guide the participants in the Going Beyond Climate-Neutral Conference to develop them and create the final plan.
[edit] What are the needs that the projects will address?
The need to reduce demand of energy. The need to effectively increase efficiency.
(e.g. We need to reduce CO2 equivalent emissions caused by food transportation, We need to produce more food on Vancouver Island...)
[edit] What problem can we solve to address these needs?
Awareness, inertia of current behaviour. Money Bureaucracy How can the university help energy efficiency?
(e.g. How can the University develop the supply of local and organic food in the region?)
[edit] What do we need to know to solve the problems?
[edit] The political imperative
Federal, provincial, and municipal governments all have implemented some form of energy efficiency program, aimed particularly at reducing energy consumption of residential, commercical, and institutional buildings. Some of these programs will provide funding to institutions such as UVic to implement energy-reduction measures. Below are a few such programs:
Federal
- ecoEnergy retrofit - Grants and incentives provided to residential, commercial, or institutional buildings to implement energy saving projects. Funding specfics are $10 for each gigajoule saved, up to 25% of eligible program costs, to a maximum of $50,000 per project. The second call for proposals begins October 15, 2007 and expires December 14, 2007.
- ecoEnergy for Renewable Heat - this program will rebate 25 percent of the purchase and installation of renewable thermal energy systems including solar air or water heating systems. Program runs from April 2007 until March 31, 2011.
- ecoEnergy for Renewable Power - $1.48 billion invested to help businesses, municipalities, institutions and organizations in the purchase of wind, biomass, low-impact hydro, geothermal, solar photovoltaic and ocean energy. An incentive of one cent per kilowatt hour produced will be provided for up to 10 years. Program runs from April 2007 until March 31, 2011.
Provincial
- BC Government Energy Efficient Building Program - incentives provided for high efficiency heating equipment and energy saving equipment such as Energy Star furnaces/boilers/heat pumps, double-glazed windows, insulation, draft-proofing materials, and renewable energy technologies
- BC Government Smart-metering - support of pilot projects to install real-time metering of electricity usage, detailing how much it is costing at any given time to run equipment
- Green Buildings BC - Tools and Resources provided to publicly funded buildings for retrofit or new construction projects. Details on funding opportunities not presently investigated.
- BC Hydro Power Smart - incentives provided for purchasing of energy efficient products. Details on funding not available, nor is it clear whether institutions can benefit from the program
- Terasen Gas - rebates for Energy Star natural gas furnaces and boilers
[edit] Current efficiency levels of buildings on campus and power consuming entities
[edit] Best practices at Uni's and in other jurisdictions
[edit] Possible energy saving measures
To save energy, we could do the following: 1. Use compact fluorescent lighting 2. Use wind energy or build our own wind turbine (some universities only use half of the output energy of one of these) 3. Use liquid nitrogen refrigerator systems 4. Have new buildings made at least partly out of recycled materials 5. Recycle old materials where ever possible 6. Use solar energy/put in solar panels 7. Have extensive green roof systems (gardens on roof tops which improve air quality, conserve energy, and reduce water run-off)
(e.g. Existing food suppliers, average food miles traveled to a plate, barriers to the development of more local food production...)
- Link to relevant Knowledge Base sections.
[edit] Who should we ask to get that information?
Mike & Jeff (for energy on campus, when they can share this info) BC Hydro - Powersmart Scott Sinclar - BCSEA Amory Lovins
(e.g. Farmer X, Y, and Z, the people that purchase UVic's food, sustainable agriculture experts...)
[edit] How are the decisions that affect these problems made?
Board of Governors Fac Man? Computer Admin/Individual departments?
(e.g. Who controls UVic's food purchasing? How do we give them a mandate to change their purchasing? Who controls land-use decisions in the region?...)
[edit] Who do we need to engage to make these changes?
(e.g. Diverse groups and individuals on campus to build support, the relevant decision makers, the relevant experts, the farmers...)
[edit] What is it going to take, and how are we going to do it?
(e.g. The following Actions and Proposals will contribute to the beyond climate-neutral plan...)
[edit] Project Ideas
[edit] Peak Demand Management at no cost
Peak load for heating and electricity occurs in the evening, as families return home from work and school and begin to use their heating systems and appliances. This is about the same time when night classes start here at UVic. As it stands right now, night classes are scheduled across campus, often occupying single rooms in entire buildings. Many of the heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems in these buildings are designed to operate for an entire wing. Therefore, when a class occupies a room, the entire HVAC system for the whole wing must be run during this time. The energy waste in this scenario is substantial. By condensing night classes into energy efficient buildings and leaving less efficient buildings relatively unoccupied, significant energy savings for the university could result.
To reduce this energy loss, the following proposal is made in appropriate steps:
- A Common Energy member first obtains night class schedules for Fall 2007 from the appropriate university office
- A map of the campus is used to visualise the distribution of night classes into various buildings
- Details of lecture space in every campus building is tabulated
- Details of energy performance of every campus building with available lecture space is tabulated
- Night classes are reorganized to fill energy-efficient buildings first
- Energy savings are estimated based on relative building performances and occupancy
If the pilot project proved successful, a computer program could then be designed that mimics the pilot project. It would take as input the scheduled night classes - including hours of operation and numbers of students - and organize them into rooms such to minimize the overall HVAC requirements across campus. This program could then be incorporated into the existing campus automation software (CAS), which currently controls HVAC in campus buildings.
Before beginning such a project, the following points first need consideration:
- Are there legal restrictions on shutting down HVAC in certain parts of buildings?
- Many buildings housing lecture rooms also house office space for faculty, students, and staff. HVAC is run continuously in these sections to accommodate the often unusual office hours, particularly of students, here at UVic. Can HVAC be shut down, or reduced, in these cases? If not, what building wings on campus house exclusively lecture rooms, and thus can be shut down at night?
- Is it more efficient to reduce HVAC at night, rather that shut it down? When shut down, temperature will drop more significantly, ultimately requiring more energy to re-heat the room. A simple thermodynamic analysis can determine which option is more efficient, given the time period of HVAC inactivity and details of the building's thermal performance.
