Rochelle Owen, Executive Director - Office of Sustainability March 15, 2017
Aiming for Net Zero
Definitions are Different & Important
• Net-Zero; Net-Zero Energy, Net-Zero Source Emissions, Net-Zero Site Emissions • Zero Energy • Carbon Neutral • Zero Carbon
Reduction- Carbon Conservation Neutral-Zero Regenerative Restorative Efficiency Impact
3 Definitions are Different & Important
• Net-Zero [Net Zero Energy; Zero-Energy]
– CMHC: reduce household energy needs to a minimum and includes on-site1 renewable energy systems, so that the house may produce as much energy as it consumes on a yearly basis (can be grid tied – think net metering) – “Depending on the NZE metric and guidelines used, buildings may be permitted to use energy generated off-site to offset energy used in a building.” National Institute of Bld Science
Zero Carbon Building Framework: CACBC (AC- CAGBC) • A greenhouse gas intensity metric for assessing a building’s emissions, calculated using regional emissions factors. • Energy intensity metrics to incentivize the design of highly efficient, reliable and resilient buildings. • A peak energy demand metric to encourage the use of “peak shaving” measures. • An embodied carbon metric to recognize the importance of building material lifecycle impacts. • A requirement that renewable energy be generated on-site or procured directly in order to ensure the addition of clean power generation.
Ockham's razor
• one should proceed to simpler theories until simplicity can be traded for greater explanatory power [simplicity]
Design is Key – Biomimicry
Manitoba Hydro Place, Passive Termite Mound (psu, edu) ventilation, solar chimney Saskatchewan
Passive House – US standards
PassivHaus - European
Closest to Sun
• Less steps the better
• Use Nature • Building a better envelope that captures and uses passive energy, that doesn’t leak, and is resilient • Transform alive energy and use it efficiently • Use less “dead energy” and transition
Trends in Universities and Colleges
• Efficiency Projects – there are many
• Renewable energy on-site and off-site (often through power purchase agreements) • District Energy – adding renewables to the loop, adding large Thermal Energy storage, changing from steam to hot water, fuel switching • Waste Heat Recovery - Co-generation, ….
Trends in Universities and Colleges
• Micro grids and battery storage (infancy)
• Electric vehicles
• More robust transportation demand management solutions • Carbon offsets: selling them and then using funding for financing other energy projects, purchasing them for carbon neutrality, creating their own offset projects
At Dal were are involved in all these Trends measures
LEED Platinum – Carbon Positive
Bld, UBC – CIRS
http://cirs.ubc.ca/building/building- 14
overview/building-description Mohawk College: Hamilton’s first Net Zero Building (From CaGBC website)
• High-performance building envelope to maximize heating, cooling and natural light • Green roof with extensive planted areas • Solar panel array (4,345m2, 500 kW) • Solar thermal array (50 kW) • Geothermal wells (24 x 180m deep) • Variable refrigerant flow heat pumps system • Storm water harvesting (342,000 L) • Sensor-controlled LED lighting
• High-efficiency plumbing fixtures
• Energy target of <75 ekWh/m2/annum
Thoughts of a Practioner
• There is no free lunch – I am just trying to find
the most nutritious meal, that didn’t harm people and the planet, with the resources I have (can I pay you over 30 yrs?), that is available on the menu, that will fit my plate, that will provide me enough calories for the work I need to do, where someone didn’t take half my apple
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Drivers/Barriers for Project Development
• Access to low cost capital (enough of it) • Thinking out 30-40 yrs • Facilities Renewal • Sustainability Goals – Environment, Life Cycle Economics, Health • Resilience and Security and Risk • Community service – economic development • Regulation and policy that drives value up or down • Organizational Procedures/Culture/Resources • Space • Scale • Complexity
Dalhousie University Campuses
Founded in 1818
100+ buildings/houses on 79-acres in downtown Halifax. 50+ buildings AC campus
Includes 5.8 million gross square feet of building space.
A campus population of approximately 26,500 (19,000 students, 7500 faculty and staff).
Four Campuses: Studley, Carleton, Sexton – Downtown Halifax, AC – Truro Bible Hill
Two Heating Plants & District Heating Systems – over 95% of all campus properties connected
Dalhousie University - Studley, Carleton & Sexton Campuses
Dalhousie University - Agricultural Campus
Planning Context for Energy and Renewables
• A Campus Energy Master Plan (CEMP) was produced in February 2012 for Dalhousie`s
Halifax campuses to guide future utility (energy and water) development. • MCW completed a 450 page Campus Energy Master Plan in February 2012. In addition to the plan, ASHRAE Level 11 Energy Audits of all buildings were provided.
AC Campus
In the fall of 2012, Dalhousie and the Agriculture College merged. A basic audit of electrical opportunities had been done for the College in 2010. To supplement this work, a report was completed in 2014 on renewable energy opportunities including pursuing biomass co-generation.
Key Goals
• reduce life-cycle costs
• increase energy-water efficiency • conserve energy and water • reduce air quality contaminants and greenhouses gases • improve energy security
Climate Change
• MITIGATION • ADAPTATION
– Reduce GHG emissions • Planning for inevitable and carbon footprint climate changes • Energy and water efficiency – How will XXX • Conserve energy university/college be • Fuel switching and affected? renewable energy • Bike/walk/bus to campus • Carbon sinks
From campus master utility plan
Policy and Planning
• Climate Change Plan – 2010, working on version 2.
• GHG Inventory – every year, have an independent review every three years • Signatory of the Climate Change Statement of Canada -http://www.climatechangeaction.ca/ • Report on GHGs in STARS, in Board Reports, Three year progress report • Published paper in Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education • * American Universities and Colleges: http://secondnature.org/climate-guidance/the-commitments/
CEMP Project Types identified in Progress Since 2012 (Halifax and AC) Action the CEMP for Halifax Areas Central Co-generation for the Installation of the hot water line Energy Central Heating Plant from Carleton to Sexton Campus
Distributio Conversion of steam to and conversion of multiple bldg n (Ch. 6) hot water distribution heating systems on Sexton from (Sexton campus) steam to hot water has been Renewal of chilled water completed system Schematic planning has started for Ongoing repair of the the Heating/Cooling Plant and tunnel system distribution systems with consultant (FVB) – reviewing co- gen and exploring biogas Biomass-cogeneration systems and hot water line approved for the AC campus (under
development)
Project Types identified in Progress Since 2012 (Halifax and AC) – the CEMP for Halifax Over 30 projects Energy and Heat recovery processes Campus lighting project- Completed in water Lighting retrofits Halifax (expect for a few blds) and efficiency Ventilation fume hoods and almost complete at the AC retrofit variable air volume (VAV) Dentistry project starting which projects conversions includes heat pump upgrades (Ch. 9) Dalplex roof replacement All houses on Halifax and Truro Dentistry heat pumps campus upgraded with insulation, air replacement sealing, low-flow toilets and some Process and water fixture heat pumps upgrades Halifax campus water fixture upgrades Air Gap sealing underway Process water study completed Thermal envelope standard study completed, implementing testing Large energy and water retrofit of the Tupper bld underway, VAV and fume and kitchen hood projects are being implemented in campus buildings like the SUB CEMP Project Types identified in Progress Since 2012 (Halifax and AC) Action the CEMP for Halifax Areas Utility Metering plan Metering audit completed for the Monitorin Building level meters and AC campus and plans to complete g Systems sub-systems metering a metering plan have been (Ch. 5) Integration of measured identified for this year data for analytical and More building meters installed for public education AC campus. Plans to complete metering network on all campuses in the next two years Plans to integrate meters for analytical purposes this year into EMIS
CEMP Project Types identified in Progress Since 2012 (Halifax and AC) Action the CEMP for Halifax Areas Sustainable Green Building (LEED Gold+ LEED gold or higher is the target for new Facilities and Living Building Challenge) construction. Planning (Ch. Recommissioning Recommissioning of the McCain building is 8) Space utilization – booking in progress
connected to building controls Recommissioning and optimization of Operator training and building control systems engagement in energy issues Energy efficiency appliances and University programs dedicated equipment to employee engagement in Room Booking systems management is water and energy issues, being worked on Waste Management – 75% An Energy Committee has been formed goal, high efficiency with FM and OS staff which includes equipment and appliances, training identification transportation demand There are university initiatives on-going in management, ex. cycling the areas of waste, existing building supports standards, employee engagement, and transportation demand management.
CEMP Action Project Types Progress Since 2012 (Halifax and AC) Areas identified in the CEMP for Halifax Renewable Solar Air Solar thermal system on the LMP and LSC (being
Energy and redesigned for better usage) Systems (Ch. Thermal 14 kw solar at the SUB 7) Geotherma Solar air heating Mona
l (New 20 kw solar pv-duct system on Computer Science constructio 3 kw solar pv system at Sexton campus n) 1 kw solar pv system installed at Truro AC biomass co-gen started Planning Solar (150 kw and battery 300 kWh) – Idea Bld; along with geothermal (planning) Solar – Weldon Law bld (4 kw) Exploring PPA for other opportunities (ex. wind,
solar) AD for AC campus