First published February 25, 2019. Updated for 2020 conferences on January 14, 2020.

There is always something that can be improved or changed in a facility to reduce energy consumption or improve efficiency – from infrastructure to behaviours. This state of ongoing improvement is evident in the number of events with themes or topics on energy efficiency and facilities management.  

There are the events that are on our radar for 2020.   

These events, conferences and workshops are located in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and beyond. The topics range from school administration to energy efficiency, but they all have something related to the ongoing maintenance, management and optimization of school facilities. Most of the events are in the spring – May features events on every weekend (with a few overlapping on the same weekend).  

We’ll let you know what conferences the Rede team is planning to attend! The best place for updates is our email newsletter.

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Rede Energy Solutions helped SD27 to identify opportunities for the district to save energy and money, and the Naghtaneqed Elem-Jr Secondary School was an excellent candidate for a new solar energy system.

“The district was paying about $78,000 a year for diesel fuel to power the school, which has 20 students of Chilcotin First Nations ancestry from kindergarten to Grade 10, but a capacity for up to 75,” says an article from CBC on Dec. 1, 2019.

“The fuel was also used to power a portable that houses a wood shop, three mobile homes for teachers and another building used as a health unit.”

The new solar energy system was installed at a cost of $450k, and it is expected to save the district around $50k per year by reducing diesel consumption.

Read the full article from CBC – Remote B.C. school gets most of its power from $450K solar energy system.

This isn’t the first energy management project at SD27 that has been recognized for it’s innovation and savings. In April 2019, the SD27 was recognized in a BC Climate Action Success Story for cutting greenhouse gas emissions by installing a new biomass boiler.

SD27 has been dedicated to energy management for over a decade. Over that period, the payback for all investments into efficiency is only 1.4 years.

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The first step to reduce energy consumption and shrink utility bills is to compare the energy performance of your school facilities. When all your utility data is in one place, you can make the best decisions to get the most out of your facilities budget.

Many of our most remarkable projects were the direct result of seeing the historical trends of facility energy consumption data. A middle school in northwestern Alberta is saving $40,000 per year after we compared the school’s energy performance to other facilities in the district and discovered an issue with its building automation system.

Data from utility providers is the most critical piece of information on the performance of school facilities. But too often, this information isn’t shared with facilities teams and building operators – it gets paid by the finance department and then archived.

When the information is all in one place, you can see which school facilities are performing the best and the worst. You have the data to know where to put your budget and efforts to make the biggest difference in energy efficiency.

Rede Energy can work with any utility vendor in western Canada to compile the detailed energy consumption of school facilities for the entire district. You can see how your schools compare and track their progress.

Rede’s 3-Year Utility Snapshot displays the utility data from all your facilities in one place.

All your utility data in one place

We started creating historical utility snapshots to view the data from multiple utility vendors in one place. This information forms the foundation for our energy audits and energy management decisions.

When Rede compiled the data for a school district in northern Alberta, we discovered they had eight vendors for their propane, gas and electricity. We were able to create a single report that aggregated all this data, providing district leadership with a comprehensive picture of the energy performance of every school.

Rede removes the obstacles to your utility data

Utility consumption data exists – every provider has endless records of how much and when. However, it is rarely compiled into a single place or displayed in a way that makes sense.

These are some of the obstacles to collecting utility data of all your school facilities:

• Inconsistent and complicated bills
• Utility services provided by multiple vendors
• Some vendors have advanced online portals while others use paper bills
• Data formats and date ranges vary between utility providers and utility types
• Vendors have different processes to release data
• Data from different facilities is not compiled in the same place

We remove these barriers to create a single source of information for all your facilities.

Compare the performance of your facilities

Rede’s historical utility snapshots give you clarity on the performance of your facilities. It is the foundation to a systematic approach to lowering energy costs by providing the data to determine your next steps.

Our snapshots automatically compile your utility information – from all your facilities and all your vendors. We then normalize the information and compare against benchmarks so you can view a realistic ranking of all your buildings in one place.

With clear graphs and detailed reporting, everyone on your leadership team will be able to compare the energy performance of your school facilities.

Rede’s utility snapshots will give you the insight to the next step to save energy and money.

Contact us to get a 3-Year Utility Snapshot for your school district.

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Rede recently reviewed SD27’s investments into efficiency projects and the annual savings over the past decade – for every project. The payback period for all energy management and efficiency projects since 2010 is 1.4 years.

The energy efficiency investment and annual savings since 2010, with forecasted values for 2020.

SD27 also cut the amount of carbon offsets purchased by 43% in the past 10 years.

These savings in energy costs, consumption and carbon offsets come from retrofitting and optimizing existing facilities. Here are some projects that were completed:

• Modernizing boilers in the district’s largest schools.
• Switching fuels in some facilities from propane or natural gas to biomass pellets or geoexchange.
• Upgrading lighting (first from T12 to T8s and later to LEDs) and installing variable drives.
• Updating or reprogramming building automation systems.

SD27 is among the top 3 of all districts for carbon offset reductions and has been recognized by the Climate Action Secretariat for their success.

Read more about our 10-year review of SD27’s efficiency investments and annual savings. 

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But a common limiting factor is funding. Here are green grants and awards available to Canadian K-12 schools to spark sustainability in the local community.

The funding opportunities listed are available from private and public sources. Most of the grants and awards are renewed annually, so consider opportunities even if the deadline has passed to get a head start for next year.

This list of green grants, funds and awards for Canadian K-12 schools is updated every year. To add a funding opportunity to the list, send a message to Rede.

Provincial Efficiency Programs

Canada-wide grants and funding

British Columbia grants and funding

Alberta grants and funding

Saskatchewan grants and funding

Manitoba grants and funding

Other funding opportunities

These community grants and funds are not restricted to K-12 schools or sustainability programs, but they provide significant investments into local initiatives.

Aviva Community Fund (Canada)

Canada Post Community Foundation (Canada)

Co-Op Community Spaces (Canada)

ConocoPhillips Canada Community Investment (Canada)

EcoAction Community Funding (Canada)

Farm Credit Canada AgriSpirit Fund (Rural Canada)

Gosling Foundation Grants (Canada)

Honda Canada Foundation (Canada)

Jack Layton Award for Youth Action in Sustainability (Youth in Canada)

RBC Community & Sustainability Grants (Canada)

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Rede and School District #27 (Cariboo-Chilcotin) upgraded the Cataline Elementary School to a biomass boiler – a change that has achieved a 95% carbon neutrality. The boiler was installed in the summer of 2016 and has reduced the annual greenhouse gas emissions by 284 tonnes.

This project is now a case study for the BC Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy and CleanBC. By reducing utility costs, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving classroom air quality and comfort, the boiler upgrade is an example of a creative solution to meet carbon reduction targets.

Rede has collaborated with School District #27 to create an ongoing strategic energy management plan to achieve district-wide reduction in energy consumption and utility costs. The Cataline Elementary School boiler was one project out of many throughout the district, but it was unique for a few reasons:

1. Biomass boilers are rare in schools
2. The project required collaboration with Thompson River University (Williams Lake Campus), a neighbouring facility that is also heated by the biomass boiler

The Climate Action Success Story notes that the project has achieved these benefits:

• Annual GHG emissions have been reduced by 284 tonnes
• Total utilities costs are down 48%
• TRU heating costs are down 15% with no capital outlay or maintenance costs
• The new pellet boiler is 95% carbon neutral
• Air quality has been improved

See the complete case study from the BC Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy and CleanBC.

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Case study on the Northland School Division

Energy efficiency has the potential to save an Alberta school division $700,000 on their $1.2 million annual utility bill – savings that can be reinvested into additional infrastructure upgrades.

An energy efficiency audit was completed at the Northland School Division after the division found they were spending too much money on utilities and their maintenance team was too busy driving from school to school. Now energy efficiency is a priority for the school district, which has K-12 schools throughout northern Alberta.

Project highlights

• A simple proposal to upgrade lighting fixtures has resulted in major electricity reductions.
• Facility-wide lighting upgrades completed at two schools, resulting in a 10 per cent decrease in electricity use at Athabasca Delta Community School and a 23 per cent decrease at Anzac Community School. Smaller upgrades completed at three additional locations.
• Lighting upgrades provide a safer, more comfortable lighting environment.
• LED fixtures replaced a combination of fluorescent and metal halide lamps. Lifespans for these new LED fixtures are about 4 times higher than previous lamps, reducing maintenance requirements.
• Upgrades are in progress at four more schools.

Savings are possible, but where to start?

Northland School Division covers an area twice as large as New Brunswick and Nova Scotia combined, serving the needs of about 2,000 students at 20 schools. With aging infrastructure, maintaining facilities in a massive geographic area and costly utility bills, it was clear that energy savings were possible for the Alberta school division. But what to tackle first?

Northland enlisted the support of Rede to create a plan. Rede works with rural school districts to improve energy efficiency and make the best use of tight budgets for school facility maintenance.

“Reducing maintenance costs in rural schools helps to ensure they’re sustainable and remain the vital community hubs they are,” says Marco Bieri, Energy Efficiency Engineer at Rede.

Northland’s energy efficiency blueprint

Rede brought their expertise to the project, but they looked to the school community for insights. By engaging administrators, facilities staff, teachers and students, an Energy Management Charter was created.

Energy Management Charter

The Energy Management Charter serves as a blueprint for ongoing efficiency projects. It embraces three core principles:

1. Simplicity balanced with efficiency
2. Standardization
3. Remote access

To guide all energy efficiency initiatives, the charts includes three key strategies:

1. Keep it local
2. Staff training
3. Reinvest savings

“The Energy Management Charter keeps our team focused,” says Wayne Turpin, Division Construction Manager with Northland.

“Its shared values ensure we keep reinvesting energy savings back into our priorities.”

Diving into school energy efficiency

Energy audits of Northland’s facilities were conducted and analyzed. Rede helped Northland to prioritize projects and create a detailed plan of action. The Business Energy Savings program through Energy Efficiency Alberta provided incentives to help Northland offset some of the immediate capital costs of the project.

Northland’s existing lighting stock is primarily fluorescent lamps in classrooms, hallways and administration, and then metal halides in gymnasiums and larger common areas. In addition to a higher power requirement, these fixtures have a shorter lifespan than LED lights, leading to additional maintenance trips. Upgraded fixtures are compatible with a wireless control system and have the ability for remote maintenance in the future.

For more information about LED lighting upgrades in K-12 schools, see Rede’s best practices for school LED lighting.

The results

Two schools were selected as pilot projects for the upgrades: Anzac Community School and Athabasca Delta Community School. Upgrades were carried out in the first few months of 2018, with some exterior replacements were postponed to the late spring. In total, over 1,000 fixtures were replaced in Athabasca Community School and almost 300 in Anzac Community School.

Improved student experience

The improvement was immediately noticeable. Patchy and low-quality lighting in each school’s gymnasium was transformed. Glares and hotspots in the classrooms were eliminated. Student experience was improved at both schools.

Smaller utility bills

The impact on Northland utility bills was clear. From May to December 2018, electricity consumption at Anzac Community School and Athabasca Delta Community School decreased by over 75,000 kWh – resulting in savings over almost $8,500.

Capital costs are projected to be recovered from these upgrades within four years for Anzac and within eight years for Athabasca.

Next steps for Northland

Energy efficiency upgrades are continuing at Northland School Division. Smaller lighting upgrades are now complete at Bishop Routhier School, St. Theresa School and Bill Woodward School. Additional lighting upgrades are underway at in Paddle Prairie, Grouard, Calling Lake, and Father Perin schools.

Wayne Turpin is excited for how energy efficiency is playing a role in Northland’s future.

“We’re looking at a savings opportunity of over half a million dollars a year. Whether you’re a school, a bank, or an oil firm – that’s a number you can’t ignore.”

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Sustainability is worth celebrating. The achievements of schools and districts that have placed time, money and staff resources on sustainability programs leaves a lasting mark on utility costs, students and the entire community. Recognizing the achievements of leaders in school sustainability provides examples of actions that are attainable, realistic and effective.

Here are the highlights and trends from sustainable K-12 schools and districts in Canada that have been recognized for their outstanding accomplishments in environmental leadership.

Strong connections to the community

Sustainable schools can be inspiring for the broader community and not just for the students. The Amber Trails Community School in Winnipeg was awarded the 2017 Greenest School in Canada prize for its unique approach in welcoming the community.

Under the same roof, the Amber Trails Community School has classrooms, a gym, a public library and a community centre. The facility was constructed in 2016 and is LEED Platinum certified. Communal spaces are available for traditional learning or for any member of the surrounding neighbourhood. Amber Trails Community School blends outdoor and indoor learning with a variety of indoor and outdoor classrooms and studying spaces.

Integration with traditional knowledge

Connecting with the broader community extends the source of teachings beyond textbooks. Argyle Alternative High School in Winnipeg integrates traditional aboriginal knowledge in their environmental stewardship program. In 2016, the Winnipeg high school was awarded the second place price for the Greenest School in Canada competition.

The high school went even farther by incorporating creativity and art into their environmental stewardship program. Student leaders shared their experiences and knowledge by creating short documentaries about the school’s initiatives.

Expand teaching into the outdoors

The foundation of sustainability is an appreciation for the natural world. Outdoor and environmental education programs connect students with nature to improve their understanding of ecology through hands-on experiences.

Dewdney Elementary School in British Columbia adopted a Community Outdoor Recreation and Environment program (CORE) to establish those connections through recreation, outdoor studies and environmental service projects. Dewdney Elementary School was the second-place school in the 2017 Greenest School in Canada competition.

Facilities are always improving

School energy management programs expand sustainability beyond lesson plans. Reducing energy consumption by optimizing a facility and improving energy efficiency results in tangible reductions in greenhouse gases. Leaders in K-12 school sustainability are not satisfied with one-time improvements but seek ongoing improvements to their facility’s energy efficiency.

The facilities department at School District 27 (Cariboo Chilcotin) in British Columbia considers energy consumption in every decision. Recently, the district upgraded aging exterior and gym lights to LED to reduce 280,000 kWh every year. School District 27 has proven they are committed to seeking continuous improvements – their achievements are listed on Rede’s Energy Plan portal.

Exterior lighting was replaced with LED fixtures in School District 27 in British Columbia. Read more about SD27’s LED upgrade project.

Students included in decisions

Sustainability programs are unique opportunities to connect staff, teachers and students over a common goal. The Career and Technology Centre at Lord Shaughnessy High School in Calgary involves their students in school board decisions and strategies related to campus sustainability, such as the solar installation strategy and air quality improvements. The Career and Technology Centre was awarded the first-place prize in the Greenest School in Canada competition in 2016.

Students can also be involved in hands-on activities. Dunbarton High School in Ontario, which was the Greenest School in Canada in 2014, invites students to participate in energy and water audits. This process provides the students with tangible numbers for campus waste and demonstrates the positive impact of recycling and waste reduction.

Apply for a green school award

Canadian schools can be acknowledged for their achievements in conservation, sustainability and promoting a green culture in the school community. An award open to Canadian K-12 schools is the Greenest School in Canada competition from the Canada Green Building Council.

The Greenest School in Canada competition has been acknowledging leaders in school sustainability since 2014. Winners receive a prize of $2,000 for a sustainability initiative in addition to be named the “greenest school” in the country.

Finalists showcase a comprehensive approach to sustainability where students, teachers, staff and administration all participate in awareness and actions to reduce the environmental footprint of the school and promote stewardship in the entire community.

Even if your school or district doesn’t meet all the criteria for the competition, schools can still receive a merit certificate for their sustainability initiatives. The Green Apple program recognizes any size and type of project – such as an environmental education event or low-waste day.

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The Strategic Energy Management Hub is BC Hydro’s latest approach to manage energy efficiency projects, from proposal to completion.

“We’ve made some improvements based on feedback we have received over the years,” said Tanya Perewernycky, Program Delivery Specialist for BC Hydro. BESI was launched in 2010 and the Strategic Energy Management Hub started this year to make the incentive process easier.

“Customers will be able to start an incentive application from here directly,” said Perewernycky in a BC Hydro webinar.

All BESI customers can log in to the Strategic Energy Management Hub with their existing IDs and passwords.

It is now easier to see which projects quality for incentives. Projects that are eligible will have a green “Start” button, and clicking the buttons will immediately begin an application.

For improved guidance during the application process, there are more messages and warning throughout the submission. For example, messages will arise to explain cost thresholds. Messages for the status of applications will pop up to explain why an application is being reviewed. The goal of these extra messaged is for “providing you with further clarity.”

To ensure the application is quickly reviewed, Perewernycky recommended to read and follow all warning messages and “remember to include costs that are specifically related to the retrofits being applied for in the application, not the overall project cost.”

New functionality allows customers to make changes to the application after it was submitted, as long as the application is re-submitted when changes are complete. For example, there may be configuration changes recommended from pre-site inspections.

Lastly, the Strategic Energy Management Hub allows for documents (including Word, Excel, PDFs and images) to be uploaded to accompany the application.

Perewernycky said all these changes are intended to “improve customer usability.” If you have questions or concerns about your BESI applications, contact Rede for more information.

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Environment Minister Shannon Phillips spoke at the Alberta Energy Efficiency Alliance conference in Edmonton on Jan. 17, 2017 about the mandate of this new agency and gave some insights into what it will offer.

“Efficiency programs will provide small and large businesses, not-for-profits and institutions with various strategies to lower their costs and their emissions,” said Phillips.

“Energy efficiency represents good value for Albertans’ money. It creates about 50 jobs for every $1 million invested. It creates new businesses and it builds a new industry.”

Alberta taking note of other provinces

Although the agency and its programs are still a work in progress, Phillips explained the programs will consider energy efficiency successes and failures from similar programs already implemented in other provinces. By learning from the experience of other jurisdictions, the Alberta government hopes to match and surpass other provinces in energy efficiency in a few years.

“Alberta should always be leading, never following,” said Phillips.

From British Columbia to Nova Scotia, provincial energy efficiency programs – which include rebates, incentives, education and public sector leadership – have existed for years in some jurisdictions. Energy Efficiency Alberta is a new agency but not a new concept.

Energy Efficiency Alberta is still being formed

Programs are set to begin in early 2017, although no exact dates have been announced. Three initial programs are being developed – two for residential properties and one program for institutions (including schools), businesses and not-for-profits.

Schools will be able to receive rebates

One of the first Energy Efficiency Alberta programs will offer financial incentives for institutions (including schools), not-for-profits and businesses for installing high-efficiency products. There will be a comprehensive list of eligible products, including lighting, water heating, occupancy controls and HVAC technologies. Each product will have a fixed per-unit rebate. The program is expected to begin in Spring 2017.

Focus on residential properties

The other two programs will be:

1. Residential no-cost energy savings – homeowners and rental properties can receive the complete installation of low-cost energy saving products, such as new lightbulbs and water faucets. All labour and product costs will be covered.
2. Rebates for residential energy efficient products – rebates in-store or mail-in for products including appliances, windows, lights and insulation.

More programs are expected at a later date

The initial programs were developed for rapid implementation. Future offerings will expand on the first three programs (such as adding eligible products to the rebate program) and will target specialized markets within the province.

Recommendations for schools

Submitted by an advisory panel, the report Getting It Right: A More Energy Efficient Alberta details the opportunities of provincial efficiency programs and outlines the proposed approach. Education was highlighted as a key for success for the new programs.

“Case studies affirmed consumer education is the biggest factor in achieving success with energy efficiency programs,” said the report.

“Extending this approach to the formal education system itself will arm future generations with a deeper understanding of energy efficiency and its benefits, and it will make them ambassadors for responsible energy use.”

It is recommended that Energy Efficiency Alberta collaborate with schools to review existing curriculum, encourage innovative learning and implement energy-saving initiatives in school facilities.

Innovative financing opportunities for the future

Alberta schools can finance energy efficiency projects at a low interest rate if the energy savings are guaranteed by a third party, most often energy service companies. The report recommended not only continuing the use of performance contracts, but also expanding the financing option to other public sector facilities for energy efficiency upgrades.

Rede offers independent measurement and verification services to give school districts flexibility in selecting government financing. We are both an alternative and complement to the traditional financing approaches by energy service companies. Our third-party tracking can help Alberta school districts secure grants without lengthy contracts or review proposed and existing performance contracts.

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