Second Edition
1
Wise Use News
February 2016
Enclosed is the second edition of Wise Use News, published by the
Energy Sub-committee of Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board.
This edition has a focus on school energy management - containing
information on school energy reports, real-time energy monitoring in
secondary schools, and tips and best practices for energy
conservation in our schools. At the end of the newsletter, an update
on utility costs is provided for your information.
Also, this edition includes an article contributed by Anthony M.S.
Marcellino, Vice-Principal, St. Marguerite d'Youville S.S., who is cochair of the ISSSPC (The Inter-School Stewardship & Sustainable
Practices Council of Dufferin-Peel), introducing ISSSPC and providing
“grassroots” perspectives to integrate energy savings with the
successful Eco-School programs at Dufferin-Peel.
We encourage you to contribute articles, comments, ideas and your
stories on energy conservation to the next edition of the energy
newsletter.
Prepared by:
Submitted by:
Submitted by:
Edward Cai
Joe Brundia
Richard Moriah
Energy Management Engineer
Business: (905) 890-0708, ext. 23301
Email: Edward.cai@dpcdsb.org
Acting Manager of Construction
Business: (905) 890-0708, ext. 23207
Email: joe.brundia@dpcdsb.org
General Manager of Physical Plant
Facilities
Business: (905) 890-0708, ext. 23229
Email: richard.moriah@dpcdsb.org
Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found trustworthy.
- 1 Corinthians 4:2
Edition #2 – February 2016
Wise Use News
2
- Energy Conservation Newsletter
1. School Energy Reports:
In order to support Eco-School programs and in response to the requests for energy
consumption data from many of our schools, a School Energy Report (PDF) has
been provided to each individual school. The school energy report contains 2 years
of energy consumption data for every school in Fiscal Years 2013 and 2014. The
2015 data will be provided once it becomes available.
Many thanks to principals, staff and members of Eco-Teams who sent us inquiries,
comments and warm encouragement. We hope that the distribution of school
energy data would assist the Eco-School programs and raise the awareness of
energy conservation among school staff and students. We are looking forward to
working closely with you on school energy management in 2016!
Fiscal Year
Lowest Energy
Intensity
(ekWh/sq.ft. per
year)
Highest Energy
Intensity
(ekWh/sq.ft. per
year)
Median
Target Standard
(ekWh/sq.ft. per (ekWh/sq.ft. per
year)
year)
Overview - Secondary School Energy Reports
2013
11.80
28.27
16.60
15
2014
13.10
28.40
17.83
15
Overview - Elementary School Energy Reports
2013
10.96
42.57
18.64
12
2014
11.98
51.06
19.75
12
Notes:
1. The energy consumption data are metered raw data without weather
normalization.
2. A median is the number separating the higher half of a data sample from the lower
half. In this case, it means that half of our schools have their energy intensity higher
than the median value, and another half lower.
3. ekWh= Equivalent Kilowatt Hours
3. Real-time Energy Monitoring in Secondary Schools:
3
 Secondary schools in our Board have an energy monitoring system called
“CARMA plus+”.
 The “Carma” system can provide real-time consumption data of your
schools, including electricity, natural gas and water. It is a handy tool to
obtain energy and water data on top of the annual energy reports (see an
example below from St. Michael S.S.).
 The building operators of your schools have the access to this energy
monitoring system.
3. School Energy Management – Tips and Best Practices
Following the distribution of school energy data early this year, requests were
received from many of our schools for a guideline on school energy
management. This document was prepared for this purpose and contains tips and
best practices to promote energy conservation in our school facilities.
Overall, energy conservation is a long journey that needs a team approach with
focus on people, since it is people who save energy, not equipment on its own.
4
Generally speaking, there are three pillars to support good energy management:
1) Reduce Load (via design and construction)
2) Eliminate Waste (via operational improvement and educational
activities)
3) Increase Efficiency (via retrofitting and maintenance)
For existing buildings, energy conservation usually focuses on three categories of
measures:
1) Operational Improvements
2) Educational Campaigns
3) Retrofitting Programs (e.g., LED lighting)
Each category could contain many activities, programs and projects towards a
better energy performance. Below please find some examples of actions that
may make a significant difference on your school’s energy performance.
Obviously, it is not an exhaustive list of all things that could be targeted – staff and
students are welcome to contribute ideas to grow this list.
Team Efforts:
1) Engage staff and students through Eco-School programs and other school
activities.
2) Share information with staff and students on school energy performance and
raise their awareness. (Do not forget to celebrate achievement and
improvement.)
3) Encourage staff and students to participate by identifying energy saving
potentials in the school and contribute tips and best practices to save energy.
4) Take ownership of energy conservation at your school just like you would do at
home.
5) Report any issues within building systems for timely repairs (broken glass, stuck
open windows, doors cannot close properly, damaged weather stripping,
etc.).
6) Explore energy use and energy conservation behavior within the school.
Operational Improvements:
5
7) Synchronize HVAC and lighting schedules to match the school hours and
permitted building uses – simply turning off equipment and lights when not
needed.
8) Turn down the heat during the winter months. The average household
temperature in Canada is around 21 degrees. According to research,
lowering the temperature 2-3 degrees from the average provides the
optimum point for energy savings. As much as 3% of the heating energy can
be saved by lowering your thermostat by 1 degree. (Source: Office of Energy
Efficiency - Natural Resources Canada).
9) Adjust cooling setting during the summer time. As a rule of thumb, your
thermostat should be set to 25.5°C (78°F) or higher for cooling if comfort
permits. You save between 3 - 5% cooling energy costs for every degree it is
raised. (Source: Office of Energy Efficiency - Natural Resources Canada).
10) Adhere to Board standard room temperatures (will be provided separately).
11) Keep in the heat – In cold weather, windows can lose a lot of heat. Seal
cracks with caulking or weather stripping to minimize heat loss through
windows (e.g., aged portable windows).
12) Keep all your exterior doors tightly shut (including garage overhead doors)
and try to avoid frequent in-and-out traffic.
13) Do not open doors on both sides of an entrance vestibule at the same time –
the cold outside air will rush deep into the hallway, or the air conditioned
indoor air will leak out.
14) Keep window coverings closed during hot summer days to prevent heat gain
from the sun and save up to 5% in cooling costs. (Source: California Energy
Commission.)
15) Remove obstacles (e.g., books) around vents on walls, ceilings or window sills
to ensure effective circulation of conditioned air.
16) Turn on lights only in localized working area when doing cleaning after regular
school hours.
17) Turn off plug-load devices (monitors, printers, photocopies and TV screens,
etc.) at the end of day. Even under “sleeping mode”, these devices still
consume a considerable amount of energy.
18) Flush the toilets and urinals after use to reduce smell from source and
decrease exhaust fan operation in the washrooms.
19) Fix leaky taps: One drop of hot water per second for a month adds up to
sixteen steamy baths.
6
20) Turn back the dial: the best temperature for your water heater is 54°C
(129.2°F). That’s hot enough for washing and reduces the risk of scalding
(Source: Enbridge Gas).
Educational:
21) Be aware that occupants in the same building may have different sensitivities
to temperature, different clothing levels, and different metabolic rates. In
other words, HVAC systems alone may not be able to satisfy 100% of the
occupants in buildings for thermal comfort. Individual adjustment of clothing
level and local temperature (if capable to do so) may be needed under
certain circumstances.
22) Contribute comments and articles to the Board energy newsletter: “Wise Use
News”
23) Further items are welcome.
Energy conservation needs everyone’s effort from our DPCDSB community.
Saving energy is the answer to many challenges we are facing today. We
believe it is the right thing to do! Are you ready to pitch in and roll up your
sleeves?
7
4.
“The Energy Buzz - School updates from the Inter-School Stewardship &
Sustainable Practices Council of Dufferin-Peel”
The Inter-School Stewardship & Sustainable Practices Council, or 'Green Council' is an
active and dynamic team that was established in March 2014 to raise awareness on
environmental social justice issues from a Catholic perspective. Its mission is to make the
entire Board as Eco friendly as possible through the building of sustainability. The Council
also seeks to share resources and strategies amongst all secondary and elementary
schools in Dufferin-Peel, share best practices for eco certification and develop common
goals for schools to implement in their respective communities. Since its inception, it has
worked to give students a voice in the direction of environmental initiatives through their
staff advisors and Eco Teams. These are the grassroots of action; our educators, parents,
students, and schools. Each school brings their teams to the table to launch collective
initiatives that will coincide with the Board’s overall vision and direction.
"We want every school and every ‘Green Team’ to share ideas, be united in moving
forward with its goals, and build student capacity and student leadership around the
areas of social justice, environmental awareness and stewardship of the earth."
The Inter-School Green Council is a crucial step for all partners to come together and
move along a common vision of raising awareness about the environment. It also
teaches young people in both elementary and secondary schools that our Board is a
leader in future Eco issues and is committed to be on the forefront of real change, while
further championing the causes of Catholic education. We invite all partners to be
innovative stewards of the earth. The Inter-School Green Council is a vital link for all
schools in Dufferin-Peel to work together, communicate collectively and embody the
Catholic Board’s Learning Plan for generations to come. Energy Savings, Waste
Management , Stewardship Action and Catholic Leadership. So much has already
been done in these areas throughout Dufferin-Peel. So much more is still possible!
Anthony M.S. Marcellino
Vice-Principal
St. Marguerite d'Youville S.S.
Co-chair of the ISSSPC
"We are workers, not master builders, ministers, not messiahs, prophets of a future that is
not our own. We accomplish in our lifetime only a tiny fraction of the magnificent
enterprise that is God's work.....and there is a sense of liberation in realizing that."
Archbishop Romero
8
5. Utility Cost Updates
1) Uprising Electricity Price



Electricity price keeps going up, up and up every 6 months since
2008.
The table below shows hydro rates for residential and small business
customers in the last year – an increase of 25% for the Peak Rate!
For most of our schools we pay wholesale market price - it has a
more complex rate structure, but the overall price trend is similar as
those for residential and small business customers. A hydro bill
analysis on one of our schools indicates that the average
combined hydro price we paid was around 12.88 c/kWh.
2) New Storm Water Charge


On top of water and wastewater bills, a new charge for storm
water will be added in 2016 by Peel Region.
How can we catch up with the rising utility costs – energy
conservation is the key!