Current Conservation Initiatives

Consider the energy used in heating and air conditioning. Each time an effort is made to reduce heating or cooling requirements, it also helps reduce the amount of natural gas and electricity needed.

Less energy usage means fewer greenhouse gas emissions and better air quality. Better air quality means improved health for all of us. It’s that simple. By using one resource wisely, we can achieve a range of environmental benefits. Our natural resources are all connected.

Currently within Facilities Management at Brock University, we’re instituting several initiatives which will conserve energy, and water. In the end, we’re hopeful that they will not only reduce our consumption of natural gas, electricity and water, but will, at the same time, support other programs across the University by diverting a portion of our financial resources that would otherwise have been paid to our utility suppliers.

2008/2009 Conservation Measure

An energy saving fluorescent lighting retrofit project was started this past December and is ongoing. To date we have completed over 1500 ballast retrofits, removing and recycling the older style magnetic ballast containing PCB`s to new high efficiency electronic ballasts. While doing so we have changed out over 3000 T12 fluorescent lamps and installed new more environmentally friendly T8 lamps which use 100% recycled mercury, combining a technology which uses less mercury per lamp and produces a longer life product with greater energy efficiency. The combined energy savings of lamps and ballasts is approximately 34% allowing Brock to take part in the Provinces Electricity Retrofit Incentive Program (ERIP). This program is expected to produce approximately $13,000 retroactive incentive this year, giving the University further funds to continue with the retrofit program throughout the campus.

Anticipated Annual Savings: $42,705/year or 284,700 kw/hrs.

Over the past few months Brock has been investigating energy efficient LED street lighting and has begun retrofitting older HPS fixtures with new LED fixtures. The new LED technology is progressing rapidly. New LED`s offer many advantages over older lighting methods including, an increase in lumens per watt, zero maintenance, better colour output and compared to traditional lighting technology in which almost 30% of the light is directed skyward all the light is directed downwards. Brock has chosen one of North America’s leading LED lighting companies which uses individual lighting modules encased in light bars; light is directed fully downward making light pollution virtually non-existent. The new technology is not cheap, offsetting the expensive cost of this technology is an expected energy savings of 30% to 48%, zero maintenance and a projected life of 100,000hrs+. Brock is confident this new technology is both environmentally-friendly and cost-effective in the long run.

Anticipated Annual Savings: 25 fixtures= $1,100/year or 7250 kw/hrs.

Keeping electrical transformers energized consumes electricity even if there is no load connected to them. This past winter we have calculated that shutting down the transformer that feeds our chillers for 6 months saved approximately 64,800 kw/hrs or $9,700. Facilities Management is looking into other areas throughout the campus in which large power transformers are underutilized. These areas include older substations on campus that were built for large electric heating loads that are no longer used, and therefore combine loads of two areas to one transformer and disconnect the second. For example; anticipated savings in the Thistle building would be in excess of 120,000kw/hr per year or $18,000 by de-energizing the second 2500KVA transformer and combining all the building loads to one transformer.

Anticipated Annual Savings: Thistle TX (12months) /Chiller TX (6months)= $27,720or 184,800kw/hr

During the first quarter of 2008, Brock University began installing low flush toilets and urinals. The new toilets utilize 50% less water while low flow urinals use as much as 70% less water. Significant water savings can be realized as toilets and urinals account for as much as 30% of indoor water use. To date 40 toilets and 10 urinals have been installed in the Sean O’Sullivan Theatre, Schmon Tower and the Central Utilities Building. The new installations will save an estimated 1,260,000 litres of water per year, coupled with a reduction in maintenance repair costs.

Anticipated Annual Savings: $2,300 per year. + Maintenance repair reduction = $4,500/yr. (estimated)

2007/2008 Conservation Measure

Reducing the campus heating set point by 1 Celsius Degree & increase the air conditioning set point by 1 Celsius Degree. The new heating and cooling temperatures in the academic and support areas in St. Catharines and Hamilton will be 21C/70F in winter and 23C/75 in the summer. Please note that a room’s set point can differ from its actual temperature, depending on its location and outside temperature.

Anticipated Annual Savings: $61,235/year or 862,465 kw/hrs.

Turning off the Schmon Tower Ribbon lights except during the Christmas season.

Anticipated Annual Savings: $4,575/year or 64,479 kw/hrs.

Reducing the lawn watering, allowing the grass to go dormant in the summer, in the area along Glenridge Ave., adjacent to Earp Residence and Concordia Seminary. Rain sensing shutoffs are being installed in many areas to help reduce water usage where possible.

Anticipated Annual Savings: $4,000/year or 1,105 cubic meters of water.

In summer, in addition to closing parking lots T,U & V, eliminating the night lighting during the periods when the lots are closed.

Anticipated Annual Savings: $4,320/year or 60,845 kw/hrs.