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Energy efficiency in municipal buildings

Energy is an expenditure that can easily be compressed by municipalities, particularly if few energy efficient measures were ever applied in the past. In 2001, a survey by the Agence de l’efficacité énergétique (AEE) revealed a portrait of energy use by municipalities in order to assess their needs.

Municipalities energy snapshot

The survey shed light on energy problems in the municipal sector and confirmed the importance of adapting interventions to local reality.

Main obstacles

1. limited knowledge of programs
2. too long a time period before a return on investment
3. few human resources available
4. energy efficiency not a priority for town councils.

Incentives

• adequate financial and technical support
• training and general information on energy management.

Energy expenditures

The available data on energy consumption places the annual energy bill for Québec municipalities at approximately $330 million, for an average of $45 per capita. That expenditure includes mainly municipal buildings and equipment, water treatment, street lighting and transport.

Energy consumption is as follows:

• 42% for buildings (arenas account for almost one-third of the energy consumed);
• 25% for water works (pumping and treatment);
• 16.5% for transportation;
• 16.5% for street lighting.

The energy comes from three main sources:

• electricity (72%)
• petroleum products (19%)
• natural gas (9%).

Greenhouse gases

Based on declared expenses and on average fuel prices for the reference year, total production of greenhouse gases is estimated to be some 400,000 tonnes of CO² equivalent. Those gases come from:

• diesel and gasoline, 44%
• fuel oil, 22%
• natural gas, 15%

Complementary studies carried out as part of the Québec arena refrigeration intervention program indicate that arenas produce almost 19% of greenhouse gases, half of that due to leaks of refrigerant gas.

Improving the energy efficiency of municipal buildings

In 2002, with financial support from Hydro-Québec and Gaz Métro, the AEE launched the Municipal Buildings component of its program to promote energy efficiency. The program encourages the implementation of an action plan aimed at improving energy efficiency by means of renovations and retrofits of municipal buildings.

The first phase of the program consists of cataloguing the characteristics of the municipal buildings. That leads to a brief description of a building, including its use, hours of occupation and the general condition of the envelope and the heating, ventilation and lighting systems. That information and an analysis of energy factors provide a general energy audit.

The program resulted in an analysis of more than 325 buildings. The analysis is based on two indicators:

• the building energy performance index or BEPI, which represents the ratio of annual energy consumption in kWh equivalent to the occupied surface area of the building in m²;
• the energy consumption index, which is the ratio of the cost of the annual energy bill in dollars to the occupied surface area of the building in m².

Fire stations, town halls and municipal garages tend to be the buildings with the highest energy consumption. Taking all buildings into account, those that are between 20 and 40 years old appear to consume more energy than newer buildings, although newer buildings are not necessarily top-performing structures. The results of an analysis of these buildings reveals that:

• the average surface area is 1,119.3 m²;
• lthe consumption index is 236.4 kWh/m²/year;
• the total potential of the measures recommended in 210 buildings is 4.6 GWh/year.

That corresponds to an average potential of 20.4 kWh/m²/year, or 8.7% of the energy bill. This evaluation of the potential excludes complex measures that require the intervention of consulting firms. Of the 9.8 measures recommended per building, half involve management or operational activities, whereas each building receives on average one proposed measure for lighting, maintenance, heating, air conditioning and ventilation.

Action plan

A municipality that wishes to become actively involved in controlling its energy expenditures must draft an energy efficiency action plan that is known and approved by all concerned. The key to a successful action plan, apart from the commitment to see it through, lies in appointing one administrative official as the energy efficiency supervisor.

That person’s mandate will be to draft and implement an energy efficiency action plan, monitor energy expenditures and conduct follow-ups. This individual must be chosen with care, for in smaller towns it is difficult to find someone with the specialized technical know-how required for carrying out or coordinating retrofits. The person must be a proactive individual who is very familiar with the municipal context.

Often that person is the municipal secretary-treasurer. Specific training or support from a consulting firm can make up for any technical shortcomings. In some cases, a person may be appointed for the entire municipal region.

The challenge is to convince municipal authorities that energy efficiency is a pressing need, and that every single action counts.

New refrigeration optimization program for curling rinks and hockey arenas

A new refrigeration optimization program (OPTER) for owners of hockey arenas and curling rinks is aimed at optimizing their refrigeration systems. Apart from the substantial amount of energy they consume, the systems often use refrigerants that are harmful to the environment, as they produce greenhouse gases that could be curbed or eliminated altogether. The program is financed by the PACC action plan (Plan d’action sur les changements climatiques 2006-2012).

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