Join the 2021 BOMA Toronto Beyond Earth Hour Challenge

BOMA Toronto Beyond Earth Hour Challenge Period: Friday, March 26th at 6:00PM - Monday, March 29th at 6:00AM

Expanding on the success of this BOMA Toronto initiative and last year's success, BOMA Toronto in collaboration with program advisor, Energy@Work Inc. and QMC Integrated Submetering Solutions, are pleased to open up this year’s 2021 Beyond Earth Hour Challenge. The 8th annual challenge focuses on targeting building performance and aims to encourage collective conservation efforts of landlords and tenants over the Earth Hour Weekend.

In the spirit of Earth Hour and energy conservation, participants will be able to compete for award recognition as the Top Reducer in the Building category with onus on landlords to find operational changes and collaborate with tenants to discover behavioural changes that affect energy use over the entire weekend as opposed to just the one hour.

Through collaborative efforts, our hope is that landlords will continue to partner with tenants to collectively realize energy-saving strategies that in turn drive down operational costs and greenhouse gas emissions. Due to low occupancy, the tenant challenge for 2021 is being deferred until 2022. Register Now for the building challenge

A FREE 2021 Beyond Earth Hour Challenge Introductory Webinar will be held on Tuesday, February 23rd at 9:00AM: Click Here to Register

To learn more about this year's challenge and official rules, visit the BOMA Beyond Earth Hour Challenge Resource Page

Take a look at our video for tips on reducing your energy use during the Earth Hour Challenge weekend!

Questions can be directed to Program Director, Lisa Liang

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Energy@Work's January Newsletter

We’ve wrapped up a difficult year and are ready to welcome an exciting new year of new challenges and share past successes!

• Commercial office buildings had 80 to 90% occupant reduction, but electricity use dropped by only 20 to 30% and consistent across the sector

• Energy@Work took a close look at electricity use to compare pre and pandemic use:

  • Safety remains priority #1 and a proper response is required.

  • The lessons learned were shared in a 3-part BOMA workshop to:
    i) hold up the mirror – what happened?
    ii) what and why did things happen and what did we learn?
    iii) what should we do next?
    If you missed these presentations and want to learn more, email us!

• Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) invested significantly into the Existing Building Commissioning (EBCx) 4 Phase approach and released their EBCx pre-screening tool that Energy@Work and Technosim updated. It is available FREE here.

• Despite the challenges that the Pandemic inflicted, Energy Management Action Plan (E-MAP) meetings continued with virtual meetings to sustain energy efficiency.

• We have wrapped up Energy@Work’s 3rd annual Holiday Challenge. Thank you to all participants!

This year’s challenge included 35+ commercial buildings and resulted in an average savings of 6% - a combined total of over $55,000!

• Energy@Work found ourselves and our clients amongst the 2020 BOMA CREST Award winners:

  • Menkes Property Management Services Ltd: Winner of Collaborative Excellence Award at 4711 Yonge Street

  • Greenrock Property Management Ltd: Winner of the Innovative Excellence Award at 365 Bloor Street East

  • Madison Group: Winner of Climate Champion Award at 15 Toronto Street

  • Crown Property Management Inc: Winner of Climate Champion Award (100-500k sqft) at 90 Sheppard Avenue East

Energy@Work: Winner of Tenant Collaborative Excellence (under 500k sqft) at 2 Berkeley Street

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The IESO has released the framework for the 2021-24 Conservation and Demand Management (CDM) Programs on January 4th, available but details are unclear so far. See here

• NRCan HVAC self-Assessment Tool and Guide in response to the Pandemic is expected shortly
  Stay tuned for February’s newsletter.

• Efficiency Valuation Organization (EVO) released 10 methods to respond to the pandemic period and make ‘Non Routine Adjustments’. Amir Kamandlooie, Energy@Work’s Technical Director used this and was able to quantify the electricity savings. This is the first step in an exciting response to the disruption caused by the pandemic.

Some events to look out for:
Beyond Earth Hour Challenge– Friday, March 26th at 6:00PM - Monday, March 29th at 6:00AM
Global Adjustment Mechanism (GAM)e– yes, the GAMe is back on and starts on June 15th

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Energy@Work is pleased to congratulate Kevin Chui and Lucas Oliveira on their success in achieving their RETScreen Expert Certification (CRE). As certified RETScreen Experts, Lucas and Kevin have in-depth knowledge of RETScreen and its capabilities and are sharing these skills with the rest of the team. We anticipate interesting developments from NRCan – stay tuned.

Congratulations to Edward Newton who completed his Certified Measurement and Verification Professional (CMVP) course- the most recognized designation in Measurement and Verification (M&V)! Each and every project should consider M&V before starting. Obtaining the pre-information is key to success.

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In light of a recent announcement from the Ministry of Energy Northern Development and Mines, GAM is expected to decrease from 15% to 16% between Class A and Class B. Energy@Work is following up and will provide more details in the February newsletter when the January electricity costs arrive.

We have an internal pool on what to expect – feel free to share your predictions and we will post the winner.

• December GAM cost is $1.11 billion. This is a 4% increase from November GAM (1.066 billion)

Ever ask yourself: “How can $13,000,000,000 be spent?”

Especially when everyone must cut back and look at ways to cut costs.

Good time for a time-out to review where this money has gone!

Need to Learn to How to Play the (GAM)e? We think so.

Energy@Work’s services includes a “GAM coach”. We assist customers in evaluating their Class A eligibility and assess potential strategies. Collective savings have exceeded $10 Million.

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A valid BOMA BEST Certification is required in order to apply for the Certificate of Excellence, TOBY and Earth Awards and must be achieved prior to February 11th, 2021.

BOMA Toronto's 2020-2021 Awards Cycle includes the following award categories:

• Pinnacle Awards: Innovation, Customer Service, and Above and Beyond

• Certificate of Excellence (COE)

• TOBY

• Earth Awards

Contact us to learn more!

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Congratulations to James Hrenyk as well as the Menkes team at 4711 Yonge Street! The Wrench of the Year Award is given to “acknowledge and celebrate the individuals that best exemplify the spirit of hard work, hands-on responsibility, and determination that resulted in the successful implementation of an energy efficiency project.”

Energy@Work certainly agrees that James is deserving of this award and we look forward to continuing working together! Well done James!

Read more about the Wrench of the Year Award here!

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With an abundance of underground parking available for its mixed-use tenants, Madison Group strives to continuously improve 90 Eglinton West’s environmental footprint by eliminating energy waste through no-cost energy efficiency measures.

The no-cost measure of modifying the fan’s schedule to match the building’s current facility requirements (CFR) was identified through the building’s E-MAP and implemented by the building operator resulting in immediate savings and elimination of energy waste.

Read on by clicking the link to the case study below!

Read the full 90 Eglinton Ave W. case study here

Look for next month’s issue and it might be you!

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Madison Group's 90 Eglinton Ave W Fan Scheduling = Savings of $368/month!

90 Eglinton Avenue West is a 6-storey commercial office tower located on the north side of Eglinton Avenue and one block west of Yonge Street. Built in 1972, the 107,716 square foot building is managed by Madison Group with the Subway and TTC at its doorstep.

With an abundance of underground parking available for its mixed-use tenants, Madison Group strives to continuously improve the building’s environmental footprint by eliminating energy waste through no-cost energy efficiency measures.

The office tower is enrolled in Energy@Work’s Energy Management Action Plan (E-MAP) aimed at improving the building’s performance through operational improvements. The no-cost measure of modifying the fan’s schedule to match the building’s current facility requirements (CFR) was identified and implemented by the building operator resulting in immediate savings and elimination of energy waste.

Graph 1 shows the fan’s schedule prior to the last week of January 2020 running 24 hours/day. The operator scheduled the fans off for 4 hours from 2 - 5AM during this un-occupied period. A 76-kW baseload reduction was the result – see Section B.

On February 21st, the operator again adjusted the fan schedule to shutdown 1 hour earlier than the previous schedule to match the CFR, resulting in further kWh savings – see Section C.

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Energy@Work's December Newsletter

Through all the challenges and difficulties of 2020, it is important to take some time to reflect on how lucky we are in so many ways. While this holiday season will be unlike those before it, we hope you have the chance to spend time with loved ones, relax, and enjoy some virtual holiday festivities - but keep safe!

Energy@Work celebrated together with a virtual wine tasting led by local wine expert, Fred Moody! Contact Fred Moody to find out how to host your own! There were drinks, treats and plenty of laughter to brighten everyone’s spirits!

(some names were changed to protect the innocent)

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Energy@Work was pleased to help these commercial offices and their teams obtain the prestigious and well-deserved recognition of NRCan's 2020 ENERGY STAR Building Certification.

Crown Property Management Inc:

• 11 Allstate Parkway

• 15 Allstate Parkway

• 5515 North Service Road

• 5575 North Service Road

• 1004 Middlegate Road

• 2233 Argentia Road

• 400 University Avenue

Dream Property Management:

• 150 York Street

Berkeley Castle Management:

• Berkeley Castle

Greenrock Property Management Ltd:

• 365 Bloor Street East

Menkes Property Management Services Ltd:

• 4711 Yonge Street

• 25 York Street

Soneil Dorval Inc:

• 690 Dorval Drive

• 700 Dorval Drive

• 710 Dorval Drive

We are pleased to work with the above properties on their energy conservation initiatives that have earned them the title of being a Top Energy Performer that is 75% or more efficient than similar buildings!

NRCan has extended the 2020 ENERGY STAR Building Certification deadline to February 10th, 2021. There's still time to join NRCan's registry of Canada's ENERGY STAR Certified Buildings, Contact Us for more information to get started.

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BOMA Toronto's 2021 Awards Cycle deadline for submissions is set for February 11th at 4:00PM and includes the following award categories:

• Pinnacle Awards: Innovation, Customer Service, and Above and Beyond

• Certificate of Excellence (COE)

• TOBY

• Earth Awards

Note: A valid BOMA BEST Certification is required in order to apply for the COE, TOBY and Earth Awards and must be achieved prior to February 11th.

Energy@Work is here to help with securing BOMA BEST Certification and the awards’ submission process.

Contact us for more information now!

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Madison Property Management Group and Soneil Investments had 4 “Treasure Hunt” Workshops tailored to finding low and no cost saving!

26 people participated in the “Treasure Hunt” workshops which were coordinated and delivered by industry professionals, Stephen Dixon, Michel Parent and Energy@Work. The focus was on providing the tools and Energy Efficiency insights that exist in the Mid-Tier sector. Energy@Work’s last Treasure Hunt yielded over $150,000 in ‘treasures’ and we are excited to discover what treasure lies across Madison’s 8 properties!

- Stay tuned to learn more!

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BOMA Canada has announced new updates to the BOMA BEST Certification Questionnaire effective March 1st, 2021. This includes updates to 10 questions and every building verified after this date is expected to meet the new requirements if they are seeking to earn points on these questions.

For more information, please contact BOMA BEST Technical Committee Member, Lisa Liang.

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Did you miss a newsletter from Energy@Work? Take a look at our past newsletters, available through our website!

October’s Newsletter
November’s Newsletter

Do you know someone that would enjoy our updates? Email us at requests@energy-efficiency.com and we would be happy to include them in our future newsletters!

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November GA cost is $1.066 billion. This is a 5.5% reduction from Oct GA (it was 1.129 billion)

• If we look at the sum from Jan to Nov, between 2019 and 2020, it had a 7.2% increase

• OEB posted that there will be new electricity prices for households and small businesses, effective January 1, 2021 (New electricity prices for households and small businesses)

• JUST IN: January 1 to 28th rates will be fixed at 8.5 cents/kWh
  The rates to follow are:

• Off peak: 10.5 cents/kWh to 8.5 cents/kWh

• Mid-peak: 15 cents/kWh to 11.9 cents/kWh

• On-peak: 21.7 cents/kWh to 17.6 cents/kWh

Learn to Play the (GAM)e

Energy@Work’s services includes a “GAM coach”. We assist customers in evaluating their Class A eligibility and assess the potential savings. The collective savings we’ve achieved for our clients is well over $5 Million.

Reach out to us here!

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We would like to take a moment to join BOMA and say a special thank you to front line workers in Toronto and across Canada.

BOMA Canada produced this wonderful video to thank front line workers: well prepared and well deserved.

Watch the BOMA Canada video here!

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Accolades are owed to Madison Property Management group for their success at 15 Toronto St. By actively participating in monthly E-MAP meetings they have rejected the status quo and demonstrated how the mid-tier sector can achieve energy efficiency! Their efforts resulted in earning the Climate Champion Award at the 2020 BOMA Toronto CREST Awards.

The Toronto Hydro OPSaver Conservation and Demand Management (CDM) program was instrumental in Madison’s success. Meeting each month and tracking consumption not only saved electricity, but resulted in natural gas and water savings that also contribute to their Triple Bottom Line benefits:
* economic,
* environmental and
* social responsibility

Read on by clicking the link to the case study below

Read the full 15 Toronto St. case study here

Look for next month’s issue and it might be you!

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The ieso is releasing details on the 2021-24 Conservation Demand Management Program on January 4th, 2021 and we are looking for the details. A self-assessment HVAC tool and guide is expected to be released in January as well. Details will follow in our January newsletter.

Stay tuned, stay connected and stay safe – happy holidays!

- Energy@Work Team
Requests@Energy-Efficiency.com

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Madison Group's 15 Toronto is the BOMA Toronto race2reduce Climate Champion CREST Award Winner!

15 Toronto Street is a 70,035 square feet commercial office building located in Toronto’s financial district near King and Yonge. BOMA Toronto presented 15 Toronto with the:

BOMA race2reduce Climate Champion CREST Award!

The Madison team reduced its environmental impact through innovative projects and has achieved NRCan’s 2020 ENERGY STAR Building Certification with a score of 80! The team is currently in the process of obtaining BOMA BEST Certification as well.

A formal commitment to CSR led to establishing the Energy Management Action Plan (E-MAP) in 2018 to enhance tenant comfort through managing utility costs.

Monthly E-MAP meetings are held with management and operation to identify, review and implement energy efficiency measures (EEM). Improvements resulted in a staggering 38% reduction in the GHG emission intensity, earning 15 Toronto the 2020 race2reduce Climate Champion CREST Award.

E-MAP was the Process that the team adopted. Products are the energy management tools that ensure the right person has the right information at the right time.

However, People are the key!

Achievements included:

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Industrial Energy technology Conference (IETC) 2020 will be held from Dec 8-11th, Register Now!

Energy@Work’s Scott Rouse is an advisor on the 42nd Industrial Energy Technology Conference (IETC)! The virtual conference will be held from December 8th - 11th, 2020.

In past years, we’ve found this conference to be one of the best for the industrial sector. This year’s IETC will be comprised of 10 informative sessions lead by industry experts.

Click here for information on all sessions and the complete program schedule!

We hope to see you there!

^TOP

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Energy@Work's 3rd Annual Holiday Challenge is right around the corner!

The Holidays provide a perfect opportunity to lower consumption and reduce kWh in the workplace when occupancy is typically lower. We invite clients currently enrolled in our Energy Management Action Plan (E-MAP) to register and compete at no cost! Register today to enter our friendly competition with other commercial buildings and discover opportunities to lower your consumption. There will be prizes for those with the greatest % kWh reduction! In the spirit of the holidays, Energy@Work’s 3rd annual Holiday Challenge aims to encourage collective action to help eliminate electricity waste where possible to make this a sustainable holiday season for everyone! The Holiday Challenge will run from Friday, December 18th 2020 at 6PM to Monday, January 4th 2021 at 6AM.

This holiday season looks different than most and while the Challenge focuses on commercial buildings, our tips and tricks can be implemented right at home as well!

Watch our quick video and find out what the Holiday Challenge is all about!

Building safety and tenant comfort are always top priority; however, there are still opportunities to reduce your electricity use! Compete in this year’s Challenge by contacting us to record your baseline electricity use. The rules are simple!

Recommended Holiday Schedule adjustments, include:

• scheduling adjustments to the building's HVAC system to reflect holiday occupancy

• adjusting lighting schedules and ensuring relays are not failing

• reducing unnecessary plug load such as toasters, coffee makers and TV screens

Last year 30+ commercial offices in Toronto competed to achieve an average kWh savings of 13%!

Feel free to contact us at holidaychallenge@energy-efficiency.com to get more details on how to participate.

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Energy@Work's November Newsletter: News and Views

To receive an electricity incentive under a current CDM program an application MUST be submitted by December 4th, 2020 and the project must be completed by December 31st, 2021.

The current CDM programs are expected to have better incentives than the proposed 2021-24 CDM Programs. You may receive notices that projects under the current electricity incentives must be approved by December 31st; however, the ieso has imposed a deadline of December 4th for applications to be submitted, refer to:

Time is very tight but we can still help. If you have questions or require assistance, please contact Energy@Work: Requests@Energy-Efficiency.com

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The race2reduce program is a call for Climate Action through improved building performance, innovation and collaboration between building owners, managers and tenants.
 
Energy@Work Inc. is proud to stand amongst this year’s 2020 race2reduce CREST Award Recipients as the winner of the Tenant Collaborative Excellence category for under 500,000 sqft. We are thrilled to congratulate the following winners on their continuous efforts and dedication to energy conservation and climate action:

• Menkes Property Management Services Ltd: Winner of Collaborative Excellence Award at 4711 Yonge Street

• Greenrock Property Management Ltd: Winner of the Innovative Excellence Award at 365 Bloor Street East

• Madison Group: Winner of Climate Champion Award at 15 Toronto Street

• Crown Property Management Inc: Winner of Climate Champion Award (100-500k sqft) at 90 Sheppard Avenue East

• Energy@Work: Winner of Tenant Collaborative Excellence (under 500k sqft) at 2 Berkeley Street

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Congratulations to Soneil Investment’s NEW owner and property management team at Oakville Corporate Centre on achieving 2020 ENERGY STAR Building Certification!

Energy@Work applauds the efforts of the management team at Soneil Investments on their success in achieving 2020 ENERGY STAR Building Certification for 690, 700 and 710 Dorval Drive. Their accomplishment is a result of their commitment to energy efficiency best practices and earned them an ENERGY STAR score greater than 75, indicating top quartile performance!

"No matter where you see it, the ENERGY STAR label means the same thing — an energy-efficient top performer that saves money without sacrificing performance."

It's not too late to become 2020 ENERGY STAR Building Certified! Contact us for more information: requests@energy-efficiency.com

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Energy@Work’s Holiday Challenge is right around the corner! The Holidays provide a perfect opportunity to eliminate electricity waste and reduce kWh use in the workplace with lower occupancy. Register today and join other commercial buildings to stop the waste of electricity, gain social responsibility and help our environment. The 3rd Annual Holiday Challenge provides this opportunity to shine!

This holiday season looks different than most and, while the challenge focuses on commercial buildings, our tips and tricks can be implemented right at home as well!

Building safety and tenant comfort are always top priority; however, there are still opportunities to reduce your electricity use! The rules are simple and no cost!

Click here to watch our quick video and find out what the Holiday Challenge is all about!
Last year 30+ commercial offices in Toronto competed to achieve an average kWh savings of 13%!
For more information or if you have any questions contact us at:

holidaychallenge@energy-efficiency.com

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Global Adjustment Mechanism (GAM) is unique to Ontario and appears as a cost on the electricity bill each month.

September’s GAM cost was $1.05 Billion, 5% lower than August.

Learn to Play the (GAM)e

Energy@Work’s services includes a “GAM coach”. We assist customers in evaluating their Class A eligibility and assess the potential savings. The collective savings we’ve achieved for our clients is well over $5 Million.

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Entuitive Compliance Inc’s Compliance Tracker™ (CT) was a finalist in the 2020 Pinnacle Innovation Award!

Entuitive Compliance Inc’s Enterprise Solution, Compliance Tracker™ (CT) enables users to validate the identity and credentials of all hired contractor workers and vendors from any web-enabled device or computer. The CT helps to manage by exception and hire with confidence, ensuring that work being done is performed by qualified professionals. The CT’s reinforcement of fluid transparency between involved parties earned Entuitive Compliance Inc. a finalist spot in BOMA Toronto’s 2020 Pinnacle Innovation Award.

Read on by clicking the link to the case study below

Look for next month’s featured Case Study and it might be you!

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Case Study: Entuitive Compliance Inc.- BOMA Toronto Pinnacle Innovation Finalist

Entuitive Compliance Inc’s Enterprise Solution, Compliance Tracker™ (CT) enables users to validate the identity and credentials of all hired contractor workers and vendors from any web-enabled device or computer. The CT helps to manage by exception and hire with confidence, ensuring that work being done is performed by qualified professionals.

Through the organization’s customer-centric operations, the CT includes ongoing innovative enhancements based on direct user feedback. The CT continues to invigorate the Commercial Real Estate (CRE) sector by integrating best practices in an everyday system utilized by contractors, that directly reinforces the significance of fluid transparency between involved parties, thus earning Entuitive Compliance Inc. a finalist spot in BOMA Toronto’s 2020 Pinnacle Innovation Award. The award acknowledges and celebrates an innovative approach to better solve specific needs or an ingenious way to keep customers happy in the CRE industry.

2017: Presented the Canadian Insurance Innovator of The Year Award for standout achievement among innovators in the insurance analytics landscape and was the runner up in 2018.

2020: Participated as a finalist for BOMA Toronto’s Pinnacle Innovation Award.

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Completed York Region Project: Energy Audits and Existing Building Commissioning

We would like to thank York Region for choosing Energy@Work to complete their 4 year contract, consisting of:  

• Energy Audits

• On-going Existing Building Commissioning (EBCx)

The work involved was completed within budget, on time and approved by York Region’s respective departments.

Thank you to York Region for the opportunity to complete this work and we look forward to future opportunities.