15 Toronto St, Managed by Madison Properties Inc, is the Winner of the Innovative Excellence and Performance Leadership Awards!

Congratulations to 15 Toronto Street, managed by Madison Properties Inc! The team was presented with 2 race2reduce CREST Awards for Innovative Excellence, and Performance Leadership in Electricity, and received an honourable mention for the Performance Leadership Water award.

Key Accomplishments:

Property’s Goal: Identify low to no-cost opportunities to improve electricity and water performance through novel strategies and best practices.

Action: Utilized the building’s Energy Management Action Plan (E-MAP) to monitor and review monthly electricity and water consumption patterns. Through the E-MAP, and monthly energy team meetings, 5 energy efficiency measures (EEM) and 3 Water Conservation Measures (WCM) were identified and implemented.

Results: Verified savings by Toronto Hydro of 543,280 kWh and an avoided cost of $106,000!

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25 York St, Managed by Menkes Property Management Services Ltd, is the Winner of the Climate Champion Award

Congratulations to the team at 25 York Street, managed by Menkes Property Management Services Ltd, for winning the Climate Champion Award at the 2021 race2reduce CREST Awards!

Key accomplishments:

Property’s Goal: Reduce the impact on the natural environment while promoting the wellbeing of building occupants and employees.

Action: Implemented collaborative strategies amongst management and operations staff, tenants, occupants and third parties such as Energy@Work to reduce GHG emissions.

Results: Electricity savings of 2,555,410 kWh achieved through the E-MAP, equivalent to the annual use (kWh) of 293 homes!

Congratulations to the 25 York Street and Menkes Teams!

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4711 Yonge St, Managed by Menkes Property Management Services Ltd, is the Winner of the Innovation Excellence Award

Congratulations to Menkes Property Management Services Ltd. and the team at 4711 Yonge St, the winner of the Innovation Excellence Award at the 2021 BOMA race2reduce CREST awards!

Key accomplishments:

Vision: Determine the implications of COVID on HVAC Operations and how to respond.

Action: Invested in NRCan’s Self- assessment tool and guide to prepare a Current Facility Requirements (CFR), HVAC Strategy and Communication plan, as recommended for the building.

Results: Verified electricity savings were achieved!

Congratulations to the 4711 Yonge Street and Menkes Teams!

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390 Bay St, Managed by Munich Reinsurance, is the Winner of the Collaboration Excellence Award

Congratulations to Munich Reinsurance and the team at 390 Bay St, the winner of the Collaboration Excellence Award at the 2021 BOMA race2reduce CREST awards!

Key accomplishments:

Property Goal: To encourage participation and boost community awareness on global issues such as health, climate change and waste reduction.

Action: Adapted a digital environmental program to include the Fit Program, Green Teams and a new Dual-Stream Recycling and Waste Program. These identified key ambassadors to work in partnership with management to realize the benefits of reducing the building’s environmental footprint.

Results: Increased stakeholder engagement has yielded positive environmental impacts. Examples include: 1,470 mature trees saved, 13,097 bathtubs of water saved, the CO2 emissions from 84 cars taken off the road, the annual energy of 20 households saved, and 368 bins of garbage diverted from landfills.

Congratulations to 390 Bay Street and the Avison Young and Munich RE teams!

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Energy@Work's August Newsletter: News and Views

Congratulations to our clients and team on achieving what seemed impossible!

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in March 2020, plans for efficiency strategies were impacted greatly. Existing efficiency strategies were difficult to measure due to drastic changes in occupancy and energy use.

Energy@Work worked with EVO Guidelines to make a non-routine adjustment strategy to demonstrate electricity savings in 2020. Savings were verified by THES with incentives for 20 properties, across 12 property management companies, through the Pay-for-Performance program!

In addition to Toronto Hydro’s verified the electricity savings, there was also Natural Gas, Water and other savings as a direct result of the Energy Management Action Plan (E-MAP).

A successful E-MAP is dependent on the 3 P’s:

People: Ensuring the team is organized, so that work is distributed, and members are motivated.

Process: Proven frameworks that unite the pieces seamlessly with required actions to secure successes.

Products: These ensure that the right person has the right information they need at the right time.

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The BOMA Toronto CREST Awards offer an opportunity to recognize the efforts of participants of the race2reduce (r2r) program who achieved top performance.

Awards will be given for the following categories:

• Performance Leadership: Awarded for implemented measures that improve performance in each of the 4 subcategories; Electricity, Gas, Water, and Waste.

• Innovative Excellence: Awards effective and creative strategies, frameworks and technologies implemented to solve problems and achieve successes, leading others in the industry to strive to match new best practices.

• Collaborative Excellence: Recognizes the partnership between the landlord, tenant, and stakeholders to drive building performance.

• Climate Champion: Demonstration of exceptional efforts to reduce emissions.

• Municipal Beacon: Recognizes demonstration of commitment from a municipality.

Energy@Work was proud to be recognized amongst the 2020 winners for the Collaborative Excellence Award!

“Those that receive this award will have demonstrated collaborative efforts to bring together and engage one or more stakeholders around issues pertinent to energy efficiency and sustainability. By working together both landlords and tenants can achieve more than if either group worked alone”

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The Building Sciences Cluster Program Advisory Committee is tasked with ensuring that the curriculum is comprised of relevant and high-quality programs.

Students need to be prepared to enter the Building Sciences sector after completing a program at Seneca. The advisory committee, comprised of experts in the field, can help ensure students are prepared with practical and current industry information.

We thank Seneca for the opportunity to contribute and look forward to collaborating!

“Program Advisory Committee members are key players in the future success of students, graduates and Seneca. In guiding the development of Seneca programs, they help to ensure graduates are well prepared to work in their careers and contribute to their field.”

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This year’s theme is "Our forests - continually giving"

National Forest Week is an opportunity to celebrate and appreciate the wonders of Canada’s forests. Celebrate National Forest Week by taking a walk in the wilderness, learning more about Canada’s forest heritage, and raising awareness!

To discovery more ways to join the celebration, including a photography contest, “Treevia” contest and activities for kids, click here.

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July GAM cost is $0.78 billion. This is an 11.2% decrease from June’s GAM of $0.88 billion
 
Energy@Work wants to see a greater focus on GAM cost reduction and who to speak with to ask “why?”.

GAM costs are largely Nuclear (OPG and non-OPG). However, conservation continues to be reported as the reason for GAM. Another ‘why?’ question that remains unanswered.

Energy@Work’s services includes a “GAM coach”. We maintain the importance of a GAM Strategy for either Class A or Class B to win the (GAM)e. We hold an annual GAM Workshop in May, ahead of the June 15th Decision. Our collective GAM savings have exceeded $10 million.

We assist in evaluating Class A eligibility and assess potential strategies for both Class A and B.       

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Through their Energy Management Action Plan (E-MAP) and a focus on the 3 P’s: People, Process and Products, 365 Bloor St E has saved enough electricity to power 84 Ontario homes for a year!

They continue to see success and are committed to their Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) strategy!

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Stay tuned, stay connected and stay safe!

We thank everyone that has provided feedback and for your comments: positive and negative!

We appreciate to hear your thoughts and welcome your feedback on how we can improve and/or include other areas of interest to you: Please email: Requests@Energy-Efficiency.com

Thank You:
- Energy@Work

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365 Bloor Street East's E-MAP Success + Their Commitment to Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG)

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Energy@Work's July Newsletter: News and Views

The July 8th, 2021, BOMA Toronto webinar demonstrated the value of NRCan’s EBCx approach. The 4-phase approach is a catalyst for achieving and sustaining low and no-cost savings between 8-15%, as well as tenant and occupant improvements.

Energy@Work was asked to present case studies which validated the EBCx process through verified electricity savings by Toronto Hydro. The following are examples from over 20 buildings that entered a pay-for-performance program between 2017 and 2020. These properties achieved a collective ‘avoided’ cost of $3.2 Million- nearly 17,000,000 kWh, equal to the annual electricity use of 1,922 Ontario homes!

An Energy Management Action Plan (E-MAP) is an effective means to achieve and sustain low and no-cost savings through a regular review of utility use and building performance.

For more information please contact: requests@energy-efficiency.com

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The AEEGTA Wrench of the Year awards recognize 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 in 2020 or 2021.”

Facility personnel are often overlooked in major efficiency projects, but their hard work is instrumental to the success of any project. The awards include a $300 prize for the recipient!

We were thrilled to have nominated the 2020 Wrench of the Year award recipient, James Hrenyk, Operations supervisor at 4711 Yonge Street! James was recognized for the results he helped achieve through the implementation of the 4711 Yonge Energy Management Action Plan (E-MAP).

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A 2021 survey by YouGovAmerica has shown that, of 538 Americans currently working from home, a majority want to remain home rather than return to the office. For property management, this will have many implications.

Can something be done to encourage employees to return to work?

We think developing a strategy to promote your building’s preparedness for tenants is paramount!

It is crucial that tenants are comfortable returning to the office. Ensuring that specific HVAC settings, filters, maintenance schedules, etc. are up to ASHRAE’s recommended standards can give your building occupants piece of mind.

NRCan has released an HVAC Operation self-assessment tool and guide specific to the pandemic period. It is available free from the NRCan website: 

NRCan HVAC Self-assessment tool and guide

So, will people return?
No one knows for sure. But we had to make an educated assessment to determine this year’s Global Adjustment Class A vs B decision. 

This was a difficult analysis because:
i) Buildings had to use their pre-pandemic peak demand factor (pdf) from 2019-2020,
and
ii) kWh in 2021-22 was substantially lower.

Our ‘bottom line’:
We believe that there will be a “New Norm” where the standard M-F, 9 to 5 will become the exception Vs the rule. This will mean that property management will need flexibility in their core competencies, support, and the right information to be in the strongest position to support a positive tenant experience!

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On June 15th, commercial consumers with an average monthly demand over 1,000 kW had a decision to make: To become a Class A or B customer. COVID created many obstacles in determining the best course of action. By tailoring individual plans with each client, we can confidently predict over $1,000,000 in savings for 2021/2022! We look forward to sharing our results- stay tuned!

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June GAM cost is $0.88 Billion.

Energy@Work wants to see a greater focus on GAM cost reduction and who to speak with to ask “why?”.

GAM costs are largely Nuclear (OPG and non-OPG). However, conservation continues to be reported as the reason for GAM. Another ‘why?’ that remains unanswered.

Energy@Work’s services includes a “GAM coach”. We maintain the importance of a GAM Strategy for either Class A or Class B to win the (GAM)e. Our collective savings have exceeded $10 million.

We assist in evaluating Class A eligibility and assess potential strategies for both Class A and B.

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From Linda Leister, Property Manager:

“Berkeley Castle has surpassed all the goals that were set and have gained a reputation in the Ontario property management and energy efficiency industry as a leader. We are one of the ones setting an example to all others.
 
Energy@Work is the company that has worked tirelessly with us to make sure all this happened, and we could never have achieved these goals without them.”

Berkeley Castle’s story of success is a true testament to what can be achieved when we combine the 3P’s: People, Process and Products.

• People: Individuals drive change. Supporting the Right person with the Right information and at the Right time has proven successful to us and our clients.

• Process: It is essential to have a proven framework, which we refer to as our E-MAP.

• Products: We have developed our utility management “toolbox” to ensure that we can understand and effectively communicate the information that clients need to have the confidence in implementing the changes necessary to optimize and sustain performance.

Berkeley Castle has been actively engaged in their E-MAP since 2017- since then they have made amazing strides, especially considering it is a Historic Building! Recently, Berkeley received an energy efficiency lighting improvement grant. They inventoried the light fixtures and will ensure that every inefficient light is replaced (as required) with the most energy efficient option currently available.

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Stay tuned, stay connected and stay safe!

We thank everyone that has provided feedback and for your comments: positive and negative!

We appreciate to hear your thoughts and welcome your feedback on how we can improve and/or include other areas of interest to you: Please email: Requests@Energy-Efficiency.com

Thank You:
- Energy@Work

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Case Study: Berkeley Castle's E-MAP Success!

Built in 1871 in downtown Toronto, historic site Berkeley Castle is a 148,614 square foot commercial office/retail asset, housing nearly 300 occupants. Having achieved NRCan 2019 and 2020 ENERGY STAR Building Certification, Berkeley Castle continues to strive for energy reductions and optimum operational performance.

In 2017, Berkeley Castle implemented their Energy Management Action Plan (E-MAP) as part of their long-term Energy Efficiency Initiative to optimize building operations and performance.

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1. Real-time monitoring was installed in 2016 to allow Berkeley to: “Manage what we measure”.

2. A Building Automation System Upgrade was implemented.

3. Third-party existing building commissioning was completed in 2018.

4. Implemented in 2017, the E-MAP brings together a framework to track, manage and sustain reductions

through the 3 Ps of: People, Process, and Products:

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5140 Yonge's VFD Retrofit Resulted in a 46% Electricity Reduction

5140 Yonge Street is a 622,995 sq. Ft. commercial office. In 2007, an Energy Audit was conducted and identified the opportunity to retrofit existing motors with VFDs in 26 Compartment Units. This Energy Efficiency Measure (EEM) was implemented resulting in a 46% savings in electricity use.

An Energy Audit conducted by Energy@Work identified the opportunity to retrofit the existing motors with VFDs in 26 Compartment Units (CU) and lock the VIV’s in the fully open position.

Each drive will be connected to the existing Metasys system and the operation of the drive will be controlled from the duct pressure sensor. Installation of the new VFDs will allow for more efficient system operation; and maintain the pressure set point in the supply air ductwork.

An incentive of $66,670 was secured to support the implementation of the Energy Efficiency Measures through BOMA Toronto’s Conservation Demand Management (CDM) program.

VFDs intsallation on the air handling fans resulted in an estimated savings of:

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Energy@Work presented a three series workshop on HVAC operations in the age of COVID

Click through below to view the workshop series presented with CIET and hosted by BOMA Toronto

Workshop #1: What Did We See? Reviewing Commercial Office Electricity Use Pre and During COVID.

Date: June 12th, 2020 (10:00 - 10:30 AM)

Overview: Workshop #1 reviews what electricity consumption trends were seen Pre-COVID compared to the COVID Period. By holding up the mirror, we can understand and develop a 'Collective Wisdom' based on the numbers.

Objectives:

1.1 Review 131 commercial office’s electricity data during BOMA’s 2020 Beyond Earth Hour Challenge.

1.2 Dig deeper to review electricity profiles and understand COVID responses to COVID and viewed using different lenses.

Workshop #2: What Are We Seeing Now? Commercial Office Electricity Used During COVID-19

Date: June 19th, 2020 (9:00 - 10:15 AM)

Overview: Workshop #2 gets specific and reviews what each property is doing. By digging deeper, we can avoid making rash decisions that serve no value. Instead, we need to listen, think and then take action.

Objectives:

2.1 Detail utility review of portfolio of 20 properties over the past 2 months

2.2 Sharing:

a) Management and operation staff experience

b) What tenants are asking/demanding/doing

c) Industry response

Workshop #3: Commercial Office Operations - New Norm Post-COVID-19

Date: July 3rd, 2020 (9:00 - 10:15 AM)

Overview: Workshop #3 focuses on the steps to success. By looking at "We and not Me", we can collectively succeed together by ensuring the right people, process and products are in place.

Objectives:

3.1 Review what can we expect to see with our new Norm?

a) Current Facility Requirements (CFR)

b) HVAC Operational Strategy: COVID Commissioning (Cx)

c) Operation Training & Communication Plan – NEW

d) Decision Tree: What worked/did not work

e) Post COVID Evaluation (PCE)

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