Stay Tuned for the 6th Annual Energy@Work 2023-24 Holiday Challenge Results!

A big thank you to participating buildings in the 2023/24 Energy@Work Holiday Challenge! You have demonstrated your commitment to friendly competition and energy efficiency!
 
The 6th edition of the challenge took place from Friday, December 22nd, 2023, to Tuesday, January 2nd, 2024 and yielded an average 11% savings!

We are analyzing this year's results and we're excited to announce the winner in next month's News and Views- stay tuned!

Questions can be directed to: HolidayChallenge@energy-efficiency.com

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Europe is Forcing out False Narratives: New Criteria Will Help to Stop Greenwashing- Can Canada Follow Suit?

In a resounding 593-21 vote, the EU Parliament recently approved the green claims directive, marking a significant step towards fostering transparency and authenticity in the realm of sustainable products.

The directive addresses more accurate and reliable advertising. Product labelling, including sustainability labels, will be required to be clearer and more trustworthy.  A focus will also be made on durability. Making producers and consumers focus more on the durability of goods. 

“The new rules will also ban unfounded durability claims (for example saying that a washing machine will last for 5,000 washing cycles if this is not true under normal conditions), prompts to replace consumables earlier than strictly necessary (often the case with printer ink, for example), and presenting goods as repairable when they are not.”
Click here for more detailed information on these changes and the green claims directive.

The increasing emphasis on achieving net zero has significantly heightened awareness of the necessity for transparent and precise emission data reporting. With the rise of greenwashing practices, we hope to see these sustainability initiatives and regulatory mandates become universally accepted standards worldwide.

We believe that Canada should take a hard look and consider the same- fake news isn't helping anyone!

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December's Global Adjustment Mechanism (GAM)e Cost: $0.69 Billion

In December 2023, GA cost was $0.68 billion. This is a 4% increase from November 2023 GA ($0.66 billion) and a 8% decrease comparing December 2023 with October 2023 GA (it was $0.75 billion).

If we compare December 2023 with December 2022, there was a 85% increase (it was $0.370 billion).

Energy@Work’s  services include a “GAM coach”. We maintain the importance of a GAM Strategy for Class A and Class B in order to win the (GAM)e. Our collective savings have exceeded $10 million, and we look forward to continuing to assist.

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Monthly Feature: Mark Your Calendars For the February 8th: BOMA Earth Hour Weekend Challenge Webinar!

Join Energy@Work at BOMA's Earth Hour Weekend Challenge Webinar!

The free webinar, taking place February 8th from 9-10:00AM, will outline what to expect at this year's challenge and provide advice on how best to compete!

This year's webinar will feature guest appearances from:
Ryan Ounjian, Dream Unlimited
Jeri McKelvie, Menkes Property Management

The Earth Hour Weekend Challenge engages properties to reduce energy waste over a full weekend and recognizes the greatest reduction at BOMA Toronto’s annual Celebration of Excellence Gala.

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Please Join Us In Welcoming the Newest Member of the Energy@Work Family- Liam Kamandlooie!

Congratulations to our Technical Director, Amir Kamandlooie, and his family, on the birth of his son, Liam! We're wishing Amir plenty of rest as he enjoys his first couple of weeks with his family's latest addition!

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A "Commercial Office Treasure Hunt" - an exciting adventure unlocks opportunities

On October 18th, Energy@Work had the privilege of collaborating with Know energy to conduct a Commercial Office Treasure Hunt for the Madison Group team.

The primary goal was to uncover potential operational cost savings by fostering a deeper understanding of the relationship between utility consumption and the Building Automation System (BAS). The focus of the training was Operators who serve as the 'eyes and ears' of the property. Through the Treasure Hunt, their knowledge of the building was compared with utility performance and, together, provided the motivation to identify areas for improvement.

Stephen Dixon and Michel Parent walked the team through the annual hourly energy profiles of four mid-tier commercial offices. At the same time, read-only access to the respective properties’ BAS was used to learn what systems were operating and the reason. With combined analysis of the BAS and hourly energy profiles, supported by a thorough dialogue, opportunities for improvement came into focus, empowering the operators to take proactive measures.

October Newsletter: News and Views

On October 19, 2023, the Ontario Energy Board (OEB) made the announcement that there will be an increase in electricity prices for households, small businesses, and farms under the Regulated Price Plan (RPP):
•    Time-of-Use (TOU), 
•    Ultra-Low Overnight (ULO), and 
•    Tiered price plans

These are significant rate increases. It amplifies the potential to reduce your bill by paying attention to when electricity is used.  Off-peak hours, 7 PM-7 AM on weekdays and weekends, has the lowest rate. 
Energy@Work is suggesting a handy reminder by hanging this sign on major appliances, fridge, dishwasher, or laundry door for the off-peak hours. Feel free to print, design your own, or work with your children to design a sign and teach them about electricity and sustainability! 

If you create your own sign, we’d love to see it and share it amongst our team.
Opportunities to use lower priced electricity include:

• Laundry

• Air conditioning/ heaters

• Dishwasher

• Charging electric vehicles

• Meal prepping/ baking/ using electric stove, etc.

As always, the cheapest electricity is the electricity we DON’T use- conserve when you can!
References:
OEB: Ontario Electricity-prices for households & small-business
OEB: Historical electricity rates

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October 31st is the final day that the MOE will accept Energy and Water data for the 2023 EWRB reporting period. EWRB provides insight on how buildings compare energy and water consumption and, when used, can help to improve efficiency.

In 2023, Energy@Work, we completed:

• 73 commercial EWRB submissions

• 151 Multi-residential submissions.This brings the total to over 800 submissions since

This brings the total to over 800 submissions since introduced in 2018!

Next step- how to use this valuable data? Energy@Work provides our clients with a report to gain further insight into how a building is performing, as well as a compliance certificate.

For more information on the EWRB process, click the image below to watch our short video:

Note: In 2024, the City of Toronto is also expected to require energy and water reporting, stay tuned for more information.

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On October 18th, Energy@Work had the privilege of collaborating with Know energy to conduct a Commercial Office Treasure Hunt for the Madison Group team.

The primary goal was to uncover potential operational cost savings by fostering a deeper understanding of the relationship between utility consumption and the Building Automation System (BAS). The focus of the training was Operators who serve as the 'eyes and ears' of the property. Through the Treasure Hunt, their knowledge of the building was compared with utility performance and, together, provided the motivation to identify areas for improvement.

Stephen Dixon and Michel Parent walked the team through the annual hourly energy profiles of four mid-tier commercial offices. At the same time, read-only access to the respective properties’ BAS was used to learn what systems were operating and the reason. With combined analysis of the BAS and hourly energy profiles, supported by a thorough dialogue, opportunities for improvement came into focus, empowering the operators to take proactive measures.

Rohit Jaitley, Property Manager for Madison Group, had this to say:
“The Treasure Hunt was a huge success! 100% turnout with 100% participation!  We have a great team, and we continue to seek ways to maintain tenant comfort while reducing utility waste.  This workshop created a deeper understanding between the Building Automation System and utility use.  We highly recommend this type of workshop to others that are serious and want to see sustain savings with improved performance. ”

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Energy@Work’s 6th annual holiday challenge is coming up! This challenge presents the opportunity to discover how much energy can be conserved over the holiday period. Operations and tenants can work together and save energy since offices typically have a much lower occupancy over the holidays which presents the opportunity to cut waste.

If you have participated in the challenge in previous years, please expect our kickoff email next week. 
If you have not participated, you are very welcome to join in.

There is no cost or expectation. Individual results are not disclosed since the purpose of the challenge is to have fun by raising awareness of, and mitigate, electricity waste over the holidays.

Common areas of opportunity include:

• plug load or what is commonly called “Phantom Power”
  - this is a huge opportunity!

• systems continuing to run when not needed,

• lights, particularly accent and interior lobby lighting,

• TV screens and monitors have off switches which are rarely used in lieu of standby mode,

• exercise equipment “in the ready mode’ but sitting idle.

This year’s challenge will occur between:
1) 6:00 PM Friday, December 22nd, 2023
and
2) 6:00 AM Tuesday, January 2nd, 2024.
Feel free to join us and share this quick video to find out what all the fun is about.

Questions can be directed to: HolidayChallenge@energy-efficiency.com

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In September 2023, GA cost was $0.52 billion. This is a 29% decrease from August 2023 GA of $0.736 billion.

If we compare September 2023 with September 2022, there was a massive 77% increase since September 2022 was $0.293 billion.
With these drastic monthly swings in cost, Energy@Work continues to ask “why?”. We provide a monthly review of GAM costs, however, the reason for the vast cost fluctuation remains unclear.

Energy@Work’s services include a “GAM coach”. We maintain the importance of a GAM Strategy for Class A and Class B in order to win the (GAM)e. Our collective savings have exceeded $10 million, and we look forward to continuing to assist.

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A NEW opportunity is available to obtain funding for:
“Performance Measurement Valuation Analyst” (PMVA) certification!
EVO World.org: PMVA.

Why is PMVA Certification so important? 
The IESO joined the international community in recognizing the importance of International Performance Measurement and Verification Protocol (IPMVP).  IPMVP is only available from EVO because they continue to invest in it and hold the copywrite.  The ieso will now provide funding to support individuals obtaining this important certification
https://evo-world.org/en/products-services-mainmenu-en/protocols/ipmvp
Details on the funding are available from:
https://www.saveonenergy.ca/en/Training-ando-Support/Training-Courses

Feel free to contact Energy@Work for additional details and let us work together and help eliminate Greenwashing 😊

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A quick note from Scott:

“It has been an extreme pleasure working for our clients that are making a difference by managing utilities, eliminating waste, reducing GHG and improving performance. The Energy@Work team deserves the credit for their continued support in finding innovative solutions and challenging the status quo to improve performance without compromise. Thanks also to our friends and allies in this journey who have contributed so much of their time and expertise.
Energy Efficiency is a team event, and I am glad to be part of a great team!
Thank you to Energy Manager Canada and ABB for this recognition!”

Click here to view the Energy Manager of the Year interview with Energy Manager Canada!

Scott Rouse has been honored with the Energy Manager of the Year award from Energy Manager Canada in acknowledgment of Energy@Work’s commitment to prioritizing efficiency strategies and the work we accomplish with our clients. 

Energy@Work’s extensive industry expertise, combined with dedication in driving tangible, impactful change, is what truly sets us apart and makes Scott and the team deserving of this award. 

Scott explores innovative approaches to help clients successfully navigate the ever-expanding terrain of efficiency, net-zero initiatives, and Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) considerations. Recent examples include the 16,000,000-kWh saved and specifically the use of Efficiency Valuation Organization (EVO) to verify the savings! Another example is the award winning GHG Reduction Strategy. This is an example of how RETSceen is helping to focus efforts on practical operational improvements as well as linking with financial incentives.  Finally, there are the over 200 Energy and Water Reporting and Benchmarking (EWRB) submissions with some leading to ENERGY STAR Building Certifications – more news to follow.

What’s next? The team is excited about several Existing Building Commissioning (EBCX) projects that were approved and are already underway. These projects will provide further evidence on the power of energy efficiency  - especially in existing buildings.

Click here to view the Energy Manager of the Year interview with Energy Manager Canada!

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Energy@Work Completed 224 compliance certificates 2023 Energy and Water Reporting and Benchmarking (EWRB), Ontario Regulation, O.Reg. 506/18!

2023-10-31

October 31st is the final day that the MOE will accept Energy and Water data for the 2023 EWRB reporting period. EWRB provides insight on how buildings compare energy and water consumption and, when used, can help to improve efficiency.

In 2023, Energy@Work, we completed:

• 73 commercial EWRB submissions

• 151 Multi-residential submissions.This brings the total to over 800 submissions since

This brings the total to over 800 submissions since introduced in 2018!

Next step - how to use this valuable data? Energy@Work provides our clients with a report to gain further insight into how a building is performing, as well as a compliance certificate.

For more information on the EWRB process, click the image below to watch our short video:

Note: In 2024, the City of Toronto is also expected to require energy and water reporting, stay tuned for more information.

Energy@Work's 6th Annual Holiday Challenge is Nearly Here!

Energy@Work’s 6th annual challenge presents an opportunity for friendly competition!

The past few years have seen major changes in building occupancy. Keeping energy efficiency in mind when shutting down for the night looks very different in the office vs. working from home. With building occupancy increasing since the pandemic, this is a great opportunity to remind workers who have been working from home to consider energy efficiency when they’ve finished for the day.

The challenge aims to help raise awareness of, and mitigate, how much electricity is wasted over the holidays due to:

• plug load or what is commonly called “Phantom Power” is a huge opportunity!

• systems continuing to run when not needed,

• lighting remaining on, particularly accent and interior lobby lighting,

• TV screens and monitors have off switches which are rarely used in lieu of standby mode,

• exercise equipment “in the ready mode’ but sitting idle
  

This year’s challenge  will occur between 6:00 PM Friday, December 22nd, 2023 - 6:00 AM Tuesday, January 2nd, 2024. 

- we look forward to your participation!

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

Previous challenges were a bit hit. Annually, over 30 commercial buildings achieved an average kWh reduction of 9% during the challenge period with no capital!

Recommended Next Steps:

i) Reach out to Energy@Work if you would like to participate: holidaychallenge@energy-efficiency.com

ii) Alert Operations Team of participation

iii) Review existing Holiday Sequence of Operations and develop a challenge period schedule (considering tenant comfort, equipment safety and energy efficiency)

iv) Encourage tenants to participate by eliminating phantom power (switch off monitors, TV screens, coffee makers, etc.)

• Feel free to share our above video

• Further suggestions from Natural Resources Canada

• Energy@Work has posters/marketing materials available to help engage tenants

v) Collaborate with tenants to consider "Hibernation mode adjustments" for unoccupied spaces

Upon receipt of your approval to participate, a participant toolkit will be shared including ‘tips and tricks’ to reduce ‘phantom power’. The property with the greatest percentage kWh reduction during the challenge period compared to the baseline (6:00 PM Friday December 8th, 2023 - 6:00 AM Tuesday, December 19th, 2023) will be the Champion of the 6th Annual Holiday Challenge (prize to follow)!

Last year, NRCan released the Energy Efficiency Checklist for closed or partially vacant offices- Click here to download!

We look forward to another great challenge and your participation for the chance to be the greatest reducer!

Any questions/comments can be directed to: holidaychallenge@energy-efficiency.com

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Double Digit Electricity Price Increase for Households, Small Businesses, and Farms

2023-10-29

The Ontario Energy Board (OEB) made the announcement that there will be an increase in electricity prices for households, small businesses, and farms under the Regulated Price Plan (RPP):

• Time-of-Use (TOU),

• Ultra-Low Overnight (ULO), and 

• Tiered price plans

These are significant rate increases. It amplifies the potential to reduce your bill by paying attention to when electricity is used.  Off-peak hours, 7 PM-7 AM on weekdays and weekends, has the lowest rate. 

Energy@Work is suggesting a handy reminder by hanging this sign on major appliances, fridge, dishwasher, or laundry door for the off-peak hours. Feel free to print, design your own, or work with your children to design a sign and teach them about electricity and sustainability! 

If you create your own sign, we’d love to see it and share it amongst our team. Opportunities to use lower priced electricity include:

• Laundry

• Air conditioning/ heaters

• Dishwasher

• Charging electric vehicles

• Meal prepping/ baking/ using electric stove, etc.

As always, the cheapest electricity is the electricity we DON’T use- conserve when you can!

References:

• OEB: Ontario Electricity-prices for households & small-business

• OEB: Historical electricity rates