![[University of Waterloo]](/images/logobars/goldbar.gif)
| Yesterday |
Thursday, February 23, 2006
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Editor: Chris Redmond credmond@uwaterloo.ca |
![[All four tower over the car]](/images/2006/0223midsun.jpg)
Solar in the spotlight:
Members of the
Midnight Sun solar
car team show off their vehicle at the
Canadian International
AutoShow, which runs
through this weekend at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre.
Midnight Sun VIII raced in the North
American Solar Challenge last summer and captured fifth place overall, making
Waterloo the top Canadian team. The UW display is
on the 700 level of the South Convention
Centre along with solar cars from the University of Toronto and
Queen's University, says Midnight Sun business manager Jessica Whitney.
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"The combination of these efforts," it said, "has resulted in UW's having the lowest energy consumption per unit area for the last two years: our current energy consumption is 1.27 GJ per square meter (04/05). Our current energy intensity is roughly 30% lower than the Ontario system average and approximately 40% lower than the average commercial/institutional energy use as reported by Natural Resources Canada."
Fourteen years ago, UW consumption was reported at 1.45 GJ/m2, and in the early 1970s, before the so-called "energy crisis, it was 2.55 GJ/m2.
The report comes from Tom Galloway, director of custodial and grounds services, and Rick Zalagenas, director of maintenance and utilities. It says projects this year include "a reverse flow ventilation heat recovery unit for the Engineering 2 Graphics Lab, water source heat pump system for the Optometry building, a refrigerant sub cooling system at the Columbia Icefields, solar thermal heating for Physical Activities Complex and flue gas condenser installations in the Central Plant. These projects were undertaken with the assistance of $250,000 in Natural Resources Canada funding and will result in projected savings of over $700,000 per year. All new construction projects target 25% energy savings as a minimum when compared to base model standards to qualify for Commercial Building Incentive Program funding from NRCan."
UW's plant operations "have undertaken numerous other initiatives", says the report, "to reduce the environmental impact, energy consumption and operational costs of all campus facilities." For example:
Turf management: "UW has reduced the amount of maintained turf by 15%, replacing it with naturalized landscapes and low maintenance perennial gardens. Pesticides have been eliminated except for spot applications on sport fields in order to maintain safe playing conditions. Cultural practices have been shifted to emphasize fertilization, aeration and irrigation."
Land use: "Storm water facilities on the North Campus have been designed with the latest quality and quantity standards. South campus facilities are not designed at the new standards and currently there is no requirement to retrofit them. If this becomes necessary there could be significant land and cost implications.
"The Environmental Reserve on the North Campus has undergone a significant upgrade this past year. Phase 1A of 2 phases has been Columbia Lake has been reshaped after considerable sediment was removed. The bypass channel design has been roughed in and awaits further funding for completion."
Transportation: "The UW campus is a pedestrian/bicycle friendly environment. These modes of transportation are encouraged by the extensive multi-modal walks and pathways throughout both the south and north campus. The campus design to keep vehicular traffic primarily on the Ring Road and primarily non vehicular traffic inside the Ring Road is an essential element in this objective.
"UW cooperates fully with Grand River Transit to allow buses to operate on UW lands. Additionally UW provides most transit shelters on campus and designs and constructs bus lay-bys to help facilitate bus traffic."
Automation of systems: "Energy management initiatives through building automation include energy storage, temperature ramping, fan scheduling and CO2 measurement to control ventilation rates. Electronic boiler controls with oxygen trim systems optimize combustion efficiency of major boiler systems, and electronic positioning controls have been installed on smaller boilers. Conductivity controllers on cooling towers and evaporative condensers reduce water consumption and ensure control over biological activity."
HVAC optimization: "Free cooling installations in Chemistry 2, Physics and CEIT minimize the need to operate mechanical refrigeration systems during cool weather. Heat recovery systems have been installed in eight buildings, and condensing hot water boilers were used in three projects. Constant volume ventilation systems in many areas have been retrofitted to variable volume, using variable frequency drives to reduce operating horsepower requirements.
"High efficiency chiller installations in Biology 2, Physics and Central Services Building have reduced compressor power requirements by approximately 30%, and have been accompanied by higher efficiency cooling towers. The balance of the Central Plant chillers are being replaced this year with high efficiency units, resulting in 90% of the air conditioning systems on campus being the most efficient units available."
Water conservation: "Low flow showers and water saving plumbing fixtures have been installed throughout the campus. Equipment which was originally installed using once-through cooling water has been converted to utilize closed-loop recirculating systems. High efficiency pretreatment systems for boiler makeup minimize regenerant chemical consumption and water use."
Members of the Canadian Union of Public Employees are not, after all, on strike today against municipalities, school boards and other agencies across Ontario. The threatened strike was called off last night after there were signs of progress in working out the future of the Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System, the huge pension fund that has been at the centre of the controversy. It's important to note that not all CUPE locals are directly involved. At UW, members of CUPE 793, employed in the food services and plant operations departments, have their retirement savings through UW's staff and faculty pension plan, not through OMERS. I was told the other day that while the UW-based local undoubtedly supports the CUPE members who do have a vested interest in OMERS, it wasn't clear there was much it could do to help in the present dispute.
| WHEN AND WHERE |
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Department of biology main office closed today and Friday for
move to new location in Earth Sciences and Chemistry building.
Web tutorial generator presentation by Joseph Sanderson, department of physics, sponsored by Centre for Learning and Teaching Through Technology, 3 p.m., Flex Lab, Dana Porter Library, details and registration online. UW ACM programming contest Saturday 1 to 4 p.m., details online. Pick Your Plan Week for undergraduate students, February 27 through March 3, opportunity select or change a major, or add a minor or option. Class enrolment appointments for spring term, March 20 to April 1; for fall term, June 12-24. |
Also at the board meeting there was a brief report on the annual "statutory compliance" exercise -- an attempt to make sure UW is not breaking any of the myriad of laws that apply to its activities. Senior staff in various areas are asked to review the rules and certify that "there are no areas of substance where UW is not in compliance". The board's audit committee reported that things were fine this year with respect to the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, the Building Code Act, the Commercial Tenancies Act, the Construction Lien Act, the Copyright Act, the Employment Standards Act, the Environmental Protection Act, the Fire Protection and Prevention Act, the Hazardous Products Act, the Income Tax Act, the Liquor Licence Act, the Occupational Health and Safety Act, the Ontario Human Rights Code, the Ontario Water Resources Act, the Pesticides Act, the Tenant Protection Act, the Tobacco Control Act and the Transportation of Dangerous Goods Act.
A number of staff members officially retired on February 1, the human resources department reports. Among them: Robert Ewart, electronics technician in psychology, who came to the university in November 1969, and Derick Haywood, mechanic in plant operations, who's been on the staff since December 1987.
The biology department office starts its move today to new space on the third floor of the Earth Sciences and Chemistry building (which is maybe going to need a longer name now). . . . Engineering students have been invited to volunteer to help at drop-in workshops the next two Saturdays at the Waterloo Regional Children's Museum, as youngsters see what they can build with K'nex. . . . Ticket purchases are due by next Wednesday for the International Women's Day dinner to be held March 8 at the University Club. . . .
CAR