Engaging in Random Acts of Green

Vancouver Community College (VCC) is walking the talk when it comes to adopting environmentally sustainable practices. Committed to reducing their environmental impact, VCC has been working with Prism since 2013 through the BC Hydro Energy Manager program to reduce the amount of energy used on both campuses.

Engagement is a key part of energy management and this Fall, VCC launched the Random Acts of Green Contest. Students and staff across both campuses participated by sharing what they do to make their campus green – from installing more efficient lights and using daylight in the computer lab to bringing a litter free lunch and taking transit to get to school.

At Prism, we think about Strategic Energy Management as a holistic approach to managing energy in your organization. Managing energy successfully in an organization goes beyond simply knowing which equipment to buy and how to properly set controls. Instead, effectively managing the energy performance of BC’s facilities requires thinking holistically about the organizational, technical and behavioural aspects of energy management.

On October 9th, APEGBC will host a day-long seminar designed for individuals who are looking for an in-depth look at strategic energy management in a BC organization. With his 25 years of experience helping organizations save energy, Robert Greenwald will provide the theory, tools and real world energy management examples.

Learn more and register online here.

New Gold’s New Afton Mine is a gold and copper mine located near Kamloops, BC. As with all mining operations, the site is large, with many buildings and structures located throughout. When New Gold approached Prism to design a lighting system for an occasional-use warehouse located away from the electrical distribution system, it was an opportunity to think outside the box.

Prism proposed a lighting system with occupancy controls that interfaced with a solar photovoltaic power system – except there was a ‘twist’. A solar system produces direct current (DC) power, which is then fed through an inverter to convert it to the alternating current (AC) power required to operate traditional lighting systems. However since LED lighting can utilize a DC power configuration, the infrastructure was designed to use the solar PV DC power to directly power the lighting; no inverter, fewer components to the system and lower maintenance. This pairing of solar energy and LED lighting is one way facilities can achieve being off-grid and self-sustaining.

Congratulations are in order for Stephen Kooiman, Mechanical Engineer at Prism Engineering, who has recently been elected as the new President of BC’s ASHRAE chapter.

ASHRAE, the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers, sets the standards for acceptable practices in a wide range of building systems engineering. With the implementation of the ASHRAE 90.1 2010 code, Stephen’s chapter is helping shape the energy performance requirements in BC. This highly respected North American Standard has been referenced in the BC Building Code, raising the bar on energy standards for both new building construction and existing buildings.

In addition to supporting continued industry research and assisting in the development of educational programs, ASHRAE members and guests can look forward to having Stephen oversee ongoing chapter activities. To find out more about BC’s ASHRAE chapter, visit http://ashrae.bc.ca/bc.

Optimizing the existing heating, ventilation, air conditioning and lighting systems was no small undertaking given the variety of equipment and controls at Langara. To tackle the challenge, Langara joined BC Hydro’s Continuous Optimization program (COp) in 2009, which has helped to identify issues and implement projects that improve building energy efficiency. The program consists of two integrated components: building re-commissioning and the development of an Energy Management Information System (EMIS). Now almost five years into this multi-year program, COp has been implemented in 86% of building area at Langara.

Together with BC Hydro’s support, Enersolv Consulting’s initial review, and Prism Engineering’s implementation, COp has proven to be an energy-saving success story – and it is not over yet. Always looking forward, COp is now being implemented in the Student Union Building and Building C for Fiscal 2013/2014. Langara has also taken energy savings measures beyond COp to realizing capital improvement projects for further savings.

“With maximum efficiency ratings in the range of 96%, condensing boilers are becoming a popular choice for building owners looking for improved energy efficiency, reduced operating cost and lower GHG emissions. Many owners, however, are not aware of the technology behind condensing boilers and the conditions required for achieving their rated efficiency. Mismatching the boiler with the heating system requirements can result in operating conditions that do not achieve the potential of condensing boilers.”

Learn about how get the most out of your efficient boiler from a recent article by Prism Engineering’s principal and founder, Brian O’Donnell, published in the Winter 2014 issue of Mechanical Contractors Association of BC Magazine. He outlines several strategies for existing facilities that decrease the supply and return water temperature requirements, thereby improving condensing efficiencies.

Our focus at Prism is primarily on the energy consumed in buildings and other facilities, but agriculture makes up another big piece of the energy pie. Eating more locally and seasonally is one small way we can reduce our footprint and the greenhouse gas emissions associated with getting food from farm to plate across the globe.

Following the planting charts outlined by West Coast Seeds, staff members got together early in April to select carrots, scallions, lettuces, herbs and more – and on Earth Day April 22^nd we celebrated by planting seeds in our new garden beds. Special thanks to Bentall Kennedy for providing us with the use of the parking spot and to Shifting Growth for helping us set up the garden beds. This is the second year that we have converted a parking spot into a thriving garden outside our office and we look forward to many more freshly picked salads at lunch this season!

Successful energy management programs empower peers to conserve energy. That’s why Prism has been working with the Hyatt Regency Hotel, as a part of BC Hydro’s Workplace Conservation Awareness program, to help envision and execute an engagement strategy that encourages hotel staff to integrate energy conservation practices into their work.

Hyatt Regency Vancouver’s Thrive Team is led by a group of dedicated staff, who help the hotel implement the company’s Global Corporate Responsibility Program, Hyatt Thrive. This month, Prism worked with the Thrive team of volunteers to organize an onsite Eco-Fair that featured interactive displays on workplace sustainability habits, lighting, recycling, and energy conservation. Over 120 staff from every department attended the event, including staff from housekeeping, banquets, engineering, guest services and management. 70 people signed the pledge to take action on sustainability initiatives.

Over the next few months, the team at Hyatt will be building on the conservation messages at the Eco-Fair and focusing in on key campaigns to help conserve energy, including a Revolving Door Campaign and an energy conservation ideas contest.

Good lighting design requires an artful blend of cutting-edge lighting technology, knowledge of green building certifications, and to top it off an understanding of the specifics of provincial and city building and energy codes. We pride ourselves in working with our clients to translate innovative architectural and abstract conceptual designs into practical and cost effective installations.

Prism recently completed mechanical and electrical design services for two major Vancity Branch renovations in South Burnaby and Port Coquitlam. Innovative renovations features include: a customized blend of LED lighting controlled by daylight sensors, and a fire alarm system with integrated strobe lighting, which provides better fire alarm indication for the visually and hearing impaired during emergencies. The site also included a charging station for electric vehicles. Along with upgrades to the HVAC control system (DDC), these changes provide better comfort, convenience and energy cost savings.

We are ushering in the new year by celebrating the opening of a second Prism office in Nelson, BC. Nelson is a prime location to continue providing engineering consulting services to South-eastern BC and Alberta. From our new Kootenay location, we will continue to work collaboratively with our clients to improve facility performance through building system upgrades, execute energy management programs, monitor results for continuous improvement and engage people to achieve operational and cultural change. We’ll bring with us our 23 years of experience of helping organizations save energy.