Rocky Mountain SD No. 6: Operations and Maintenance Fleet is Ready to Go Electric

In the fall of 2022, the Operations team at Rocky Mountain School District No. 6 contacted Prism Engineering to help them explore the potential to reduce carbon emissions and operating costs by replacing some of the District’s fossil fuel-powered maintenance and operations fleet with electric vehicles (EVs).

Prism’s study determined that Rocky Mountain School District No. 6 can meet its operational needs, reduce annual fleet costs, and cut energy consumption and carbon emissions by nearly 80% by electrifying a portion of its fleet.

The School District has three operations yards and 35 maintenance and operations vehicles, including light, medium, and heavy-duty models, as well as several school buses for student transportation. It serves 3,500 students across 18 schools in Golden, Invermere, Kimberley, and surrounding communities. It is located on the unceded lands of the Secwépemc and Ktunaxa People and the chosen home of the Metis People of BC.

Prism provided the School District with an EV Ready Fleet Plan designed to meet the requirements of CleanBC’s Go Electric Fleets Program, a provincial initiative that supports public and private fleets’ transition to zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs). The project also included an EV Charging Infrastructure Assessment and the development of an EV Charging Strategy.

“We conducted a full assessment of their existing fleet of maintenance and operations vehicles and evaluated the existing electrical and charging infrastructure at their three operations yards to determine if the School District has sufficient electrical capacity to support EV adoption,” explains Julianne Pickrell-Barr, Climate Action Specialist at Prism Engineering.

Zero-emission calculator to evaluate impact

Prism’s Electrical and Sustainability teams worked together to evaluate the School District’s needs. Our Sustainability team developed a Zero-Emission Fleet Assessment Calculator to help identify which district vehicles can be electrified and quantify the financial and carbon emission reduction benefits of doing so.

“A variety of vehicle replacement options were considered in the evaluation process. Each vehicle selected and included in the plan was chosen based on several aspects, such as suitability to meet needs and preferences, purchase cost after incentives, and availability in Canada,” says Julianne.

The Sustainability team used the calculator to compare two scenarios. The first looked at the impact of transitioning to EVs across various factors, including carbon emissions, capital costs, operational and maintenance costs, and carbon offsets. The second looked at these same factors if the School District’s current vehicles were replaced with like-for-like models.

The EV Ready Fleet Plan also includes projections of the number of Low Carbon Fuel Credits the School District could potentially earn from EV fleet charging and estimates of the current market value of those credits, adding further value to the study.

Assessment of the charging infrastructure needed

Meanwhile, the Electrical team completed an Electrical and EV Charging Infrastructure Assessment by evaluating the School District’s existing infrastructure and comparing this to its future charging needs based on the fleet transition schedule created by the Sustainability team.

With this information, Prism was able to develop an EV Charging Strategy, which can be used to help the School District plan for the future by identifying the number and types of chargers it will need, as well as the level and timing of electrical infrastructure upgrades (including electrical service upgrades) required to support EV fleet vehicle charging.

“Prism’s contributions have been pivotal in creating a path forward for our changeover to electric fleet vehicles,” says Russell Wagner, Operations Supervisor at Rocky Mountain School District No. 6.

“Their team left no stone unturned, meticulously analyzing every facet of our EV Fleet and Infrastructure Project. And their rigorous analysis ensured that no potential issue went unnoticed, resulting in a comprehensive strategy that addressed all challenges, leading us to 2035,” adds Lisa Clifton, the School District’s Operations Coordinator.

80% reduction in GHG emissions

Prism found that almost 75% of the School District’s current fleet could be replaced with electric vehicles since the vehicles would mainly serve three central locations with a range below 350 km (refer to Figure 1). Meanwhile, for the two vehicles that routinely complete longer trips, Prism recommended plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV). The medium and heavy-duty trucks used for snow plowing were identified as exceptions since no viable EV options currently exist in that category.

Figure 1: Maximum daily driving distance by location and vehicle category.

The assessment also found that EV adoption could reduce the School District’s total annual fleet costs (including capital and operating costs) for six of the next ten years, even considering the required electrical infrastructure upgrades and EV charger installations. In addition, EV adoption could significantly impact the organization’s carbon footprint, reducing GHG emissions by nearly 80% by 2036 (refer to Figure 2).

Figure 2: GHG emissions projections under EV scenario.

Ready to transition to EVs

Prism is now supporting the School District to implement the EV Ready Fleet Plan.

“This level of thoroughness instilled us with confidence that our project was in the best possible hands and allowed us to obtain additional grant funding for the next phase of the project, Charging Infrastructure and Vehicle Procurement, for which we have opted to keep Prism engaged,” explains Russell Wagner.

As part of this phase, the Electrical team will provide detailed design drawings for the electrical and EV charging infrastructure upgrades required. The team will also provide implementation assistance during the tender and construction phases.

The Sustainability team will provide specifications for EV procurement and implementation coaching to help smooth the School District’s transition to electric vehicles. As part of this coaching, the team will support the School District to gain internal buy-in and support for this initiative, as well as help staff become more familiar and comfortable with the new EVs entering their fleet.

Figure 3: Gino Folino, of the Operations team, at one of the SD’s EV charging stations.

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Transportation Decarbonization Planning

Learn more about EV Ready Fleet funding programs:
BC Hydro Electric Fleets
CleanBC Go Electric Fleets
CleanBC Go Electric School Bus
Federation of Canadian Municipalities Green Municipal Fund (Transportation)
Zero Emission Transit Fund

In the last couple of years, British Columbians have been impacted by several extreme weather events, including a devastating forest fire near Kelowna last summer and an intense rainfall causing catastrophic flooding in the Fraser Valley in 2021. Adapting to climate change and mitigating the risks associated with a warming climate is becoming a necessity for many organizations across the province, and around the world. To help organizations assess the impact of extreme weather events on their infrastructure and make informed decisions, Prism Engineering developed a Climate Resilience Assessment Tool.

Our Energy, Mechanical, and Sustainability teams collaborated to create this valuable new resource that combines climate data and site-specific information. With our technical support, building owners and managers can generate a report that provides actionable recommendations to prepare and adapt to climate change by understanding site-specific measures available to mitigate potential risks.

“The framework we’ve developed is important because it prioritizes the actions that should be taken to improve the resilience of buildings in the face of extreme weather events,” explains Sam Thomas, Principal and Kootenay Branch Manager.

“Many organizations are unaware of what they should do to better adapt to a changing climate. Some are hesitant to get expert advice because of the associated efforts involved. The tool is intended to make it more accessible and easier for them to anticipate the impacts of climate change,” he adds.

A scoring system to assess vulnerability

To use the tool, a user enters information about a building’s location, use and attributes. Buildings constructed using significant combustible materials, for example, may pose a greater risk in areas prone to wildfires. Similarly, facilities in regions affected by floods could be at risk if their backup generators are placed at ground level.

The tool then uses the inputs provided by the user along with publicly available climate data to estimate the likelihood and consequence of a climate event on different aspects of the site. This is achieved by applying a scoring system, as shown in the chart below. The overall score is determined by multiplying the likelihood rating by the consequence rating. The scoring is intended to help the user make informed decisions based on the level of risk and priorities.

“The goal is to determine each possible scenario, the likelihood that a certain climate event might be an issue for the facility and the consequences if it does happen,” explains Sam.

Scoring system chart.

After analyzing the data, the tool generates a report with a concise summary of suggested measures. The increasing frequency of heat waves, for example, could trigger investing in building envelopes to reduce the indoor temperature. Similarly, the smoke from frequent forest fires might require modifications to the filtration and ventilation systems.

“One of the main advantages of this tool is that building owners or managers can use the information they already have about the facility to carry out the assessment themselves,” explains Sam. “This makes it quick and easy for them to identify what measures they can take to enhance their climate resilience,” he adds.

Prism is here to support your organization’s climate adaptation journey

We have extensive technical expertise to support your organization through its climate adaptation journey and proactively prepare for the impacts of climate change.

Reach out to our Climate Action Specialist to discuss how our services can best support your organization.

Related Services

Climate Action
GHG Planning
Low Carbon Electrification
HVAC

We are delighted to share that two new Associates joined the Prism Leadership Team this fall.

Prism Associates are individuals with the experience, expertise, and passion to help grow our company to have an even bigger impact. Each Associate takes on company-level responsibilities, leading different aspects of our business, from quality assurance to business development to employee wellbeing. Our Associates also support the growth and development of our junior team members and are key to fostering our company culture of care and collaboration.

Bartjan Kiers joined Prism in March 2020. He brings a wealth of experience in heating and cooling plant upgrades and low-carbon implementation projects. Bartjan has been instrumental in supporting the Mechanical Team and the expansion of our presence in the Okanagan region, where he is based at our Kelowna office.

Julianne Pickrell-Barr is a valuable addition to our Sustainability Team, bringing with her extensive experience in climate adaptation and mitigation strategies. Since she joined Prism in 2021, Julianne has helped us to expand our sustainability services and provided support to our clients in various areas, such as assessing GHG emissions footprints, developing practical, action-based climate action and sustainability plans and climate-hazard assessments, among others.

Learn more about our Principals and Associates.

Building strong relationships with our customers is one of Prism’s core values. Our partnership with Langara College is no exception. As a forerunner of energy and emissions reduction in BC, Langara came to Prism in the late 1990’s looking for guidance for their voluntary reporting on carbon emissions to the Federal Government. Since then, our multi-disciplinary teams have been helping the college every step of the way in their energy and emissions reduction journey.

Our support has ranged from reporting GHG emissions to conducting energy audits and Low Carbon Electrification (LCE) projects, as well as creating a Strategic Energy, Management Plan (SEMP) and the implementation of deep carbon retrofit projects. Over 20+ years of our working relationship, not only are we proud to have actively participated in the evolution of their climate ambitions, but also in contributing to student academic success.

Most recently, Langara has taken another bold step towards creating a more sustainable campus with the implementation of a District Energy system that will significantly help to decarbonize their operations.

“Our success is really about their success. If they are able to meet the needs of students, staff, and the operations at Langara while reducing energy and carbon, then we’ve done a good job in helping them do that”, says Robert Greenwald, P. Eng., President of Prism Engineering.

Watch the video to discover how our strong working relationship with Langara College has helped them move towards their climate action goals:

Explore 20+ years of successful stories with Langara College: 

Case Study: Langara Energy Savings (PDF)
Building Deep Retrofit: Langara College
Congratulations to the first Prism Engineering Award Winner at Langara College

The work conducted by Prism Engineering to support organizations in achieving higher energy efficiency while implementing measures to accelerate the decarbonization of their operations has been recognized with six ASHRAE BC Technology Awards for the years 2021-2022 and 2019-2020.

The awards recognize innovative projects that have been implemented for more than one year and with substantial results in the areas of occupant comfort, indoor air quality and energy conservation.

“These projects are great examples of our core values,” says Robert Greenwald, P.Eng., President of Prism Engineering. “We want our work to have an impact, we want to nurture strong relationships with our clients, we want to deliver quality projects that perform,” he adds.

From left to right: Tim Aske, P.Eng., Energy Team; Iram Green, P. Eng., Energy Team Leader; Stephen Kooiman, P. Eng., M.A.Sc, Mechanical Team Leader; Hamid Samani, P. Eng., Principal and Senior Mechanical Engineer; and David Roberts, P. Eng., Mechanical Engineer.

The award-winning projects are:

2021-2022 

• BC Chapter Award for Hillcrest Community Centre Optimization and Second Place in Region XI in the Existing Commercial Building Category.
• First Place in Region XI and a BC Chapter Award for New Afton Mine Chiller Replacement in the Industrial Category.

2019-2020

• First Place Region XI, BC Chapter and Society Award for Kitsilano Community Centre Deep Carbon Retrofit. Existing Institutional Category.
• Second Place Region XI and BC Chapter Award for Surrey Taxation Data Center Boiler Replacement. Existing Commercial Building Category.
• Second Place Region XI and BC Chapter Award for Langara College Building A, AHU Upgrade. Existing Education Facilities Category.
• Second Place Region XI and BC Chapter Award for Richmond Hospital Cooling Upgrade. Existing Health Care Facilities Category.

Multi-step approach to achieve carbon reductions

There are some common traits among our award-winning projects. First, they all involved a multi-disciplinary team of Energy, Mechanical, and Electrical professionals from Prism. The large scale of the projects required a team approach with different areas of expertise to meet the objectives of each project.

Additionally, not only were the projects built upon a comprehensive study to assess best opportunities for energy savings, but most importantly to find new ways to advance decarbonization.

“This enabled us to present multiple options to the organizations, so that they could analyze each one of them carefully and make an informed decision”, explains Stephen Kooiman, P.Eng., M.A.Sc, Mechanical Team Leader. “They are all large projects with good energy savings and decarbonization opportunities. We achieved the biggest impact by focusing on where the most energy was being consumed,” Stephen says.

With the recommendations in hand at the end of the study phase, our team put in place an implementation plan that addressed both the client’s budget and an optimized pathway for energy and emission reductions.

“The retrofits go beyond energy savings to achieve significant carbon reductions using technologies that work”, explains Robert. “Our clients are making strides to meet their long-term carbon reduction targets and we are helping them on their journey. I am really proud of how our staff collaborate and challenge each other, on a continuous basis, to get the results and long-term performance demonstrated through these awards,” he adds.

Here is a brief overview of each award-winning project:

Hillcrest Community Centre

Project: System optimization, pool heating, and control system redesign.
Innovation: Redesign of pool heating, domestic hot water (DHW), and control systems to enable heat recovery in the facility.
Results: $92,000/year in energy cost savings and 700 tonnes of CO₂e/year in GHG reduction.

New Afton Mine

Sarah Anderson, P. Eng., at New Afton Mine, receives the ASHRAE Award from Robert Greenwald, P. Eng., President of Prism Engineering.

Project: Chiller replacement
Innovation: Installation of low-pressure centrifugal water-cooled chiller to integrate existing fresh water supply into chillers’ condenser loop.
Results: 1,160 MWh/year reduction in electricity consumption.
Learn more

Kitsilano Community Centre

Project: Heat recovery
Innovation: HVAC systems retrofit (rink and community centre facilities), with integrated ice plant recovery system connected to central heating plant of both buildings,
Results: $70,000/year in energy cost savings and 82% decrease in GHG emissions.
Learn more

Surrey Taxation Data Centre

Project: Boiler replacement
Innovation: Implementation of dual return condensing boilers, with cascading loads and demand feedback, to allow building to operate in condensing mode during heating season.
Results: $28,000/year in energy and maintenance cost savings; 65.5 tonnes of CO₂e/year in GHG reduction.
Learn more

Langara College (Building A)

Project: HVAC upgrade
Innovation: Use of fan array and reconfiguration of AHU; upgrade with minimum disruption to campus life.
Results: $70,000/year in energy cost savings and more balanced efficiency among college buildings.
Learn more

Richmond Hospital

Project: Cooling upgrades for medical imaging and kitchen/cafeteria.
Innovation: Kitchen/cafeteria were shutdown for only three days during upgrades; improvements in ducting air intakes; new rooftop makeup air unit; renewed heat pumps and advanced control strategies.
Results: $4,200/year in energy cost savings and 22 tonnes of CO₂e/year in GHG reduction.
Lean more

All images © Google Earth except New Afton Mine

For over 80 years, Bulkley Valley Credit Union (BVCU) has provided banking services for families and business owners across Northern BC. Its deeply rooted relationship with local communities dates to its foundation as a financial cooperative by a group of local farmers. Since then, the organization has grown in size and numbers, with facilities today serving 14,000 members from Burns Lake to the Hazeltons.

With growth came the need to address new challenges and responsibilities. So, when BVCU decided to explore the impact of its operations to safeguard healthy and sustainable communities, they approached Prism Engineering for support and guidance.

“Caring for healthy and sustainable communities has always been important for BVCU as it has and will continue to be the reason why we exist. As a member owned financial cooperative, we exist for the sole benefit of members and their communities,” explains Mohamed Ladak, Chief Operating Officer at BVCU.

“We chose Prism as a well-known leader in the energy management and sustainability consulting space in further helping us achieve our mission”, he adds.

With a diverse team of experts in areas such as sustainability, climate action and energy management, Prism created a holistic program to help BVCU assess its corporate operations and develop a strategy for reducing GHG emissions and improving sustainability performance.

“We helped BVCU understand aspects of their current environmental impact, while creating a strategy for making future improvements aligned with their mission as a credit union,” says Nicole Huard, Sustainability and Climate Action Specialist at Prism.

Up to 70% in GHG emissions reduction

The first step in our work with BVCU was to understand and monitor energy consumption patterns over time. By using PUMA Utility Monitoring Services, BVCU was able to analyze its utility bills and use the data to make more informed decisions to achieve energy and carbon management goals.

In addition, our Energy Team conducted energy audits to identify major areas of energy waste or inefficiency across all BVCU’s six locations in Northern BC. With buildings constructed between 1983 and 2007, and some renovations in between, this was a crucial phase of the project since some equipment was already at end of life and in need of an informed decision for replacement.

By using our 6-Step Approach to GHG Reduction, Prism was able to make recommendations for measures that could achieve a total of 70% GHG emission reduction across all sites, with the potential of saving 32% of annual utility costs in comparison to 2020 data.

Creating an ESG Strategy

The next phase of our work involved our Sustainability Team working side by side with BVCU’s senior leadership, staff, and members of the board to create an Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) strategy for the organization.

This work included stakeholder engagement surveys, webinars and workshops to understand which focus areas were most important for BVCU to act on, and then identified actions to support the organization in making the impact they envisioned in the ESG plan for their community.

“BVCU’s team brought a lot of passion for sustainability and ideas for improvement to the table, resulting in a long wish list of positive impacts they would like to make. With so many great ideas it was challenging to reduce the focus to just a few,” says Nicole.

The outcome of our work was a finalized ESG strategy for BVCU, including a plan for GHG reduction through our audits, summarized in the figure below:

Guide for future work

With the findings of the studies and an implementation plan for ESG in place, BVCU can now take action to achieve their goals and monitor progress along the way, reporting back to stakeholders on an annual basis.

“In partnership with Prism, we now have an ESG strategy in place with a clearly defined action plan/roadmap. With ESG Champions in each of our physical locations and the findings from the studies, we’re now able to identify what we need to prioritize with passion and commitment,” says Mohamed Ladak.

Related Projects

City of Vancouver – Kitsilano Community Centre Heat Recovery
School Districts large and small find value in PUMA
GHG Reduction Planning: City of Coquitlam
Energy Audit: Simon Fraser University

Photo: Bulkley Valley by Shawn, Flickr Creative Commons

The fast and unexpected switch to remote work was one of the many immediate effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. Now that the dust has settled, Prism Engineering has adopted a hybrid work model, where employees make up their schedule of days working between home and at the office.

To adapt to this new reality, our company has created “hotel stations”, where employees are free to use certain desk spaces on a first come, first serve basis whenever in the office. But when we began the process of resizing our resources library to open space for new acoustic cells for individual meetings, a big question emerged:

What should be the fate of a huge volume of binders, books and project folders that would have to be removed to give room for the office redesign?

“Some were outdated, and others were duplicates, so there wasn’t much to do”, recalls Anusha Hooda, People, Culture and Operations Coordinator at Prism. “We then began discussing a proper way to discard them, especially the binders, which contained cardboard, plastic and metal parts”, she adds.

To find a solution, she got help from Taniell Hamilton, Sustainability and Engagement Specialist at Prism. Together, they put out a waste reduction plan that included the recycling and donation of the material, as well as the digitization of old documents.

To spread the word, they announced the initiative on Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist. A total of 350 binders were diverted for reusing, repurposing, or recycling. In addition, half a ton of paper was recycled. For example, some of the binders were donated to families with children, who were invited to come to the Burnaby office to pick up the material. Others were donated to Renfrew Elementary School, located nearby the office. Even the bookshelves found their way: they were given to employees to take home and reuse.

“I am really glad we chose the right way to dispose all those items, reducing our impact on the environment”, says Anusha. “It wasn’t easy, as some of the steps weren’t obvious from the outset, like having to separate the metal spines of books for recycling. But, in the end, it was also a great learning experience”, she adds.

Assessing the potential for energy savings is a critical step when moving forward with energy saving opportunities. Although Prism performs calculations in much of the work we do, we wanted to make some more common calculations freely available to the public on our website.

“Originally launched in 2010, the calculators were designed to help the industry move forward with energy savings,” explains Robert Greenwald, P.Eng., President of Prism Engineering. “It is not just a matter of saving energy, but also of reducing carbon emissions and having a positive impact on the environment,” he adds.

As part of our recently updated website, we are excited to launch a fully redesigned set of online calculators and make them available on our Resources page.

Who are the calculators for?

Building operators, facility managers, energy consultants, training session attendees, and energy managers can use the Energy Calculators to perform basic calculations on various system types. Developed by our team of engineers, the Energy Calculators can be applied to assess the efficiency across various systems, like condensing boilers, ventilation, conditioned air, motors, and pumps.

“The Energy Calculators can provide quick insight and help people decide if energy improvements are needed,” explains Lizz Hodgson, P.Eng., who was responsible for reviewing the functionality of the new tools to make sure all calculations were robust.

How can they be used?

The Energy Calculators are a free tool that can be used to make projections, generate insights, or conduct a quick assessment of how systems are performing, how they compare to established goals, and how their performance might be optimized.

In the picture above, the online calculator indicates the improvement in boiler efficiency (89% to 93%) that can be gained by lowering the boiler return water temperature from 60°C to 40°C.

Another way to make use of the Energy Calculators is when conducting walkthroughs audits or “Treasure Hunts”. By identifying operational opportunities for energy savings, facility operators can use the calculators to quickly assess the potential savings.

Although these calculators are a valuable tool, often the next step is a more thorough assessment. Prism Engineering can help by conducting detailed energy audits, recommissioning studies, deep carbon retrofits, and facility condition assessments to evaluate options. Our experienced team of electrical and mechanical engineers and technologists works closely with site personnel to identify, analyze, and present opportunities to reduce energy consumption and cost.

Learn more about some of our energy audit projects and related articles:

Simon Fraser University | Energy Audit
Justice Institute of BC New Westminster Campus | Energy Audit
Top 10 Energy Audit Problems

We are excited to share that we have three new Associates and a new Principal who have joined the Prism leadership team this summer.

Prism Associates are individuals with the experience, expertise, and passion to help grow our company to have an even bigger impact. Each Associate takes on company-level responsibilities, leading different aspects of our business, from quality assurance to business development to employee wellbeing. Our Associates also support the growth and development of our junior team members and are key to fostering our company culture of care and collaboration.

Faisal Emami is a great example of how an individual can grow at Prism. Since Faisal’s start as a co-op student in 2015, he has grown to be a trusted advisor for clients and now leads our electrical systems assessments and design services for distribution, generators and sub-metering systems.

David Joo is another highly valued member of the Electrical team who leads electrical design services for new construction, renovations and fire alarm upgrades at Prism. David’s enthusiasm and positive attitude fosters collaborative relationships with Prism’s partners and clients, leading to exceptional project outcomes.

Christine Obee leads Prism’s presence in Victoria and is an integral part of the Sustainability team. Her work with sustainability engagement, training and green building certification has shaped Prism’s esteemed reputation in these key services.

Our new Principal

Prism Principals provide strategic vision and leadership for the company and demonstrate expertise and experience in their field of work. They exemplify drive, passion and personal ambition which inspires their colleagues and embodies Prism’s core values. We are very excited to welcome Hamid Samani in his new capacity as a principal.

Since Hamid joined Prism in 2019, he has provided outstanding leadership in key service areas including new construction, mechanical services for district energy, HVAC and low carbon electrification implementation. With more than 30 years of project, technical and industry experience, Hamid serves as a valued mentor to team members and is recognized by Fellow of Engineers Canada (FEC) for his outstanding contribution to the advancement of the engineering profession in our country.

“I am excited by the addition of Faisal, David and Christine to our leadership team and by the expanded role that Hamid will have. Their drive and commitment are exemplary and will enable us to build on our past successes to help our clients meet their climate and energy goals.  On behalf of the entire Prism team, we are grateful to have such passionate leaders to work alongside with.” – Robert Greenwald, President.

Read more about our leadership team here.

*Top banner photo taken at the August Prism/PUMA company meeting and lunch with about 50% of our team in attendance.

Like many organizations, Thompson Rivers University (TRU) has been making great strides in managing energy performance through various plans and initiatives over recent years.  Always looking for ways to continually improve, TRU became interested in exploring ISO 50001 (Energy Management Systems).  ISO 50001 is an internationally recognized standard that provides a framework for implementing a robust and comprehensive strategic energy management (SEM) system or program.

TRU approached Prism to help explore ISO 50001 and determine what level of effort would be required to become self-compliant in the standard.  With funding support from Natural Resources Canada and program support from BC Hydro, TRU engaged Prism to help from start to finish.  To begin, Prism conducted an interactive gap analysis to determine what SEM program components were currently in place, and what gaps would need to be filled in order to comply with the standard.  The gap analysis gave insights into the work to be completed, and a list of priority areas to focus on first.  Prism is now in the early stages of supporting TRU to close these gaps and work towards full implementation of ISO 50001 by 2024.

By pursuing the ISO 50001 standard, TRU intends to make energy management an integral part of what the organization lives and breathes, including with staff, students, and faculty, all while supporting TRUs climate action goals.

Natalie Yao, TRU’s long-standing Energy Specialist has this to say about the whole process. “Prism’s experience with ISO 50001 and strategic energy management in general have made this process both engaging and a great learning experience for our team. The support offered by the Prism team provides us the confidence that we can reach our sustainability goals.”

For more information on ISO 50001 and to learn how pursuing the standard might benefit your organization, check out our webpage here or contact our ISO 50001 Service Lead, Sam Thomas, at sam@prismengineering.com