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YORK CATHOLIC DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD
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Energy procurement policy yields savings to members of a consortium led by the York Catholic District School Board Linda McLellan’s eyes light up as she describes the eagerness with which her students have embraced energy conservation. “The kids really want to be involved,” she explains. “They feel like they’re doing something important to protect the planet, and that means a lot to young people.” In her capacity as teacher/librarian at Our Lady Help of Christians Elementary School in Richmond Hill, McLellan sees the students’ commitment every day. Her school is one of three that are currently taking part in a pilot project known as the Eco Champion Program, which will be rolled out to 20 additional schools in the York Catholic District School Board (YCDSB) later this year. The program’s goal is to bring about awareness of electricity consumption in participating schools in three key ways:
Electricity consumption data for the previous 24 hours is displayed on a centrally located TV monitor so students and staff can monitor the immediate impacts of their consumption. Access to live data allows electricity users to see exactly how their actions can influence the amount of energy used by the school. Similarly, when a pre-determined threshold of electricity use is reached at one of the participating schools, “Save Energy” signs will flash in all classrooms, offices and libraries. At that time, students take action to reduce energy use by switching off unnecessary lights, computers, monitors or any other equipment. Beyond the Eco Champion Program, the YCDSB has taken a broad-based and aggressive approach to managing its energy consumption. Much of the Board’s success can be traced back to Norm Vezina, Senior Manager of Environmental and Office Services. Vezina has actively embraced the challenge to reduce the Board’s energy usage and associated costs in a number of innovative ways. Perhaps most importantly, Vezina formed an energy procurement consortium shortly after he took over the Building Services portfolio. When Ontario’s electricity market opened to competition in 2002, six school boards representing the Catholic School Board Services Association (CSBSA) saw an opportunity to reduce their costs by paying the hourly price for electricity. In the intervening years, the group grew at a rapid rate. The collective now represents 49 of 72 school boards in the province, comprising nearly 85 per cent of all elementary and secondary students in the province. By purchasing electricity and natural gas in large volumes, the consortium is able to secure deep price discounts. The consortium opted out of the regulated price plan for electricity in 2004, preferring to take advantage of a combination of spot market prices and fixed-rate contracts to minimize risk exposure and hedge against price volatility. Since that time, the YCDSB has saved over $1 million on electricity costs. Since 2000, combined consumption of electricity and natural gas has dropped by a whopping 30 per cent, representing $7.64 million in savings. “Reducing our energy consumption is a high priority,” Vezina declares. “It’s not just an environmental issue. It’s a dollars-and-cents issue.” Vezina has high praise for the Board’s faculty, administration, maintenance staff and students, noting that each group has made a concerted effort to find ways to use less energy. Vezina has also overseen the design and implementation of a multi-faceted energy management plan. Some of the completed projects include:
The Eco Champion Program is just one of the environmental initiatives underway at Our Lady Help of Christians, McLellan points out. In addition to reaching the school’s 570 students, administrators have made a concerted effort to develop programs that involve custodians, parents, teachers and other staff. Despite the successes to-date, Vezina hastens to add the work isn’t yet complete. “Energy management is a full-time job,” he says. “We are constantly looking for new ways to reduce our consumption – and our costs.” Other projects proceeding at schools under the YCDSB umbrella include installation of interval meters, building controls and automation, and utility bill verification systems; participation in the Ontario Power Authority’s Demand Response (DR) 3 program; development of additional awareness-raising programs; and introduction of energy conservation features in new building designs. As evidence of its commitment to conservation, the Board has also created a new department, the Environmental and Office Services Department, for which Vezina is now responsible. While he is modest when describing his own considerable achievements, Vezina gets fired up when he thinks of his students. “The kids are the future,” he says. “Initiatives like the Eco Champion Program show that they understand the importance of conserving energy. They really want to make a difference.” |
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