|
|
|
Resolving the skepticism of greenwashing
September, 2009
By Diane Marangoly
Many building owners, managers and operators are adopting green initiatives, but how do they verify their sustainable progress, let alone measure this progress against buildings in their peer group? Seeing through the green sheen can be difficult with so many claims to sustainability from renewable products to water conservation efforts to energy efficiency. Tracking and benchmarking energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions seems to be the only solution to dispel the skepticism towards greenwashing.
Adopting energy efficiency measures bodes well with tenants as a demonstration of environmental commitment; however, as the public grows more knowledgeable about energy efficiency, there has been a notable shift from thinking green to proving green. |
|
|
EnerGuide and ENERGY STAR are trusted programs ensuring products meet - if not exceed - green standards. Implementing such products can be a fairly safe bet that energy savings will be achieved, however, the buck does not stop there. Similar to the testing, comparison and ranking that products must go through to receive certification, many buildings must undergo the same process to further demonstrate their environmental stewardship and gain the confidence of their tenants.
A number of programs and certifications have resulted from the growing trend towards eco-consciousness including Canada Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification and more recently, GREEN UP – Canada’s Building Performance Program. This new national program is designed to help measure, rate and improve energy efficiency, water use and carbon emission performance of building portfolios.
Shaped by these programs and Boma (Building Owners and Managers Association) BESt (Building Environment Standards), Natural Resources Canada’s Office of Energy Efficiency is also working towards an energy rating and labeling system for Canadian buildings that will help building owners measure the energy performance of their commercial and institutional buildings. Scratching the surface of the building sectors, it is only a matter of time before all condominiums will be considered for many of these programs
|
|
|
|
|
|
Furthermore, the Canadian government continues to implement legislation to regulate and ensure green compliance. For instance, in the latest Ontario legislation, Bill 150 the Green Energy Act 2009 calls for the establishment of standards for conservation. Part of the act would amend the Building Code to make energy efficiency one of the code's key purposes and would also authorize regulations that would require persons who are offering to sell or to lease an interest in real property to provide energy-consumption and efficiency information with respect to a prescribed residence or other building.
The challenge of these certifications and legislations, although key to maximizing energy conservation efforts, is that they necessitate the need to conduct building performance audits that will provide full documentation of testing and verification of how energy efficient a building truly is. Usually requiring the service of engineers, architects and/or energy raters, environmental performance and management software has also joined these ranks in the green pursuit.
Offering simultaneous, real-time accessibility, the latest energy efficiency software enables users to gather accurate energy data (historical and current), uncover potential areas for cost-savings, benchmark against buildings within the same portfolio and set realistic targets. Recognizing the convenience, potential cost savings and effectiveness of such software, residential and commercial landlords are jumping on board. One example is Toronto Community Housing Corporation (TCHC), who saw the opportunity to achieve and track their energy goals through software in 2009.
Home to 160 thousand tenants, Toronto Community Housing manages 2,200 buildings (over 6 per cent of Toronto proper); 360 of which are high-rise and low-rise apartment buildings throughout the city. The largest social housing provider in Canada, the organization tracks over ten thousand bulk meters and is accountable for most water, gas, waste and electricity costs which total over $100 million per year.
With limited resources, TCHC implemented energy efficiency software to ensure they get the best bang from each energy efficiency dollar invested in the portfolio. “Energy tracking software will help reduce operating costs and improve our bottom line by managing our energy procurement and use more efficiently; allowing more money to be invested back into the community and neighbourhoods where it will have the greatest effect,” states William Sacks, Project Manager, Smart Buildings & Energy Management, Toronto Community Housing Corporation.
With plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 40 per cent, energy consumption by 30 per cent and water usage by 30 per cent by 2020, visibility of energy consumption data will play a significant role. “Being able to generate automated reports and measure against our targeted goals allows us to gauge our progress and continue to improve our communities, serve our tenants, and create a smart, healthy and sustainable organization,” continues Sacks. “Eventually, we hope to use the software to share our progress with our tenants, influencing them to take the accountability into their own hands - where everyday decisions about turning off lights or reporting leaks and recycling will have a large impact for the TCHC community as a whole.”
Encouraging tenants to implement their own energy saving measures is advantageous in achieving green goals – not to mention a great way to gain community support. Although programs may not yet be designed for condominiums, evidence of energy efficiency efforts is still valuable and can serve as a means to better prepare and ensure compliance with the law and candidacy for certification when it becomes available. Also, data gathered can be made readily available and used to keep the public informed of targeted progress, which will further build credibility and loyalty among tenants.
With the ever-increasing demand for more efficient, comfortable, healthier and sustainable buildings, the opportunities and products available to assist with going green are endless. What is key, however, is prioritizing efforts by importance towards meeting realistic targeted goals and setting up a system to track progress as the program unfolds.
For example, every portfolio will have some buildings that are more efficient than others – often a result of age and construction methods. Tracking consumption among a group of buildings and benchmarking them together reveals the sites that are over-consuming and that likely present the most attractive return on energy efficiency investments. Failing to prioritize energy investments can reduce the efficacy of an overall energy management program. Some buildings may have opportunities in water conservation and nothing else, while others may have excellent water performance but use too much gas for heating and hot water. Tracking software makes these trends visible and allows landlords to act on the information.
“Continued success with energy management and conservation programs lies not only in the proper application of green features, but the organization’s ability to monitor the results to ensure achievement, continued improvement, as well as compliance to legislated objectives,” states Gerald Rubenovitch, President of EnergyCAP Canada. “Green efforts and programs often come up short of projected results because green efforts without tracking of greenhouse gas emissions and energy savings tend to lose direction. We are an information based society - without all the information and data to constantly improve our practices, we risk greenwashing.”
EnergyCAP is an energy efficiency software designed to assist users in their effort to measure, manage and save on energy consumption. For more information, please visit www.energycap.com or contact Gerald Rubenovitch at 416-368-2000 ext. 5216.
|
|
 |
| |
|
|
| |
| < Back |
|
|
|
| Copyright © CondoBusiness All rights reserved. |
|
|
|
|
|
|