Building Strategies & Sustainability
Spring 2012
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contents
Building Strategies & Sustainability ENERGY EFFICIENT SOLUTIONS FOR NEW CONSTRUCTION & RETROFITS
Volume 2 Number 2 • Spring 2012 Publisher | Chuck Nervick
chuckn@mediaedge.ca 416.512.8186 ext. 227 Co- Publisher | Paul Murphy paulm@mediaedge.ca 416.512.8186 ext. 264 Editor | Scott Anderson Senior Graphic Designer | Annette Carlucci
annettec@mediaedge.ca
Graphic Designer | Jennifer Carter
jenc@mediaedge.ca
Production Manager | Rachel Selbie
rachels@mediaedge.ca
Circulation Manager | Lina Trunina
circulation@mediaedge.ca Contributing Writers Peter Love Keith Bannon Stephen Carpenter Ajon Moriyama Graham Murfitt Yasmin Glanville Agnes Miczynska Published by
President | Kevin Brown
kevinb@mediaedge.ca
Vice-President | Chuck Nervick
chuckn@mediaedge.ca
5255 Yonge St., Suite 1000 Toronto, Ontario M2N 6P4 Tel: 416.512.8186 Fax: 416.512.8344 www.mediaedge.ca Building Strategies & Sustainability is published four times a year by MediaEdge Communications Inc. Subscription Rates (Canada): 1 year $50*, 2 years $90*, single copy $12*. US 1 year $75. International $100. Plus applicable taxes*. For other inquires please contact the Circulation Department 416.512.8186 ext. 232 Reprints: No part of this magazine may be reproduced in any form – print or electronic – without written permission from the publisher. Requests for permission to reprint any portion of this magazine should be sent to paulm@mediaedge.ca. © COPYRIGHT 2012 Canada Post Canadian Publications Mail Sales Product Agreement No. 40063056 ISSN 1917-8026.
Cover Story
Features
8
18
Canada’s sustainability champions
Green construction What’s green on the inside?
DEPARTMENTS
Columns
6
Editor’s note Sustainable design makes good financial sense
14
Environmental intersection Green buildings in China
25
Industry Q&A Sustainable architecture
21
Legal corner Mediated settlements
28
Corporate sustainability Program development
22
Project profile A Grander View
30
Remediation Decommissioning a PCB digester
27
Engineering forum Overcoming concrete construction obstacles
/bssmediaedge /buildstrategies /mediaedgebss Spring 2012 5
Editor's note
Sustainable design makes good financial sense
I
In a bid to green their buildings and jump aboard the sustainability bandwagon, companies are realizing the importance of planning sooner. With that in mind they are enlisting the services of professionals such as architects and consultants to help them plan their buildings from the start. In return these professionals help them get the most bang for their buck and also guide them towards the best options for achieving sustainable certification processes such as LEED. In this issue of Building Strategies & Sustainability we talk with two leading architects and get their views on the trends in planning and designing new buildings. And Environmental Intersection, a new column series under the guidance of Peter Love, an Adjunct Professor at York University’s Faculty of Environmental Studies and the former Chief Energy Conservation Officer of Ontario, aims to help those interested in designing, implementing, verifying and marketing a company’s sustainability journey. Meanwhile, Stephen Carpenter, president of Enermodal Engineering, Canada’s largest green building consulting firm, takes us through the process of how his company’s new headquarters was built. After reading the columns and features you will agree with Ajon Moriyama, a partner at Moriyama & Teshima Architects, who comes to the conclusion that “for many building owners, sustainable design is simply a cost-effective investment. There’s no sacrifice involved - it just makes good financial sense.” Scott Anderson Editor Building Strategies & Sustainability
Building Strategies & Sustainability ENERGY EFFICIENT SOLUTIONS FOR NEW CONSTRUCTION & RETROFITS
Visit us online at
www.bssmagazine.ca
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SAVING energy makes sense SAVING energy makes sense SAVING energy makes sense SAVING makes sense —business sense. SAVING energy makes sense —business sense. —business sense. —business sense. —business sense. You’re always looking for new ways to control your operating costs. Energy use is no exception. Your local electric You’re always looking for new ways to controltailored your operating costs. Small Energy use is no exception. Your for local electric utility has a range of energy-effi cient to businesses. businesses may be eligible incentives You’re always looking fornew newways wayssolutions tocontrol control your your operating costs. use Your electric You’re always looking for to costs. Energy Energy useisisno noexception. exception. Yourlocal local electric utility has a range of energy-effi cient solutions tailored to industrial businesses. Small businesses may be eligible for incentives toutility upgrade their lighting. Commercial, agricultural and operations has a range of energy-effi cient solutions tailored businesses. Small businesses may be eligible for incentives utility has a range of energy-effi cient solutions tailored to businesses. Small businesses may be eligible for incentives You’re always looking for new ways to control your operating costs. Energy use is no exception. Your local electric to upgrade lighting. Commercial, and upgrades, industrial operations Your local electric utility can tap into their funding for lighting, systemagricultural and equipment as well as upgrade theirlighting. lighting. Commercial, agricultural and operations totoupgrade their Commercial, agricultural operations utility has a range of energy-effi cient solutions tailored to industrial businesses. Small businessesYour may beincentives eligible forutility incentives offers for: local electric can tap funding lighting, system and equipment upgrades, as well well as Your local electric Your local electricutility utility forcan energy audits andfor shifting energy usage from peak demand times. tapinto into funding for lighting, system and away equipment upgrades, as as offers incentives for: can tap into funding for lighting, system and equipment upgrades, as well as to upgrade their lighting. Commercial, agricultural and industrial operations offers incentives for: incentives for: for energy audits and shifting energy away demand times. times. •offers Energy-effi cient lighting energy audits and shifting energy usage usage awayt.from from peak peak demand Big or small, every Ontario business can benefi Your local electric utility forforenergy and energy usage from peak demand times. can tap intoaudits funding forshifting lighting, system and away equipment upgrades, as well as • Energy-effi cient lighting Shifting energy use Big small, ••offers Energy-effi cient incentives for: Energy-effi cientlighting lighting Bigor small,every everyOntario Ontariobusiness businesscan can benefi benefit. t. Big oror small, every can benefi t. Shifting energy use Equipment upgrades for energy audits and shiftingbusiness energyyour usage awayelectric from peak demand times. •• Find out more byOntario contacting local •Shifting Shiftingenergy energyuse use Equipment upgrades Energy audits •Equipment Energy-effi cient lighting •• upgrades Find more by contacting your • Equipment upgrades Big orout small, every Ontario business canlocal benefielectric t. Find outvisit more by contacting your local electric utility or saveonenergy.ca/business Find out more by contacting your local electric • Energy audits
utility visit utilityor visitsaveonenergy.ca/business saveonenergy.ca/business utility ororvisit Find out moresaveonenergy.ca/business by contacting your local electric utility or visit saveonenergy.ca/business Subject to additional terms and conditions found at saveonenergy.ca. Subject to change without notice. A mark of the Province of Ontario protected under Canadian trade-mark law. Used under licence. Subject to additional terms andand conditions found atatsaveonenergy.ca. Subject to additional terms conditions found saveonenergy.ca.Subject Subjecttotochange changewithout withoutnotice. notice. OM Offi cialtoMarks of theterms Ontario Power Authority. Subject additional conditions found atCanadian saveonenergy.ca. Subject to under change without notice. A mark of the Province of Ontario protected under A mark of the Province ofand Ontario protected under Canadiantrade-mark trade-marklaw. law.Used Used underlicence. licence. OM OM cial A Offi mark theMarks Province of Ontario protected under Canadian trade-mark law. Used under licence. Marks of the Ontario Power Authority. Offiofcial of the Ontario Power Authority. OM Official Marks of the Ontario Power Authority. Subject to additional terms and conditions found at saveonenergy.ca. Subject to change without notice. A mark of the Province of Ontario protected under Canadian trade-mark law. Used under licence. OM Official Marks of the Ontario Power Authority.
Shifting energy use •• •Energy Energyaudits audits • Equipment upgrades • Energy audits
cover story
The green leaders Canada’s sustainability champions
Canada is known around the world for its green spaces and picturesque landscapes. But the country is also making a name for itself as one of the leaders in sustainable construction and development. Building Strategies & Sustainability profiles four leaders who literally as well as figuratively stand out in their fields. Tyler Elm
Canadian Tire vice-president of Corporate Strategy and Business There was a time Canadian Tire Corp. considered environmental initiatives a “cost” to the organization and the area of “corporate social responsibility” was tucked into the corporate affairs department. Then along came Tyler Elm. His arrival at the retail giant in 2008 signalled a seismic shift in Canadian Tire’s approach to sustainability. A leader in his field, Elm specializes in employing business sustainability as a strategic framework for innovation, growth and organizational enhancement at for-profit organizations. Before Canadian Tire, Elm was the principal architect of the business sustainability strategy at two global retailers, a Principal Strategy Consultant with PriceWaterhouseCoopers and IBM Consulting, and a registered professional biologist focused on conserving biodiversity in industrial forests. In his current role as Canadian Tire’s vicepresident of Corporate Strateg y and Business Sustainability – reporting directly to the chief strategy off icer and under the oversight of the board of directors – Elm is in his element, implementing an enterprise-wide strategy based on
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“The focus in 2012 is to continue to integrate business sustainability into corporate strategy and build and support the expansion of sustainability initiatives into areas beyond the core retail business…” delivering both economic and environmental value. Although the strategy is still in its early years, his work to date has already received wide recognition. For instance, Elm was recently named one of Canada’s “Clean50,” a distinguished list of Canadians who have advanced the cause of sustainability and clean c a p it a l i s m , a n d r e c o g n i z e d fo r Excellence in Corporate R e s p onsibi l it y by Gre en L iv i n g Enterprises and a panel of thought leaders from a variety of Canadian environmental organizations. W hile Canadian Tire's strateg y promotes t he use of low-ca rbon energy, energy efficiency and material eff iciency in its pursuit to reduce waste and GHG emissions, it’s by no means a green or compliance initiative. It’s a business strategy that benefits the company, customers and the environment. Critical to the strategy’s success was t he de velopment of met r ics a nd
processes for quant if y ing t he economic and environmental value of sustainability initiatives. That paved the way for Canadian Tire to become the first company in Canada to report sustainability results quarterly in core f inancial documents. This process involves reviews by the CEO-CFO Certification Office, Internal Audit, the External Audit and Disclosure Committees. In the first three quarters of 2011, the latest data available, Canadian T i r e c omple te d 3 6 5 i n it i at i v e s , generating approximately $4.5 million in annual cost avoidance, which is equivalent to the energ y use and em is sions f rom p ower i ng 694 Canadian homes each year. Sustainability initiatives span the entire value chain and are grouped into three categories – products and packaging, product transportation, and buildings and operations – and focus on sustainable design, energy productivit y, process and material
eff iciency, stewardship and waste reduction. Canadian Tire has also begun construction on 16 rooftop solar installations that will generate energy for the community and revenue for the company. Last year, Canadian Tire took the add it iona l step of incor porat ing business sustainability objectives into its annual operating plan, and Human Resources was able to link sustainability results to the variablecompensation of executives and more than 250 product buyers and managers in Merchandising, Marketing, Storeplanning, Store-support, and Finance. Elm has accomplished much in a short time, but his work is hardly done. The focus in 2012 is to continue to integrate business sustainability into corporate strategy and build and support the expansion of sustainability initiatives into areas beyond the core r e t a i l bu si ne s s , n a me l y M a rk ’s , Canadian Tire Gas+, and the newlyacquired FGL Sports. Spring 2012 9
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Gord Hicks,
president, BLJC In 1998, I was dropping my son off at his new school and there were pesticide warning signs on the lawns. I was enraged that toxic chemicals would be used anywhere in the vicinity where children would be playing. The fact that the sole purpose for these chemical applications was for cosmetic lawn care, and that public organizations would risk the health of children by using these products, is unconscionable. The effects on our environment with water and soil contamination also have signif icant impacts on future generations. It was this event that helped f uel my pa ssion to bu i ld awareness and change attitudes and behaviors towards the environment, and also to recognize the role we all must play in being stewards of our communities. In 20 06, I became president of BLJC, a joint venture company with Brookf ield Properties and Johnson Controls. In March of that year, BLJC became the f irst company in the industry to ban the use of pesticides for cosmetic lawn care purposes. It was around this time that Al Gore’s “An Inconvenient Truth” was released, and from watching this, I realized that climate change is one of the biggest threats to future generations. When I learned that the real estate industry was responsible for 35 per cent of the greenhouse gas emissions in Canada, I realized the positive impact that our organization, as a leader in this industry, could invoke. It was then that I committed to being involved as a presenter with Al Gore’s “The Climate Project Canada”, and also committed to being a board member of the Canada Green Building Council. I soon realized that running a sustainable organization by protecting our most valuable resources (c l e a n a i r, w at e r, l a nd , he a lt hy communities, and team members) 10 Building Strategies & Sustainability
d idn’t hu r t ou r bot tom l ine, but actually made us more profitable and competitive. I believe our sustainability initiatives have positioned us as an industry leader. In 2009, BLJC began recording its progress and tracking its efforts on reducing the environmental impacts from its business. In 2011, through the team’s actions, the company has reduced the GHG emissions from the portfolios that it manages by more than 22,140 tonnes, which is the equivalent of removing 5,000 cars from Canadian roads each year, or equivalent to the amount of CO2 sequestered by 567,692 trees seedlings grown for 10 years. In late 2010, BLJC implemented a zero waste initiative at its head office that has resulted in 100 per cent waste diversion or the equivalent of 77 tons of solid waste being diverted from landfill annually. Further, BLJC has lead the industry in publicly disclosing its environmental activities by publishing a corporate sustainability report each year since 2009, providing transparency related to its environmental objectives and results. Maclean’s and Canadian Business magazines have both recognized BLJC as one of “Canada’s Top 30 Greenest Companies” in both 2010 and 2011. My long-term vision for sustainability at BLJC is to create a portfolio of facilities that w il l leverage their geog raphic locations and nat u ra l environments to: • Generate all of their own energy through renewable resources. • Capture all of their water requirements and treat all of their waste water on site. • Utilize all resources efficiently and produce zero waste through restorative processes. I believe that w ith innovation, creativity and resourcefulness, one day corporations will be able to create a net positive impact on the environment from their real estate inventory.
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Murray Johnson
Murray Johnson, vice-president of Customer Service Development for Brookfield Residential Services Ltd. As an activist in the multi-residential sector promoting energy efficiencies, and operat ing e xc lusively in t he condominium ma rket, Mu r ray Johnson’s efforts have been recognized by t he Cit y of Toronto’s Bet ter Building Partnership program in its 2010 certif icate award program as being the leader for energy reductions in condominium buildings. Johnson often speaks of the multidimensional aspects of sustainability and the need to look beyond the standa rd def inition of renewable resources such as wind and solar power generation. He speaks of the ability of a residential building to act ually generate revenue based on existing expense levels. With energy efficiencies and the realized savings on operating costs, and without lowering annual operating budgets, revenue for other projects can be realized. As with all multi-residential energy efficiency projects including electricity, gas and water, the condominium market is no exception, and has a perhaps higher expectation of wanting a Return on Investment (ROI). The only source of revenue in condominiums is from the owners through monthly condominium fee collections. Net ROIs consisting of not only the return of the initial investment, but also including the required accrual of funds realized t h rough energ y sav ing s for t he replacement of the component or system that is being retrofitted is essential. The most ideal circumstances include in the remaining life of the component or system a period of excess savings defined as revenue generation. Nothing can be more sustainable than the realized energy savings offering a return on initial investment, accruing funds for end of life replacement and even generating revenue for other
energy efficiency projects or building revitalization projects without additional capital investment by owners, now or in the future. Johnson has been the facilitator of hundreds of condominium energ y efficiency projects in the last few years ranging in cost from a few thousand dollars to more than $100,000. These projects have realized operational utility savings for Brookfield clients of anywhere from only a few thousand dollars to more than $180,000 a year. Most of these projects are admittedly arrived at from addressing what is commonly called low hanging fruit; VFD’s, intermit tent pumping, boiler upgrades, re-plumbing of heating and domestic hot water systems, garage exhaust upgrades and lighting retrofits but are required to generate revenue for more complex projects. In one ga rage l ight ing project involving the retrofitting of 100 watt HPS lights to 40 watt induction lighting, the Electrical Standards Association stopped work because the draw on the electrical circuits fell below the breaker limits. Individual f ixture fuses had to be aff ixed to correct the problem. The client is now benefiting from a technology that has an operating life of a minimum of 10 years and offers a Net ROI of less than 18 months and at the end of the net ROI provides an operating utility reduction cost of more than $100,000 per year for the remaining 7.5 years. Johnson says that only through market analysis of new and existing technologies, inter views with upcoming ser vice providers and the due diligence required to properly investigate new trends in great detail, can condominiums start to develop plans that will set them firmly on the path to true sustainability in a way that is both planet friendly and affordable. He advises his clients to get on the energy train and consider each project a short stop along the route to affordable sustainability. Spring 2012 11
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“People do not have to be pushed into sustainability, rather they just need convenient access to reliable utilities information that allows them to improve efficiency”
Rick Williams,
president, CARMA Industries The world we live in is organized to help each of us control our costs. Everywhere we look, the information we need to make efficient decisions that affect the sustainability of our env ironment is read i ly ava i lable. Transportation costs are impacted largely by vehicle fuel efficiency ratings, and gas pump prices. Vehicle efficiency information serves as an example of the information that is continually available to each of us to responsibly impact env ironmenta l sustainability. Monthly utility billing and collection serves to reduce utilities consumption. The entire local utility industry has relied on end-user judgment to upgrade to energy efficient appliances. Utility providers are making individual consumer information readily available through easy to access web portals. Information is now readily available to allow consumers to view the impact of a new refrigerator or compact fluorescent lights they purchased. Sustainability information is evolving and improving. C om merc ia l , mu lt i-re sident ia l a nd educational buildings that have purchased sophisticated automated control technology need to have utilities monitoring and v a l id at ion i n for mat ion made re ad i ly available. Property, facility and operations managers do not have the time to analyze reams of utilities data. By contrast, they need tools to inform them when above normal usage has been experienced. The tools need to be available to all stakeholders and updated in real-time. In 2006, GWL Realty Advisors Inc. installed CARMA Tenant Submetering S y s t e m s i n fo u r c o m m e r c i a l of f i c e properties in Markham, Ont. The manager of 12 Building Strategies & Sustainability
sustainability at GWL challenged CARMA to conf irm how a Tenant Electricit y Submetering System could pay for itself within three years or less. Carma received approval to schedule utilities midnight audit in t wo of the commercial off ice properties. The actual savings documented du r i ng t he ut i l it ie s m id n ight aud it s amounted to 17 per cent of total annual electricit y consumption. The resulting savings confirmed a payback on the tenant submetering system of less than one year. Since that time, CARMA has completed utilities midnight audits in 12 million square feet of commercial office properties. Average annual electricity savings of 10 per cent to 11 per cent of total annual elec t r ic it y consu mpt ion have been documented w ithin f u l l tenant space midnight audits. Average annual electricity
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savings of 5 per cent to 6 per cent of total annual electricity consumption have been documented for lighting audits within tenant space alone. In all cases the utilities midnight audit coupled with the installation of a CARMA submetering system supports a payback within two to three years, on average. The real sustainability value is derived through the midnight audit process coupled with the ongoing alert/alarm notif ication prov ided through the CARMA submetering system. “ W hen we constr ucted our new facility in Lindsay, Ont., three years ago, we were confronted with the same new development compromises that all developers face,” said Rick Williams, president of CARMA Industries. “The understanding that we needed information about our utilities use was automat ic for us, a nd led to t he i nsta l l at ion of c hec k meter s a nd submeters for a l l of f ice l ight ing, rooftop units, factory equipment and outdoor lighting.” T he in for mat ion was accessible through an easy to use web portal that allowed complex heating and cooling def ic ienc ies to be ident i f ied a nd corrected within the new construction warranty period. “A portion of CARMA’s new facility was set aside as a n a rea we ca l l Building Sciences. Two years after occupying the building, we rely heavily on our Building Sciences Group to make sure submetering data, produced by 35,0 0 0 customer submeters, is complete and accurate, before the data can be transferred into useable utilities information,” Williams said. Incomplete data becomes inaccurate information with results that cannot be trusted. For full stakeholder buy-in, the information has to be a reliable guide in managing and improving upon property sustainability goals. The creation of CARMA’s Building Sciences Group was driven by customer requests. Although massive quantities of utilities data are often collected, the data needs to be turned into useful i n for mat ion. Be yond ma k i ng t he information easy to access, customers asked, could the information become s e l f- d i a g no s t ic? Wit h a l l of t he on goi n g re s p onsibi l it ie s b or n by bui ld ing operators, managers and
school custodians, utilities sustainability has to become integral to daily activities, and available with automated exception reporting. The Building Sciences Group features a sof t w a re de velopment tea m t hat continually adds functionality to the utilities information portal. The alert/ a la rm sof t wa re appl ication offers automated alerts when excess utilities consumption occurs, documents the event and records the corrective action taken as part of the building’s electronic history record. Information can be organized, including units of utilities, equivalent kilowatt hours and carbon equivalents for building staff, regional managers and corporate directors. It all begins with accurate data and reliable in for mat ion for on-site bu i ld ing operations staff. CAR MA has worked with many environmentally concerned organizations that stand out among their peers. Many major property owners and managers, school boards and government/facility management specialists are at differing st a g e s of i mplement i ng ut i l it ie s information collection and reporting systems across Canada. “ M ajor ten a nt s i n com merc ia l properties like Telus and The TorontoDominion Bank are un-acknowledged leaders in our view,” said Williams. CA R M A’s at tention to utilities submeters accuracy and customer driven s of t w a r e d e v e lopme nt h a s b e e n recognized by property owners across Canada. Recent projects include the Vancouver Convention Centre and Canada Place in Vancouver, The Bow and Eighth Avenue Place in Calgary, Scarborough Town Centre and 18 York Street in Toronto, as well as 180 Kent Street and 395 Terminal Avenue in Ottawa. Recently, a national owner of high prof ile commercial off ice and retail shopping centres has selected CARMA to launch an enterprise energy monitoring system across Canada. “People do not have to be pushed into sustainability, rather they just need convenient access to reliable utilities information that allows them to improve efficiency,” said Williams. “The foundation is a corporate will to address sustainability and integrate utilities information into building operators’ daily activities.”
“Incomplete data becomes inaccurate information with results that cannot be trusted. For full stakeholder buy-in, the information has to be a reliable guide in managing and improving upon property sustainability goals”
Spring 2012 13
Environmental Intersection
Green buildings in China Observations of a booming nation By Peter Love
14 Building Strategies & Sustainability
Environmental Intersection
This is a column that will be exploring new ideas, trends and developments in environmental matters related to buildings.
This first column combines two topics familiar to everyone on their own but not together. It is based on a recent trip to China to speak at an international low-carbon conference and to follow up on earlier meetings with building inspection officials from China during a Canadian study tour. Four cities were visited over two weeks: Chongqing (population 31 million, largest in China), Yichang (6 million, beside the 22,000 MW Three Gorges hydro station which is a b out 10 t i me s t he g e ne r at ion c apac it y of Ont a r io st at ions at Niagara Falls), Dalian (6 million, the greenest city) and Beijing (22 million with no less than five ring roads). Firstly, a few general observations on China. There is very little police/ military presence and no apparent slums with 25 to 30 year old buildings being demolished to make way for new buildings. Air quality in the biggest cities remains a huge issue but at least when I was there in the fall, it was less irritating than what I have experienced with “bad air” days in Los Angeles and Mexico City. At the macro level, the most far reaching environmental initiative in China is the recent five-year plan. This is the 12th such plan and based on the history of the past 11, it can be expected that its targets are much more likely to be exceeded than not. The numbers are staggering; 7 percent/year growth in the economy, 40 per cent increase in GDP, 45 million new jobs (many in the emerging green economy) and 36 million new low income apartment units. Past economic growth, which has averaged 10 per cent annually, has resulted in 440 million Chinese being lifted out of poverty representing the biggest reduction of poverty in world history. Energy conservation is one of the six primary economic policy tools that will form the basis for the overall strategy. The target is a 16 per cent reduction in energy intensity and 70,000 MW of new renewable electricity generation capacity (more than twice the size of
Ontario’s current grid). A major weak ness of this plan, from an env ironmental perspective, is its continued reliance on coal (which it will try to make cleaner and more efficient), nuclear (the plan was completed before Fukushima Daiichi) and shale gas. At the city level, the government refers to the development of 149 “ecocities”. In 2001, the UN named Dalian China’s first “Model Environmental City” (only the 2nd in Asia). In Dalian’s new BEST (Biodiverse Emerging Science Technology) City, a 150,000 m 2 green office building has already been completed with other green buildings to follow in what city officials refer to as “an ecological Silicon Valley”. Although initial attempts to develop “eco cities” in Dongtan and Huangbaiyu (U.S. architect William McDonough of “Cradle to Cradle” fame worked on the initial design) were not successful, Tianjin Eco City (estimated population 350,000 by 2020, 140 km. southwest of Beijing) appears to be on track. At the individual building level, its last five-year plan required energy savings of 50 per cent for new buildings nationwide and up to 65 per cent for buildings in Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin and Chongqing. The first LEED certified building was the Agenda 21 office in Beijing where two agencies of China’s Ministry of Science and Technology are located. With technical assistance from the U.S. non-profit NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council), this building uses 74 per cent less energy compared with a conventional office building. One of the most well known is the Olympic Village with which NRDC also assisted and achieved a LEEDNeighbourhood Development Gold certification. There are now about 400 LEED certified buildings in China. One example is a life science and technology centre in Beijing that is certified LEED Silver and was designed by B+H with collaboration between its Toronto and Shanghai offices. China has also developed its own Green Building Design label (GBDL) Spring 2012 15
Environmental Intersection
“Real progress is being made and it will be important to continue to monitor developments in China…” CARMA_CondoBusiness_01-19-2009_CS2--F.pdf
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that awards one to three stars. Although this program has many of the key at t r ibutes of t he inter nat iona l lyr e c o g n i z e d L E E D p r o g r a m , it s certification requirements are much less rigorous as only an independent review of the proposed design is required. At the residential level, although most new home construction in China is apartments/condos, one particularly interesting demonstration project is the “Low Carbon Cottage” in Nanguan Park in downtown Beijing. In addition to what you might expect to see (solar domestic hot water collector, thick insulation on walls/ceiling, heat pump, energy efficient lights/appliances), it also featured a series of videos that played on the bed and stove top that illustrated conservation behaviour such as walking to school, using a small covered pot to boil water, etc. Important improvements are also being made in the retrof itting of existing buildings. An important development is the creation of the China Energ y Management Company Association (EMCA) which is its national energy service company association that promotes the use of energy performance contacts. These are contracts where private companies finance an energy retrofit and repaid through the annual energy savings that is guaranteed. One example of such an initiative is the Sino-French Training Centre for Energy Efficiency (CFFCME) at the Beijing Civil Engineering and Architecture University where a recent energy efficiency retrofit by Terao (a French company) is expected to reduce energy for heating the building by 65 per cent. While certainly there are government attempts at green washing in China, as there is here in Canada, real progress is being made and it will be important to continue to monitor developments in China for both the new products/processes that are developed as well as the impact it will have on the world’s green house gas emissions. BS&S Peter Love is an Adjunct Professor at York University’s Faculty of Environmental Studies, President of the Energy Services Association of Canada and serves on a number of corporate and non-profits boards. Previously, he was Ontario’s Chief Energy Conservation Officer. He can be reached at peter@loveenergyconsultants.com
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11-05-02 11:09 AM
EDUCATE. ENGAGE. EXCHANGE. Taking the three R’s of the environment to another level at the SNC-Lavalin O&M Building Sustainability Forum. SNC-Lavalin O&M is taking the issue of sustainability to a new level by introducing its own three E’s: Educate. Engage. Exchange. Educating and engaging clients and employees is central part of SNCLavalin’s WE CARE principles and its sustainability mandate. Collaboration and cross-functional work, integral to sustainability, require exchange of ideas and solutions, and this is exactly what SNC-Lavalin O&M’s annual Building Sustainability Forum aims to do. SNC-Lavalin O&M’s clients, senior management and sustainability industry leaders will gather on May 23, 2012 at the Toronto Botanical Garden, a LEED Silver certified building, to Educate, Engage and Exchange. The Building Sustainability Forum will showcase how to effectively manage sustainability throughout an organization, how marketing and a corporate culture are becoming intertwined in the sustainability era, the power of partnering with environmental NGOs, and much more. The day will start with addresses from two sustainability thought leaders; Jed Goldberg, President of Earth Day Canada, who will share his experience of working with companies that are building greater brand value by engaging employees to achieve corporate sustainability objectives; and Michael Jantzi, President and CEO of
Sustainalytics, who will discuss the benefits of evaluating sustainability performance from the standpoint of external investors and internal management. During the afternoon panel discussions, participants will have a chance to debate sector-specific questions and best practices related to smart buildings, water security and conservation, the link between asset management, zero-energy buildings and lifecycle approaches. Participants will also have the opportunity to learn interactively about the power of connecting with employees and how leveraging their passion can help create a sustainability culture based on shared values. Some of our moderators and panelists include: Anthony Watanabe, President and CEO of Innovolve Group; Don Barry, Associate Partner at IBM Global Business Services; Nadine Gudz, Director, Sustainability Strategy at InterfaceFLOR; Rene Drolet, Director, Policy and Research at National Round table on the Environment and the Economy; Barb Steel, Director of Strategic Partnerships at Network for Business Sustainability. The Forum will be organized as a ‘towards zero waste’ event. It will be bullfrog-powered with 100% carbonfree green power and our guests’ travel GHG emissions will be mitigated through
the purchase of Gold Standard carbon offsets. SNC-Lavalin O&M will also work with the Toronto Botanical Garden to eliminate the residual waste receptacles and ensure recycling and composting bins are present. Moreover, Sequel, the event caterer, a committed market partner of Local Food Plus and member of Green Enterprise Ontario, has leveraged their strong relationship with local Ontario farmers, to design a menu based solely on local, seasonal and/or organic ingredients, while committing to eliminating the event’s catering waste almost entirely (including a donation of food leftovers to a charitable organization). Throughout the day, participants will have ample time to connect with and learn from green building industry representatives about the most innovative products and services showcased at the display tables, and discover the latest trends to support sustainability initiatives in buildings and communities. SNC-Lavalin O&M and its guests will be in for a day of inspirational sustainability leadership lessons and networking with environment and business leaders.
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Green interior design By Scott Anderson
What’s green on the inside? Green building industry leader Jerry Yudelson has seen the future and it looks good for sustainability. The U.S.-based guru on green buildings predicts that green building will continue its rebound in 2012 despite ongoing economic difficulties in most developed economies. However, he sees the focus shifting to the so-called “greening” of existing buildings in place of new construction as the slowdown in new commercial real estate lingers. “What we’re seeing is that more people are building green each year and there is nothing on the horizon that will stop this mega-trend or its components,” he explains in his annual Green Building Mega-Trends report. “However, in 2010 and 2011, the continuing slowdown in commercial real estate and the end of recovery funding put a crimp in new green building projects.” Yudelson suggests that green building in North America will rebound in 2012 using new LEED project registrations as a proxy for this growth.
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He notes that in 2011, LEED in new construction accounted for about 20 per cent of all “put-in-place space”, with domestic LEED project registrations up almost 40 per cent from 2010 levels. However, he sees faster growth in green retrofits, ongoing college and university projects and NGO activity. “One fast growing LEED rating system the past two years has been LEED for Existing Buildings Operations and Maintenance (LEED-EBOM) with cumulative floor area in certifications now greater than in existing buildings and I expect this trend to pick up in 2012,” he suggests in the report. “One driver of this Mega-Trend is the fact that ‘green’ buildings have rents and asset prices that are significantly higher than those documented for conventional office space.” If Yudelson’s predictions ring true then many building owners will be looking for ways to climb on the green building bandwagon.
Photos courtesy of Green over Grey
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Business benefits A recent report on corporate social responsibilit y by Industr y Canada suggests that the costs of incorporating sustainability into buildings far outweigh any negatives attached. The benefits include: Cost savings, increased productiv it y, employee attraction and retention, and increased media attention. “Although there can be increased capital costs of approximately two per cent in green builds and renovations, those costs are often quickly recuperated through reduced operating costs,” the report states. Industry Canada suggests that ecoefficient building systems and fixtures can reduce energy and water costs by 30 per cent to 40 per cent, while the best new buildings are designed to achieve 70 per cent reduction in energy costs over the building code requirements. It also argues that maintenance costs can be reduced since efficient systems like heating are often smaller and easier to maintain, and fixtures like energy efficient lighting require less frequent bulb changing over time. Aside from the obvious cost-saving measures, reports show that green buildings also help attract and retain employees. Resea rch show s t hat absenteeism and health issues are lower in green buildings while productivity is up to 10 times greater in buildings with improved ventilation, improved lighting and better temperature control. “Employees can benefit from an improved environment due to reduced noise, and better lighting, air quality, and temperature control, which can translate into bottom line productivity benefits for businesses,” Industry Canada said. At ground level Flooring is certainly one way building owners have been embracing the trend as they ditch carpet for more durable and long lasting products. Bamboo flooring is being used more and more in homes, for example. Known for its resistance to insects and moisture, bamboo flooring has made an impact in the North American marketplace. Its popularity is also rising in Europe, Asia and other parts of the world with increasing awareness. As a grass, bamboo replenishes itself
naturally in the wild and reaches maturity in just five to six years. Harvesting bamboo involves cutting the shoot and leaving the root untouched, meaning it can consistently produce new shoots without the need for replanting. Lumber Liquidators, one of North America’s largest specialty retailers of hardwood flooring, says bamboo is a popular option for homeowners. “Not only do consumers enjoy the eco benefits, but the quality and beauty of the flooring is always remarked upon,” said Tyler Greenan, chief operating officer at Lumber Liquidators Canada. Bamboo f looring is produced by compressing Bamboo fibres under extreme heat and pressure. Bamboo that is harvested before it is five years old is softer while product older than that is more durable. For its Morning Star line, Lumber Liquidators adds strength to the strand bamboo by treating it with high heat and pressure. Strand bamboo is up to 185 per cent harder than oak. The company also offers numerous varieties of bamboo from various brands including Morning Star Bamboo and Supreme Bamboo. Depending on the type, bamboo flooring can be nailed or glued down, or snapped together.
Cork flooring is another great option for eco-friendly flooring, though it tends to fly under the radar, as many are not aware of its multitude of benefits. Not only is cork sustainable, beautiful, and lasts long, it is also a naturally cushioned material and it serves as a solid sound and thermal insulator, as well as maintaining a natural resistance to mold and high-moisture areas. Cork flooring is made from the bark of the cork oak tree. This bark is stripped from the tree, without inflicting damage to the tree. Cork is therefore a green product because the same tree can be harvested numerous times. Flooring experts believe that hardwood flooring is also great for those conscious about the environment because of its durability. Lumber Liquidators sells a wood flooring line that has a 100-year transferable warranty, really speaking to the longevity of the product. Some consumers don’t like the idea of wood flooring because of the forestation aspect, but the way that wood for hardwood floors is harvested is controlled by local governments and harvesting plans must be submitted and approved. As part of this process, they map and grid the affected land and take an inventory of the trees (size Spring 2012 19
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and species) in each grid. The government then approves the plan and the mills must cut to it. There are limitations on the number and size of each species that can be harvested from each grid and then they must move to the next grid. Once a grid is harvested, they cannot go back there until 30 years has passed. Breathing easier Building owners are also going to great lengths to ensure that the air their employees breathe is top qua lit y, knowing that both productivity and an employee’s longe v it y w it h in t he organization are greatly enhanced. “If maintained, high indoor air quality creates a healthy and comfortable interior environment for building occupants that will last for many years. Being proactive during the design phase of new construction or taking steps to improve the IAQ of an existing facility are actions that truly benefit all parties involved,” said Stan Gatland at CertainTeed Corp. VOCs are gases or vapors, such as formaldehyde, given off by solids and liquids that often cause short- and longterm adverse health effects. There are several different sources of VOC emissions, such as paints and lacquers, paint strippers, building materials, furnishings, cleaning supplies and pesticides. All of these items somehow incorporate organic chemicals into their manufacturing processes, though many manufacturers are now working to minimize the levels of these chemicals. All products manufactured with 20 Building Strategies & Sustainability
organic chemicals have potential for releasing VOCs while in use. Cer ta inTeed Gy psu m recent ly introduced AirRenew, a gypsum board product that captures VOCs - especially formaldehydes and other aldehydes - as they circulate through interior air and converts them into inert compounds that remain within the gypsum board, unable to be released back into the air. “Being proactive during the design phase of new construction or taking steps to improve the IAQ of an existing facility are actions that truly benefit all parties involved,” said Gatland. Living walls are also becoming popular in eco-conscious buildings both for health reasons and also for aesthetics. Living walls are self-sufficient vertical gardens that are attached to the exterior or interior of a building. They differ from green façades in that the plants root in a structural support which is fastened to the wall itself. The plants receive water and nutrients from within the vertical support instead of from the ground. Vancouver-based Green over Grey notes a number of benefits of incorporating a living wall into the interior of a building. These include: aesthetics, indoor air quality, energy savings, and health and wellness. The Green over Grey living wall system is different from others on the market today as it closely mimics nature and allows plants to grow to their full potential, without limitations. It is also the lightest. Mike Weinmaster, chief designer at Green over Grey, said diversity is the key and by utilizing hundreds of different types
of plants the company is able to create striking patterns and unique designs. They do this by utilizing a multitude of colours, textures and sizes that nature provides. The system accommodates flowering perennials, beautiful foliage plants, ground covers to bushes, shrubs, and small trees. Weinmaster said the company’s work, which can be found in some of the major buildings in Toronto, Markham, Ont., and Vancouver, range in price from $150 to $250 per square foot. Aside from the obvious benefits of a living wall from aesthetics to air quality, the company sees other pleasing benefits as well. “It is living artwork. We are trying to create living works of art,” he said. “There is a wow factor.” Conserving energy Building owners are also going to great lengths to conserve energy and water in order to make their interiors more sustainable as energy costs account for a large proportion of a company’s overall expenses. Industry Canada notes that opportunities to achieve high-efficiency building performance include incorporating alternative energy systems, an energyefficient building envelope, efficient lighting, and heating/cooling systems to reduce building energy use. Aside from the obvious measures of retrofitting light fixtures, companies are implementing demand reduction programs to reduce energy costs. The Hudson’s Bay Company, one of the leaders in sustainability, is working with Direct Energy Business Services to create a program that consists of managing the scheduling of all areas of its energy consumption from the scheduling of its lighting, to cooling and heating set back. “It's a common misconception that to be ‘green’ a building has to demonstrate stateof-the-art technology and contemporary design. Some of the best performing buildings are older buildings where the building manager has taken measures to optimize performance and supports tenants to do the same. Good building management is critical to achieving positive environmental and social outcomes,” contends Australia’s Investa Property Group. BS&S
legal corner
Mediated settlements
New developments in commercial mediation By Keith Bannon
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On October 25, 2010, Ontario became the second Canadian jurisdiction after Nova Scotia to enact legislation governing commercial mediations. The Commercial Mediation Act, 2010 applies to all commercial mediations, with few exceptions such as those under or relating to the formation of a collective agreement; actions taken by a judge or arbitrator in the course of judicial or arbitral proceedings to promote settlement of a commercial dispute that is the subject of the proceedings; or mediations for which procedures are prescribed in the Rules of Civil Procedure made under the Courts of Justice Act. Mediation is defined in the Act as a collaborative process in which parties agree to request a third party, the mediator, who does not have any authority to impose a solution to the dispute on the parties, to assist them in their attempt to try to reach a settlement of their commercial dispute. The definition of “commercial dispute” within the Act includes disputes between parties relating to construction of works, consulting, and engineering. A mediator and any person who is approached or recommended to be a mediator shall disclose without delay any circumstances that are likely to give rise to justifiable doubts about their impartiality or independence. Should a conflict be declared, a mediator may subsequently act or continue to act as the mediator only with the consent of all parties given after full disclosure of the facts and circumstances. Potential conflicts of interest include the mediator having a financial or personal interest in the outcome of the mediation; or having an existing or previous relationship with a party or a person related to a party to the mediation. Examples of such potential conflicts include associations as benign as common membership in a professional association or a networking lunch with counsel for one of the parties. The parties are free to agree on the manner in which the mediation is to be conducted. If the parties fail to do so, the mediator may conduct the mediation as he
or she sees fit. The mediator may meet or communicate with the parties together or separately, as long as the parties are treated fairly. This freedom applies not only to techniques related to form or procedure (i.e. open statements, caucusing, etc.), but also the style or approach to the mediation. This may vary from an “evaluative” mediation, where the mediator is asked to comment on the merits of the parties’ substantive positions, or a “facilitative” mediation where the interests of the parties are emphasized over their legal positions and no comment on the merits is required of the mediator. While the mediator may disclose to a party any information relating to a mediation that the mediator receives from another party unless that other party has expressly asked the mediator not to disclose the information, such information must be kept confidential with respect to third parties, unless all the parties agree to the disclosure; the disclosure is required under the law; the disclosure is required for the purposes of carrying out or enforcing a settlement agreement; or the disclosure is required for a mediator to respond to a claim of misconduct. Disclosure is also allowed if it is required to protect the health or safety of any person and the requirement to keep information relating to the mediation confidential does not apply to information that is publicly available or that the parties, by their conduct, do not treat as confidential. The question of how a mediator should measure a threat to health or safety in the subject of construction dispute when considering their disclosure options appears to be unanswered. However, the best parallel may be the test used by the Supreme Cour t in Winnipeg Condominium Corp. No. 36 v. Bird Construction Co., which was a “reasonable likelihood that a defect in a building will cause injury to its inhabitants.” The Act specifically makes the following information inadmissible in evidence in an arbitral, judicial or administrative proceeding:
a) An invitation by a party to mediate, a party's willingness or refusal to mediate a dispute, information exchanged between the parties before a mediation commences and any agreement to mediate. b) A document prepared solely for the purposes of a mediation. c) Views expressed or suggestions made by a party during a mediation concerning a possible settlement of the dispute. d) Statements or admissions made by a party during a mediation. e) Proposals for settlement made by the mediator. f) The fact that a party had indicated its willingness to accept a proposal for settlement made by the mediator. g) The fact that a party terminated the mediation. Such information may, however, be admitted in evidence to the extent required under the law; for the purposes of carrying out or enforcing a settlement agreement; or for a mediator to respond to a claim of misconduct. Subject to the inadmissibility outlined above, information created for purposes other than mediation does not become inadmissible because it was used in mediation. Moreover, with the threat of litigation looming, should a mediated settlement not be reached, caution must be exercised when mediating not to provide information that may be used to uncover harmful evidence. The impact of the Act is difficult to measure. Nevertheless, the Act should provide parties participating in a commercial mediation in Ontario some certainty, which can only give the process further credibility and this enhanced standing could facilitate greater oppor t unit y for mediated settlements. BS&S Keith Bannon is a partner at Glaholt LLP. He practices construction law with a focus on dispute resolution and is the author of “Recent Developments in Alternative Dispute Resolution”, in Review of Construction Law (to be published Spring, 2012). Spring 2012 21
PROJECT PROFILE
I A Grander View
The making of Canada’s most energy-efficient office By Stephen Carpenter, P.Eng
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W hen Enermodal Engineering decided to build a new headquarters in Kitchener, Ont. we knew we had to set our sights high in terms of energy efficiency. As Canada’s leading green building consulting firm, we wanted a building that would showcase to our clients what is possible in today’s market (at a competitive cost) and create Canada’s most energy efficient office. Now that we’ve occupied our 22,000 ft 2 office for more than two years, we know we have met ou r goa l of using 69 kW h /m 2 (compared with the Canadian office average of 394 kWh/m 2). A variety of factors help set this triple LEED P l at i nu m c a nd id ate ( Ne w con st r uc t ion , commercial interiors, and existing buildings: Operations & maintenance) office apart from a conventional office: • a return to engineering basics • highly eff icient, yet simple mechanica l system • recapturing water waste • a site that was previously an urban infill gravel lot 22 Building Strategies & Sustainability
PROJECT PROFILE
Project team: Architect: Robertson Simmons Architects Inc. Mechanical/Electrical engineers: Enermodal Engineering Ltd. Structural/Civil engineers: MTE Consulting LEED Consultant/Energy Efficiency engineer: Enermodal Engineering Ltd. Contractor: Melloul-Blamey Construction Commissioning agent: Enermodal Engineering Ltd. Energy performance monitoring: Enermodal Engineering Ltd.
A return to engineering basics Ener mod a l ’s approac h to energ y efficient mechanical design has long been to reduce the building’s energy demands and then deliver the remaining energy needs in the most efficient manner possible. The first aspect of this mantra – reducing demand – is fulfilled through applying Engineering 101 principles such as proper building orientation, insulation, and windows. Most offices suffer from unwanted glare and solar heat gain during the summer. The f irst way Enermodal add ressed this was to orient the building east-west minimizing the problematic east and west exposures. An airtight building envelope is one of the most important elements
in achiev ing a high-per formance building. In fact, 34 per cent of the energy consumed by buildings is lost t h ro u gh t he bu i ld i n g e nv e lop e . Insulated concrete forms are easy-toinstall and offer insulation value. To avoid thermal bridging (heat loss bet ween t wo poor insulators), the construction team lined the window openings with insulation bet ween the thick, concrete walls and the windows. Ply wood bucks were used to protect the insulation. The ICF joi nt s were s e a led w it h t ap e to prevent moisture from penetrating the building shell. Windows are typically the leakiest part of an off ice building, and this fact was especially pertinent at A Grander View which features 3 m 2
w indows for ever y occupant. Therefore, the windows are triple gl a z ed , low-e a rgon f i l led w it h f iberglass frames (which are better insulators than traditional aluminum frames). A lthough these windows are more expensive, the cost is offset by t he el im inat ion of per imeter heating, the main purpose of which i s to c o u nt e r a c t d r a f t y, p o o r l y designed windows. The windows are recessed deep into the wa l ls to prov ide shading for occupants when the sun is high in the sky. To cope with low sun angles, the south, west, and east exposures of A Grander View feat ure automated e x ter ior sh a de s w it h i nte g r ate d sensors that respond to incident solar radiation by lowering the shades
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PROJECT PROFILE
when solar heat gain or glare would be an issue. These large windows were not only beneficial from a health and happiness perspective for employees, but from a daylighting perspective. Thanks to the ample daylight, the lighting power density at A Grander View is just 8 W/ m 2 (38 per cent below the energy savings required by ASHRAE 90.1). Efficient simplicity in HVAC After decreasing the energy needs of the building, the A Grander View design team wanted to meet the energy demand in the most efficient manner possible. While many green building designs feature extremely complex, sexy mechanical systems, the approach taken by Enermodal was to simplify the mechanical system as much as possible. B e for e e nt e r i n g t he bu i ld i n g , outdoor air travels through concrete earth tubes to temper the air using the ambient temperature of the earth. This decreases the amount of energy needed to bring the air to the desired indoor temperature. Typical office buildings are heated by boilers and cooled by rooftop air conditioning units. These two systems work independently of one another, and often at the same time. Simultaneously heating and cooling a space is never efficient. A Grander View’s mechanical design is efficient because one system provides heating and cooling, and never both functions at the same time. A Grander View is heated and cooled by three rooftop air-source heat pumps – one pump for each f loor. C a l l e d a m u l t i- s p l it v a r i a b l e refrigerant f low system, the heat pumps are connected to 60 small fan coil units located throughout the building to distribute the heating or cooling from the heat pumps. This system allows occupants to control the temperature and humidity for small work areas. The fan coils are connected by piping that carries refrigerant. The refrigerant is sent through the piping by variable f low compressors that can work at ver y low sp eeds. T he se 24 Building Strategies & Sustainability
compressors allow the system to run with a reduced amount of energy, an improvement over most heat ing/ cooling systems, which operate at full-on or full-off. The entire system is controlled by thermostats and occupancy sensors that send a wireless infrared signal to the automation system integrated into the fan coils. This sophisticated automation system allows the building engineers to control the system operation, including on/off, heat/cool, and fan and compressor speeds. R at her t ha n a bu i ld ing automation system in the mechanical room controlled by a dedicated individual that tells the lights, ventilation, and heating/cooling when to turn on and off for the day, this system automatically turns on and off depending on actual occupancy of a given space. Server rooms that house computer e q u ip m e nt t y p ic a l l y g e n e r a t e a signif icant amount of heat. At A Grander View, this heat is reused to provide the building’s domestic hot water pre-heating demand through an air-to-water heat pump. This also reduces the amount of energy needed to cool the server room. These measures help Enermodal achieve 82 per cent actual energy savings compared with the MNECB. Water waste recovered All non-potable water needs at A Grander View, such as toilet f lushing, are supplied by the 5 m 3 rainwater cistern. A significant energy use in most cistern systems is a series of filters to remove sediment from the water before it is delivered to its end use. To eliminate these filters, the cistern system at A Grander View includes the following elements: • Rainwater initially passes through a screen to remove most sediment. • Water is delivered to the cistern at a reduced rate so as not to disturb the sediment at the bot tom of the cistern. • The pump that takes the cistern water into the building f loats near the top of the water level rather than being located near the bottom of the cistern.
The resulting water is cleaner, and the overa l l system more energ yefficient than a conventional cistern. Although most of the cistern water comes from roof-collected rainwater, Ener moda l receives add it iona l potable water from recapturing and using heat pump condensate created during the building cooling process. A t p e a k c o ol i n g s e a s on (w h e n rainwater would also be scarcest), the cooling process will produce 20 L per hour (enough to f lush a toilet five times). Exterior considerations W hile the inner work ings of the mechanica l sy stem a re t he most innovat ive aspec t of A Gra nder View, other aspects, such as exterior material selection and landscaping c h o i c e s a l s o c o nt r i b u t e t o t h e sustainability of this building. T he use of sa lvaged mater ia ls requires a fundamental change in the way a rch itects desig n bu i ld ings. Rather than coming up with their idea l aest het ic a nd spec i f y ing a certain amount of each material, architects must find out what salvaged mater ia ls a re ava i lable and then design around the quantities available. For e xa mple, A Gra nder Vie w ’s exterior features stone salvaged from a local demolished church. Once all the stone was used, other materials, such as recycled steel, FSC certified cedar, and stucco helped to soften the u n re l ie v e d f a ç a de of t h i s lon g , rectangular building. Another salvaged material, stone f rom t he fa med St. Cla i r R iver Tunnel in Sarnia was used in an onsite retaining wall and to enclose the employee garden plots. Previously an urban infill gravel lot overlooking the picturesque Grand River, the site at A Grander View now features only native, droughttolerant species plants to provide habitat and sustenance for wildlife and requires no irrigation. BS&S S teph e n C ar p e n te r is pr e side n t o f Enermodal Engineering, Canada’s largest green building consulting firm.
INDUSTRY Q&A
Sustainable architecture Ajon Moriyama is a partner at Moriyama & Teshima Architects
Graham Murfitt is a senior project architect at Smith Carter Architects and Engineers, and Practice Specialist at Architecture Canada
Companies are now planning for sustainable features in their buildings from the construction phase. With this in mind they are relying on architects to help them design their buildings. We polled two experts on sustainable architecture to solicit their views. They are Ajon Moriyama, a partner at Moriyama & Teshima Architects, and Graham Murfitt, senior project architect at Smith Carter Architects and Engineers, and Practice Specialist at Architecture Canada. The 2030 Challenge was introduced a number of years ago and proposes targets for the energy consumption of new buildings to net zero energy by 2030. Have you taken up the challenge? Why or why not? Moriyama : Moriyama & Teshima effectively took up the 2030 Challenge more than 50 years ago, when our pr a c t ic e w a s fo u nd e d up on t he principle of integrating land, nature, environment and building to create enduring architecture that expresses a true “spirit of place.” Over 40 years ago, we created our in-house landscape architecture and
env ironmenta l planning group to encompass a broader scope of design. We ’ v e p r o d u c e d s u c h s e m i n a l planning documents as the Niagara Parks 100 Year Vision and Master Plan and, most recently, the Wadi Hanifah Comprehensive Master Plan where, t h rough g round-brea k ing strategies of naturalization and bioremediation, a 250 km stretch of degraded river in Saudi Arabia has been fully restored. It’s a 10-year project that received the Aga Khan Award for Architecture. Award-winning buildings like the ne w Ca n a d i a n Wa r Mu s eu m i n O t t a w a , L a k e h e a d Un i v e r s it y ’s
LEED Plat inu m New Academic Building in Orillia and the Waterloo Reg ion Museu m in K itc hener continue to exemplify Moriyama & Teshima’s commitment to designing for a sustainable world. Murfitt : The 2030 Challenge was int roduced in 2 0 07 (by E dwa rd Mazria and Architecture 2030) in order to reduce carbon emissions and global warming. Architecture Canada RAIC endorsed the 2030 Challenge the same year. The 2030 Challenge has also been endorsed by the OAA, AIBC and several other provincial associations of architects in Canada, Spring 2012 25
INDUSTRY Q&A
“Building owners must understand that truly great energy performing buildings are far more valuable than energy hogs, even with the relatively low energy costs that we have in 2012” as well as many other international associations of architects. The objective of the 2030 Challenge is to achieve carbon neutrality in the year 2030 for all buildings. New and renovated buildings are included in the 2030 Challenge. In reality, there a re a l re a dy ma ny more e x ist i n g buildings than there will be new buildings in 2030. The 2030 Challenge in 2012 is to design new or renovated building in a manner that they will perform 60 per cent better than buildings designed to satisfy the Model National Energy Code. Architects and design teams take up the challenge when our clients instruct us to design their projects to meet the 2030 targets. Architecture Canada 2030 is actively promoting the highly energy efficient buildings that are being constructed across the country. The interest and participation in Architecture Canada 2030 and the 2030 Challenge is growing exponentially. What has been the impact of LEED on your practice? Moriyama: The impact of LEED and similar sustainable-design programs has been positive. Much of our work is for post-secondary institutions and gover nment, and t he g row ing imperative within those sectors to design to LEED certification levels has introduced a healthy architectclient discourse about sustainable design approaches, strategies and innovations. It engages us as designers to continually explore new ways of achieving sustainability objectives for the client that are affordable and maximize their return on investment. To that end, many of our staff are LEED-accredited, and we support those work ing toward their accreditation. The advent of LEED has also brought Integrated Project 26 Building Strategies & Sustainability
D e l iv e r y ( I PD) to t he fore , e n c o u r a g i n g t h e i nt e g r at ion of consultants, clients, stakeholders and authorities early in the design process. T his integ ration has def ined Moriyama & Teshima’s collaborative approach since the firm’s inception, but it is definitely easier to engage in these processes when the culture of integrated and sustainable design is the norm. Murfitt: Smith Carter Architects and Engineers is a mid-size Canadian f i r m t h a t h a s r e -i n v e n t e d t h e integ rated desig n approac h to building design. The majority of the f irm’s projects are LEED certif ied si lver or h igher, suc h as LEED platinum Smith Carter off ices and the Manitoba Hydro Place building in Winnipeg. Almost all builders and real estate de v e lop e r s h av e i mprov e d t hei r business practices because of LEED certification. LEED is a great ally in achieving the 2030 targets, and has rea l ly helped to ma ke c l ients appreciate the value of conservation and energy efficiency. I s t h e r e a l o n g- t e r m v a l u e i n sustainability for building owners? Moriyama: Sustainability is all about creating long-term value - environmental, social and economic. Key to realizing that long-term value is to optimize the building’s lifecycle costs, rather than just the initial capital costs. And a sustainable building doesn’t necessarily cost more to build. A sustainable building uses fewer resources and produces less waste. Operating and maintenance costs are reduced, and the building’s asset value and lease value are increased. Long-term value can be further realized by addressing the well-being of the building’s occupants - employee health, retention and productivity can
be greatly increased by attributes such as ample natural lighting, high indoor air quality and personal control over l ight, shad i ng a nd temp erat u re. Commissioning a sustainable building is also a tangible public demonstration of an organization’s commit ment to env i ronmenta l leadership and social responsibility. Fo r m a n y b u i l d i n g o w n e r s , sustainable design is simply a costef fec t ive invest ment. T here’s no sacrifice involved - it just makes good financial sense. Murfitt: The value of sustainability for building owners is completely dependent on the cost of energ y. There is very little difference in value between high and low energy efficient building when energy costs are low. When energy costs are very high, and bu i ld ing operating costs become sig n i f ica nt a nd compa re w it h mortgage and f inancing costs, the va lue of high per formance 2030 buildings increases dramatically. When we compare the incremental costs bet ween good and g reat performance in a new construction project with the future costs of a future upgrade, there is no doubt that “doing it right the first time” makes long-term economic sense. High per for ma nce bu i ld ing enc losu res should be f inancially modelled on their expected life span rather than on a f ive or 10 yea r investment payback. Building owners must understand that truly great energy performing buildings are far more valuable than energy hogs, even with the relatively low energy costs that we have in 2012. It will almost always be easier to sell a building that consumes 60 per cent or 70 per cent less than its neighbou r s , e sp ec ia l ly i f it w a s designed by a thoughtful and sensitive design team. BS&S
Engineering Forum
Overcoming concrete construction obstacles
Utilizing abrasion-resistant pipe delivery systems
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The old axiom about how a chain is only as strong as its weakest link is particularly appropriate when constructing skyscrapers, which require pumping hundreds of tons of concrete through a pipeline system that begins at the hopper of a concrete pump located at grade level and reaches up to the highest floors. These pipeline systems must therefore be designed to withstand months, even years, of abuse resulting from the extremely abrasive nature of the concrete mix, pumped at pressures of 2,000-3,000 psi at high speed. Any disruption due to a failure in the piping system can be costly – literally halting construction – because concrete will harden quickly and once it does, the piping must be replaced before pouring can resume. As a result, many concrete pumping contractors are specifying a unique type of induction hardened pipe designed to stand up to abrasion. By being extremely hard on the inside, the pipe resists even severe abrasion, but the softer outer wall still provides the required toughness to contain the highpressure and mechanical loading that the pipeline will encounter. The Shangri-La project Designed by Vancouver based architect James Cheng, and under construction by Westbank Projects Corp., the Shangri-La Hotel and condominium tower will rise to 70 storeys above the Toronto skyline when finished later this year. Handling the task of pumping concrete throughout the building is the Amherst Group ─ Toronto-based experts in the operation of concrete pumps, placing booms, cranes, heavy lift planning and special rigging. Amherst has been credited with completing many successful projects but as its tallest structure to date, the Shangri-La tower posed a particular challenge. “When you install a concrete pipeline you have to factor in that the higher up you go, the more pressure is created and the greater the wear,” said Paul Turney, Amherst’s concrete pumping manager. “It’s very labor intensive to replace broken pipes, not to mention the delay in construction, so you
Construction began in August 2010 on the Shangri-La Hotel and Condominium tower, which will rise to 70 stories above the Toronto, Canada, skyline when finished. A truck-mounted boom pumps supplied concrete from the foundation up to the fifth floor. Later, a stationary pump was installed along with abrasion resistant pipeline.
have to counteract all that by making sure the wall material can stand up when pushing concrete 700 feet vertically.” According to Turney, he discovered a unique induction hardened pipe from Construction Forms Inc. and has specified it ever since. ConForms is a provider of abrasion resistant piping systems. The company’s line of concrete-specific products is made abrasion-resistant via a unique induction hardening process. “The induction hardened piping is cost effective because it extends the pipe’s life immensely, as opposed to just soft pipe,” said Turney. “We went from the fifth floor and rocketed up to the 68th floor in just 14 months, we never once pumped on a weekend, and there were only a few pours in the evening because of weather delays or required adjustments to the reinforcing steel.” Other Amherst projects besides the Shangri-La have benefitted from induction hardened piping systems. For a recent project for Telus, Canada's third-largest telecommunications company, two separate 30-storey communications towers were to be built within the cramped confines of downtown Toronto next to a busy highway. “When they excavated the hole we only had 10 feet between it and road, with no access on the other two sides. Yet we needed to pour 55,000 meters of concrete,” said Turney. “I noticed an empty lot across the highway and suggested that we dedicate that
Amherst specifies ConForms pipe for its entire placing systems including its mobile boom-pumps.
space for ready mix trucks and the stationary pump, and then bury the ConForms pipeline under the road. That way we didn’t have to deal with closing the road every time the trucks needed to unload concrete.” Amherst installed three piping lines under the highway, the longest one extending 800 feet horizontally before heading up 30 storeys to a 110-foot-radius placing boom. “When pipes are underground for a long distance you’re taking a chance because if a problem crops up, you can’t access it,” said Turney. “If the system fails, whatever concrete is in the pipe is going to harden by the time you get to it. So we relied on the induction hardened pipe we’ve had success with in the past.” Amherst was awarded a construction industry Innovation Award on that project in recognition of time and cost savings. “It’s an example of how the concrete pumping industry has become more sophisticated and technically savvy over the years, said Valerie Brennan, Amherst’s vicepresident. BS&S For more information, contact Construction Forms, Inc., at 777 Maritime Drive, Port Washington WI 53074; (800) 223-3676 or www.conforms.com. Spring 2012 27
Corporate Sustainability
Program development
Developing your company’s sustainability journey
By Peter Love and Yasmin Glanville
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This is the first of a series of articles to assist you design, implement, verify and market your company’s sustainability journey. These articles are prepared by the founding directors of a new volunteer organization ca lled Rethink Sustainability Initiatives (RSI). The directors are all senior executives involved in sustainability programs from the academic, banking, engineering, manufacturing, mining, retail and strategic consulting sectors. In order to be comprehensive, we are starting at the beginning to help those who are just starting out on their journey
28 Building Strategies & Sustainability
as well as letting others have a better understanding of where they are and what they need to consider doing next. Program design There are nine basic steps to design a successful sustainability program: • Prepare an initial plan – Before you can begin the next eight steps, you will need an initial summary of the vision and goals of the proposed sustainability development program. We suggest you start with defining what you mean and what you are actually trying to achieve by adopting a sustainability
Corporate Sustainability
mindset. It will be important to ensure that it supports your company’s key strategic business priorities. • Build your team – Regardless of the size of your organization, you will need help. The more employees that you can involve in the sustainability team, the better. Try to ensure that you have at least one person from each department – ask others on the team to identify potential members too. Internal company newsletters, staff meetings, intranet postings, blogs can all be a great way to let others know that you are looking to build a new team. • Select a leader – Experience has clearly proven that most teams work better when there is a leader. The leader does not have to be the most senior ranking person or the one with the most leadership experience. An ideal term is typically two years – one year is too short to make real progress and three can frustrate other would-be leaders. • Secure senior executive support – Next ensure your initiative has senior executive support. This will be an iterative process and should start as soon as possible. Ideally, one of the senior executives will become a champion, if not a member of the team. Full support should not be expected until a complete plan has been developed. Useful tools to help build your case include practical books and academic publications about sustainability development in the context of business – such as: - B o b Wi l l a rd ’s b o ok s on t h e Sustainability Advantage - A recent study by Robert Eccles published in the Harvard Business School which found that “ high sustainability” companies significantly outperform their counterparts over the
long term, both in terms of stock price and performance - The World Business Council on Sustainable Development. (A link to these documents can be found on the Rethink Sustainability I n i t i a t i v e s w e b s i t e ( w w w. rethinksustainabilityinitiatives.ca) • I d e n t i f y a nd r e s e a rc h “ B e s t practices” in your industry – Start by identifying companies in your industry known as “sustainability leaders” in Canada and abroad. Ref ine and validate a short list of top players through internet searches, reviewing industry and sustainability trade magazines and academic papers, speakers at conferences and other means. The next step is to compile publicly available information on what they have done to become best practice leaders, a nd how t h is c reated sustainable va lue for their organizations and the communities in which they operate. Follow this up with direct communication with a select few. They may be more than willing to share further insights with you on their journey and the lessons they have learned. • Benchmark current sustainability performance – The first quantitative activity is to identify the major environmental, economic and social met r ics appropr iate for you r particular company. Look at the met r ics being used by si m i la r companies in your sector that are “susta inabi l it y leaders” and international organizations like the Global Reporting Initiative (www. globa l repor t ing.org ). Once established, your team will then need to compile baseline information on each of these metrics for whatever base year you pick.
• Set ta rgets – Once you have established your metrics, then set short term (1 year), medium term (2-5 years) and longer term targets. Make sure they are aggressive and attainable. • Define activities/milestones - Next, you need to develop a clear work plan that includes specific activities and measureable milestones that will help you achieve your targets. To encourage participation and build confidence, include a few quick and easy wins, with more challenging activities. To get the word out, use fun events, bu i ld ing on e x ist ing compa ny initiatives where possible. Lunch-andLearn events feat uring outside speakers are often very successful. • Include other stakeholders – Don’t forget to let your company’s other stakeholders know about what you are doing. These include company shareholders as well as customers, suppliers and the broader communities in which your company operates. They will all be interested in what you are doing and there may be oppor t unities to work on joint initiatives with them. We w i s h y o u w e l l o n y o u r sustainability journey. Please let us know how you are doing so we can report on it in subsequent articles. And let us know if you are finding these tips useful, what else you need and how we might assist you. BS&S Peter Love and Yasmin Glanville are volunteer directors of Rethink Sustainability initiatives. Glanville, founder and chair of this new initiative, is a Global Change Management and Communication Strategist and President of CTR Inc. Love is an Adjunct Professor at York University’s Faculty of Environmental Studies and is the former Chief Energy Conservation Officer of Ontario. Spring 2012 29
Remediation
Decommissioning a PCB digester By Agnes Miczynska
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Tri-Phase Environmental Inc. (TPEI) was contracted by the Ministry of Environment (MOE) in December 2010 to remediate a sewage treatment digester tank, with a capacity of three million litres and containing more than 1,500 cubic metres of sludge. The sludge contained high levels of heavy metals, but more importantly, polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) levels in excess of 50 parts per million (ppm). These high levels classified the sludge as PCB waste as defined by the ministry’s regulations. Prior to commencing work, TPEI designed and prepared detailed health and safety, remediation, and waste management plans. In order to implement these plans, TPEI constructed two decontamination facilities on-site – one for vehicles and equipment, and the other intended for staff. These facilities became an integral component of the project, separating contaminated zones from clean zones. One of the objectives of the project that was of utmost importance was to minimize the amount of PCB waste being shipped off site for disposal. However, the high moisture content of the sludge presented a considerable challenge in trying to accomplish this task. Although the sludge had been in the tank for more than 15 years, analysis of water content in the sludge showed consistent levels of more than 85 per cent moisture. PCBs are an oil-based product and dissolve in water to maximum levels of approximately 1.6 ppm. However, the PCB content in the sludge was found to be well over 50 ppm. Therefore, in order to minimize the amount of PCB waste being shipped off site for disposal, 30 Building Strategies & Sustainability
it was necessary to separate as much of the solids from the sludge as possible. To t h is end, T PEI sec u red a nd obtained the required Provisional Certificates of Approval in order to process the PCB waste on site and allow the use of proposed technologies in order to separate and treat as much of the PCB waste as possible. A belt press, basket press and pressure filters (less than 0.1 microns) were used to separate the contaminated water from solids. The filtrate water was treated on site using a mobile treatment s y stem i n order to remov e a l l contaminants and bring the PCB levels down to meet the regional discharge criteria. Following regional approval, the treated water was discharged into the sanitary system. In total, more than half a million litres of contaminated water was treated on site and discharged. The successful on-site separation and treatment of contaminated water from the sludge was completed by highly qualified TPEI staff. The remaining sludge waste, still containing high levels of moisture and PCBs, had to be stabilized prior to shipment for thermal treatment. In order to accomplish this, TPEI staff removed and mixed the sludge with a high-efficiency waste stabilizer in 20 ton ne batc hes. T he w a ste, once stabilized, was placed into dump trucks; double-lined with 6 ml poly, sea led and shipped to a therma l treatment facility for final destruction. Once all the sludge was removed from the digester, TPEI staff entered the digester to scrub, power wash, and decontaminate the inside walls. The internal digester walls were then swabtested to verify that all levels were in
accordance with MOE criteria prior to demolition and off-site removal. All tools and equipment used for this purpose were also decontaminated, swab-tested and verified prior to their removal from the site. Throughout the life of the project, all vehicles and equipment leaving the work area were washed, and the resulting wash water was contained in temporary holding tanks pending treatment, testing, and approval for disposal. All workers were decontaminated prior to their leaving the site, and both these practices proved successful and worked in unison to ensure the containment of any residual PCB contamination. The geog raphica l locat ion and seasona l timelines of the project presented other obstacles. The site was located in a remote area where no source of power or other utilities were available. As the project was awarded in early December with an expected completion date of March 1, 2011, the work had to be completed in sub-zero temperature conditions which proved rather challenging considering the work occurred outdoors and involved the processing of water. To mitigate these obstacles, TPEI equipped the site with external heaters and generators to allow work to continue throughout these cold months. In order to complete the work, the decont a m i nat ion fac i l it ie s were decommissioned and removed, and all equipment demobilized. Proven control measures, expertise, and discipline in the execution of a remediation project were essential for its success. BS&S Agnes Miczynska is the Business Development Manager at Tri-Phase Environmental Inc.
Who’s taking care of the mortgage Who’staking taking care care of of the the mortgage mortgage Who’s Who’s taking care of the mortgage while you’re taking care of yourself? while you’re taking taking care of of yourself? while while you’re you’re taking care care of yourself? yourself? Getting sick wasn’t something Bob and Joan considered in their Without Critical Illness insurance, that goal became unrealistic. Getting sick wasn’t something Bob and Joan considered in their Without Critical Illness insurance, that goal became unrealistic. financial plans. Thensomething Joan was diagnosed withconsidered cancer. in their Here’s their revised financial picture. Getting sick wasn’t Bob and Joan Without Critical Illness insurance, that goal became unrealistic. financial Then Joan wasBob diagnosed with cancer. in their Here’s their revised financial picture.that goal became unrealistic. Getting sickplans. wasn’t something and Joan considered Without Critical Illness insurance, financial plans. Then Joan was diagnosed with cancer. Here’s their revised financial picture. Bob and plans. Joan discovered way that treating Bob and Joan’s monthly net picture. income is $6,500, leaving only $300 financial Then Joanthe washard diagnosed with cancer.and coping Here’s their revised financial Bob and Joan discovered the hard way that treating and coping Bob and Joan’s monthly net income is $6,500, leaving only $300 with illness candiscovered mean significant costs the typical andincome home repairs, gifts, entertainment for expenses such as car net Bob and Joan the hardunexpected way that treating and coping Bob and Joan’s monthly is $6,500, leaving only $300 with illness mean significant costs the repairs, gifts, leaving entertainment for such as car and Bob and Joancan discovered the hardunexpected way that treating andtypical coping Bobexpenses and Joan’s monthly net home income is $6,500, only $300 family’s finances may never recover from. It would be atypical different andexpenses all other such familyasexpenses. They know to reduce car and home repairs,they’ll gifts,need entertainment with illness can mean significant unexpected costs the for family’s maysignificant never recover from. It would be atypical different and all other family expenses. They know they’ll need to reduce with illnessfinances can mean unexpected costs the car and home repairs, gifts, entertainment for expenses such as story if they had included Critical Illness insurance their RRSP contributions most They months to make ends meet. family’s never recover from. It wouldin betheir a different and all other family expenses. know they’ll need to reduce story iffinances they hadmay included their RRSP contributions most months to make ends meet. family’s finances may neverCritical recoverIllness from.insurance It would in betheir a different and all other family expenses. They know they’ll need to reduce financial plans. their story if they had included Critical Illness insurance in their RRSP contributions most months to make ends meet. financial A Critical Illness benefit of $100,000 would have given them the story if theyplans. had included Critical Illness insurance in their their RRSPIllness contributions months to make A Critical benefit ofmost $100,000 would have ends givenmeet. them the financial plans. Critical Illness insurance is designed to help pay these costs so cash to pay all recovery costs AND reduce their mortgage financial A Critical Illness benefit of $100,000 would have given them the Critical plans. Illness insurance is designed to help pay these costs so cash to pay all recovery AND reduce their mortgage toto the A Critical Illness benefitcosts of $100,000 would have given them you don’t need to dig into your retirement savings and $50,000, freeing up extra money to use as they wished. Critical Illness insurance is designed to help pay these costs so cash to pay all recovery costs AND reduce their mortgage to you don’t need to dig into your retirement savings and $50,000, freeing up extracosts money toreduce use as they Critical Illness insurance is designed to help pay these costs so cash to pay all recovery AND theirwished. mortgage to investments – –oror go into debt ––to cover you don’t need toworse, dig into your retirement savings and $50,000, freeing up extra money to use as they wished. investments worse, go into debt to cover you don’t need to dig into your retirement savings and $50,000, freeing up extra money to use as they wished. Bob Lost Income Income and andRecovery RecoveryExpenses Expenses Bob & & Joan’s Joan’s Annual Annual Lost expenses. cash you’re diagnosed investments – provides or worse, goififinto debt – to cover expenses.It Itprovides cash you’re diagnosed investments – or worse, go into debt – to cover Difference between Joan’s regular income andincome income provided Bob & Joan’s Annual Lostregular Income and Recovery Expenses Difference between Joan’s income and provided with one upuptoto18 covered conditions and expenses. Itofprovides if you’re diagnosed with oneof 18cash covered conditions and Bob & Joan’s Annual Lost Income and Recovery Expenses by group disability insurance $16,900 expenses. It provides cash if you’re diagnosed by group disability insurance $16,900 Difference between Joan’s regular income and income provided you survive waiting period. You with one ofthe up 18 covered conditions andthis Net Income (before herregular illness):income $65,000 less tax*==$42,250 $42,250 you survive theto waiting period. Youcan canuse use this Difference between Joan’s and income provided Net Income (before her illness): $65,000 less tax* by group disability insurance $16,900 with one of up to 18 covered conditions and Taxable Disability Income: $65,000 $65,000XX.6 .6==$39,000 $39,000less lesstax* tax*==$25,350 $25,350 by group disability insurance $16,900 cash totopay your rent mortgage, your you survive the waiting period. You cover can use this Taxable Disability Income: cash pay your rentoror mortgage, cover your Net Income (before her illness): $65,000 less tax* = $42,250 you survive the waiting period. You can use this (Lost income during her illness): disability elimination period isnot notincluded includedininthis thisestimate) estimate) Net Income (before her $65,000 less tax* = $42,250 (Lost income during her disability elimination period is regular bills Taxable Disability Income: $65,000 X .6 = $39,000 less tax* = $25,350 cash to household pay your rent orormortgage, cover your additional regular household bills orpay payfor foradditional cuttingback back his hours) less tax* = $25,350 $20,000 Bob’s lost yearly income (from$65,000 Taxable Disability Income: X .6his = $39,000 cutting hours) Bob’s lostincome yearly income (from cash to pay your rent or mortgage, cover your (Lost during her disability elimination period is not included in this estimate) $20,000 medical costs not covered by private or additional regular household or pay medical costs notbills covered byfor private or Travel to and fromduring treatment (gas and andelimination parkingcosts) costs) $5,100 (Lost income her disability period is not included in this estimate) Travel to and treatment (gas parking $5,100 $20,000 Bob’s lost yearly income (from cutting back his hours) regular household bills or pay for additional Medical equipment (special bed) $1,800 government plans. choice isisyours. Medical equipment (special bed) $1,800 cutting back his hours) $20,000 Bob’s lost yearly income (from government health plans.The The choiceor yours. medical costshealth not covered by private Travel to and from treatment (gas and parking costs) $5,100 medical costs not covered by private or Cost and supplements not covered byBob Boband andJoan’s Joan’shealth healthplans plans $7,000 Cost of of drugs supplements not covered by $7,000 Travel todrugs and from treatment (gas and parking costs) $5,100 Medical equipment (special bed) $1,800 government health plans. The choice is yours. Additional help with(special household chores $3,000 Additional household chores $3,000 Significant impact on savings Significant impact onThe savings Medical equipment bed) $1,800 government health plans. choice is yours. Cost of drugs and supplements not covered by Bob and Joan’s health plans $7,000
Significant impact on savings Joan was4242when whenshe she was diagnosedwith with Joan was was diagnosed Significant impact on savings
Cost drugs supplements covered by Bob and Joan’s health plans Totalof additional expenses Total additional expenses Additional helpand with household not chores Additional Assumed tax taxhelp rate ofwith **Assumed rate 35%.household chores Total additional expenses Total additional expenses *Monthly Assumed tax rate of 35%. Expense Monthly Expense
$7,000 $53,800 $53,800 $3,000 $3,000 $53,800 $53,800
cancer. While active treatment, Joanwith wason on cancer. While ininactive Joan was Joan was 42 when shetreatment, was diagnosed Joan was 42 when she was diagnosed with long-term disability from her$65,000-a-year $65,000-a-year long-term disability from her cancer. While in active treatment, Joan was on * Assumed tax rate of 35%. cancer. While in active treatment, Joan was onat MortgageExpense increased from $1,000 Mortgage –– increased from $96,200 $96,200 to to$150,000 $150,000@@6.25% 6.25%(25-year (25-yearamortization) amortization) $1,000 job. Bob cut back his hours to help out more Monthly job. Bob cut back his hours to help out more at long-term disability from her $65,000-a-year Monthly Expense Car payments payments and gas $700 Car and gas $700 long-term disability from her $65,000-a-year home. Since they still had a $96,200 mortgage, Mortgage – increased from $96,200 to $150,000 @ 6.25% (25-year amortization) $1,000 home. Since they still had a to $96,200 mortgage, job. Bob cut back his hours help out more at Regular household household bills (utilities, taxes, groceries, clothing) $3,000 Regular bills (utilities, taxes, groceries, clothing) $3,000 Mortgage – increased from $96,200 to $150,000 @ 6.25% (25-year amortization) $1,000 job. Bob cuttheir backmonthly his hours to help out more at Car payments and gas $700 this made budget tight. RRSP contributions $1,000 this made their monthly tight. home. Since they still hadbudget a $96,200 mortgage, RRSP contributions $1,000 Car payments and gas $700 Regular household bills (utilities, taxes, groceries, clothing) $3,000 home. Since they still had a $96,200 mortgage, RESP contributions contributions $500 unexpected expenses associated Ultimately, theunexpected RESP $500 Regular household bills (utilities, taxes, groceries, clothing) $3,000 expenses Ultimately, the this made their monthly budget tight.associated RRSP contributions $1,000 this made their monthly budget tight. Totalcontributions $6,200 RRSP $1,000 with Joan’s illness forced them renegotiate Total $6,200 RESP contributions $500 with Joan’s illness forced them totorenegotiate unexpected expenses associated Ultimately, the RESP contributions $500 unexpected expenses associated Ultimately, the their mortgage. Total $6,200 their mortgage. with Joan’s illness forced them to renegotiate No one knows if they will ever need Critical Illness insurance. Total $6,200 No one knows if they will ever need Critical Illness insurance. with Joan’s illness forced them to renegotiate their Bobmortgage. andJoan Joanhad hadplanned plannedtotoretire retirewhen whenJoan Joanturned turned 62, 62, after after But ifif you have you’ll have peace ofofmind it itwill letlet Bob Butone you haveit, you’ll have mindknowing knowing will theirand mortgage. No knows ifit,they will everpeace need Critical Illness insurance. No one knows if they willmatters ever need Criticalbetter. Illness■insurance. their youngest child completed her post-secondary education. you focus on what really … getting their youngest childplanned completed her post-secondary education. you iffocus on what reallyhave matters … of getting ■ it will let Bob and Joan had to retire when Joan turned 62, after But you have it, you’ll peace mind better. knowing Bob and Joan had planned to retire when Joan turned 62, after But if you have it, you’ll have peace of mind knowing it will let their youngest child completed her post-secondary education. you focus on what really matters … getting better. ■ their youngest child completed her post-secondary education. you focus on what really matters … getting better. ■ Engineers Canada-sponsored Critical Illness Insurance Engineers Canada-sponsored Critical Illness Insurance offers you 10% savings on coverage of $125,000 or offers 10% savings onmore coverage or Engineers Canada-sponsored Critical Illness Insurance more,you offering you even valueof for$125,000 your money. Engineers Canada-sponsored Critical Illness Insurance more, offering evenon more value of for your money. offers you 10%you savings coverage $125,000 or offers you 10%you savings coverage or more, offering evenon more value of for$125,000 your money. more, offering you even more value for your money.
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Experienced Abatement Experts At Tri-Phase Environmental Inc. we offer you thirteen years of experience remediating soil and groundwater. As your full service provider, we offer a variety of site restoration service as well! Please call us directly or drop by our booth (#302) at Springfest to discuss all of your site remediation needs! - Agnes Miczynska Business Development Manager
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905-823-7965 1-866-584-5564 www.triphasegroup.com