BC FOCUS FALL 2019

BRITISH COLUMBIA BRITISH COLUMBIA

Canada Green Building Council

ISSUE 8, FALL 2019, British Columbia Chapter - CaGBC Regional Publication /

FOCUS

THOMPSON RIVERS UNIVERSITY

INDUSTRIAL TRAINING AND TECHNOLOGY CENTRE Building targeting LEED Gold acts as a teaching tool

UNBC WOOD INNOVATION RESEARCH LABORATORY Collaborative Passive House design achieves a Canadian first

BUILT FOR YOU CaGBC launches customdesigned education services

CANADA’S GREENEST SCHOOL Richmond’s W.D. Ferris Elementary has big ambitions when it comes to sustainability

FALL 2019 | BC FOCUS

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Message from the British Columbia Chapter of the CaGBC Welcome to Sustainable Architecture and Building Magazine’s British Columbia Edition, a showcase for green building achievements in our beautiful province. Following the Canada Green Building Council’s annual Building Lasting Change confe­ rence this past May, this publication is yet another way we as an industry can connect on our efforts to help Canada build green and meet its 2030 carbon emissions reduction targets.

We are impressed with the innovation that has come­from the region over the past year, inclu­ding around the key themes we explored at Building Lasting Change in Vancouver: the need to reduce emissions from the building sector with enhanced resiliency and improved health and well-being for all. With its CleanBC strategy the BC govern­ ment also shows tremendous leadership towards a low-carbon economy by developing an innovative and ambitious long-term Clean Growth Strategy that maps out solutions to reduce carbon emis­ sions from the buildings sector. Innovative policies, like labelling building energy performance, stron­ ger (retrofit) codes, financial incentives like the Buildings Innovation Fund, and training and certi­ fication will move the sector towards low-carbon solutions.

Locally, CaGBC’s B.C. Chapter is on the ground working alongside our members to achieve our mission. Conversations have been focused on the undeniable value green buildings provide—as investments, in lower energy costs, and as pro­ tection against future risks of climate change.

To achieve these benefits, innovation in building design, construction, and products must become a state of mind rather than a nice to have.

Later this fall, the BC Chapter looks forward to buil­ding momentum in the conversation around innovation in green building as we host the CaGBC Innovation Forum: The Occupant & Energy Nexus. This forum will explore the link between optimizing high performance buildings and the occupant experience.

B.C. continues to be a national and international leader for innovative policy solutions. The BC Step Code is pushing the market towards more energy-efficient buildings. CaGBC’s standards support and enhance those efforts by addressing a wider sustainability context to deliver buildings that are healthier to live and work in. Whether working in a sustainablyrenovated office or learning in an eco-friendly school, people are experiencing the benefits of environmental­ construction and design every day. They are built without toxic materials, have cleaner air and less indoor noise pollution.

We hope you find this issue educational and informa­ tive as we highlight the progress that B.C. is making toward a greener built environment. A special thank you to our members, partners and friends in develo­ ping and providing some of this edition’s content, and of course our sponsors and advertisers who have helped make this publication happen. Our next edition of the BC FOCUS will be coming to you in the spring of 2020. Please continue to share with us your projects, lessons, and succeesses as we continue to showcase the many inspiring stories of the green building sec­ tor in BC. These publications, and your support of the Chapter, greatly contribute to the strenthening, pro­ motion, and success of our green building community.

Brad Doff

Morgan McDonald

BC Chapter Engagement Specialist,

Director of Operations, Ledcor Renew

Canada Green Building Council

Chair, BC Chapter, Canada Green Building Council

FALL 2019 | BC FOCUS

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FALL 2019 | BC FOCUS

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Chapters/British Columbia/BCFOCUS 26

at https://www.cagbc.org/

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In this issue FALL 2019

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7. Membership Update

14. UNBC Wood Innovation Research Laboratory

8. Upcoming events and workshops

18. BC Elementary School cuts emissions with new Biomass Boiler

10. Thompson Rivers University Industrial Training and Technology Centre

20. Zero Energy Buildings as exciting as a Mustang, really?

25. CaGBC News Education Services 26. Richmond’s W.D. Ferris Elementary: Canada’s Greenest School 28. Building a greener Canada 30. Building Better Teams: Investing in Corporate Education Becomes a Competitive Edge

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A joint publishing project of the British Columbia Chapter - CaGBC and SABMag. Address all inquiries to Don Griffith: dgriffith@sabmagazine.com Published by Janam Publications Inc. | www.sabmagazine.com | www.janam.net

text offset paper.

Cover: Thompson Rivers University Industrial Training and Technology Centre Photo: Barry Underhill, Upper Left Photography

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The winners of the 2019 Canadian Green Building Awards

NATIONAL SPONSORS

The Awards presentation of the 2019 Canadian Green Building Awards, the annual program of Sustainable Architecture & Building [SABMag], took place in Vancouver on May 27, 2019 where the winning firms were recognized. We especially thank our sponsors who make the Awards possible.

ARCHITECTURAL CATEGORY SPONSORS

1. Muhammad Kashif (right) of Category Sponsor Mitsubishi Electric Sales of Canada presents the Commercial/Industrial [Large] Award for the Evolv1 Building to Dr. Andrea Frisque of Stantec.

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2. Jennifer McGill (right), of National Sponsor Masonite Architectural, presents the Institutional [Large] Award for the Okanagan College Trades Renewal and Expansion Project to Michael Leckman of Diamond Schmitt Architects Inc. 3. On behalf of National Sponsor The Canadian Precast Prestressed Concrete Institute, juror Ron Kato (centre) presents the Commercial/Industrial [Small] Award for the Sechelt Water Resource Centre to Brian Wakelin (left) and Robert Drew of Public Architecture + Communication.

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4. Ron Kato (right), representing Category Sponsor Enbridge Gas Inc., presents the Existing Building Upgrade Award for the Wellington Building Rehabilitation to David Clusiau of NORR Architects and Engineers.

5. On behalf of National Sponsor, the Canadian Precast Prestressed Concrete Institute, juror Lisa Bate (left) presents the Technical Award for the City of Calgary Composting Facility to Megan Leslie of Stantec.

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7. On behalf of Category Sponsor Inline Fiberglass, juror Lisa Bate (left) presents the Residential Building [Large] Award for the Duke Apartment Building to Mark Ostry (second left) and Russell Acton (far right) of Acton Ostry Architects Inc. Pete Edgar of building owner Edgar Development Corp. is second right.

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Visit https://sabmagazine.com/ awards/winners for more details.

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FALL 2019 | BC FOCUS

6 Jennifer McGill (centre) of National Sponsor Masonite Architectural presents the Institutional [Small] Award for the Radium Hot Springs Community Hall and Library to Shelley Craig and Jordan Edmonds of Urban Arts Architecture Inc.

For details on sponsoring the 2020 Canadian Green Building Awards contact dgriffith@sabmagazine.com.

8. Representing National Sponsor the Canadian Precast Prestressed Concrete Institute, juror Ron Kato (right) presents the Existing Building Upgrade Award for the Bank of Canada Renewal to Zeina Elali (left) of Perkins+Will and Colleen Sullivan of the Bank of Canada.

9. Lindsay Oster (left), principal of Prairie Architects Inc. receives the Institutional [Small] Award for the Building Blocks on Balmoral at Great West Life from Jennifer McGill of National Sponsor Masonite Architectural.

CaGBC MEMBERSHIP UPDATE Keep up to date by attending one of our diverse education sessions.

Get involved with the B.C. Chapter of the Canada Green Building Council

The B.C. Chapter’s network of green building professionals is a premier source for education, training and cutting-edge green building information throughout B.C. We provide support and advocacy for green building programs including LEED, WELL Building Standard, and the Zero Carbon Building Standard. Through involvement with the chapter, individu­ als have the opportunity to access local educational, volunteering, networking and leadership opportunities.

Join Us!

Our members are key innovators and thought leaders of tomorrow’s sustainable world. If you are not already a member, join the CaGBC and our public and private sector member organizations across the country to help transform Canada with greener buildings and healthier communities. All employees of a National member company (either a Green Building Specialist or Green Building Advocate) are entitled to a free B.C. Chapter membership (or other Chapter of their choice).

If you are not an employee of a national mem­ ber company you can join the B.C. Chapter as an individual for $100 per year. Emerging Green Professionals can join for just $35.

Find out more about our membership structure and the many benefits available at www.cagbc.org/britishcolumbia

FALL 2019 | BC FOCUS

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You can find more information on our events and workshops at: www.cagbc.org/BC

UPCOMING

EVENTS AND WORKSHOPS in British Columbia

Private workshops are also available on topics which include: Zero Carbon Building Standard Workshop, The WELL Building Standard, Introduction to LEED v4 and the LEED Green Associate Exam Kickstarter.

2019

TOPIC

TYPE OF EVENT

LOCATION

October 24

The WELL Building Standard

Workshop

Vancouver

November 19

CaGBC Innovation Forum: The Occupant & Energy Nexus

Forum

Vancouver

November 20

Inspiring Possibilities: A Green Building Mentoring Event

Networking /EGP

Vancouver

Workshop

Vancouver

December TBD LEED v4 Green Associate Exam Kickstarter

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BC TRU Oct 7 2019 1-4_pg TRU ID&T Ctr OUTLINES.pdf 1 10/7/2019 3:39:27 PM

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Stay informed with SABMag's monthly newsletter

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Subscribe here https://sabmagazine.com/ newsletter/

SPONSOR A CaGBC CHAPTER

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2019-10-07 9:24 AM

AND HELP BUILDING LASTING CHANGE Sponsors of the CaGBC can reach more than 3,000 individual Chapter members and 1,200 national member organizations along with their employees, who are involved in designing, building, and operating buildings, homes, and communities in Canada. These are the decision makers, the innovators, and the next generation of the green building industry. Leveraging the national reach, environmental commitment, and the respected brand of the CaGBC can help you reach your own sustainability goals.

Learn more at cagbc.org/Sponsorship FALL 2019 | BC FOCUS

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THE SITE WAS CHALLENGING AND REQUIRED DIGGING INTO THE BEDROCK. LANDSCAPING WAS MINIMAL AND WAS GENERALLY XERISCAPED TO MINIMIZE THE NEED FOR IRRIGATION. TECH-CRETE CFI速 PRE-FINISHED EXTERIOR INSULATING WALL PANELS ARE USED ON THE PERIMETER FOUNDATION AND LOW-RISE WALLS.

Thompson Rivers University Industrial Training and Technology Centre Building targeting LEED Gold acts as a teaching tool

By Brian Christianson

Thompson Rivers University (TRU) was looking to attract and retain talented students through a new Industrial Training and Technology Centre (ITTC), and repurpose and renovate the vacated space for the expanding Architectural & Engineering Technology (ARET) program. The new 5,344 m2 threestorey Centre contains classrooms, lab and shop areas, and connects to the adjacent Trades and Technology building via a covered walkway.

TRU tapped into federal funding available through the Strategic Infrastructure Fund (SIF) which constrained the project with strict financial controls and an aggressive schedule.

THE USE OF ACTIVE CHILLED BEAMS IN THE CLASSROOMS REDUCE BACKGROUND NOISE FROM THE HVAC SYSTEM.

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FALL 2019 | BC FOCUS

An Integrated Project Design Team consis足 ting of the design team, construction mana足 ger, project manager, and owner was able to meet the requirements of the budget, sche足 dule, and funding stipulations while providing the greenest building on campus.

THE BUILDING ITSELF IS A “LIVING LAB” SO THAT STUDENTS AND EDUCATORS CAN USE IT AS A LEARNING TOOL.

Sustainability was paramount in every decision for this project – from the use of an electric district energy plant, to following the “Wood First” materials stra­ te­gy. The project is targeting LEED® Gold, including 15 points for energy use reduction.

The energy plant for this project was also partially funded by BC Hydro as part of its new Electrification Program, which is in response to the provincial sustaina­ bility goals to de-carbonize BC. This was the first pro­ject in the province to qualify for the funding.

Being a leader in sustainability, one of the project goals was to utilize a low carbon heating system and have a net carbon reduction to the campus by offsetting natu­ ral gas use from the adjacent (and existing) Trades and Technology Building.

Glazing was strategically placed to provide natural daylight and views to over 95% of the classrooms and administrative spaces, and to allow for passive hea­ting in the wintertime via the southern fenestrations. Daylight sensors minimize the use of interior lighting.

The building is designed to control CO2, humidity, and temperature to exceed ASHRAE 55 and ASHRAE 62.1 requirements in order to maintain a high degree of indoor air quality and human comfort. Additionally, the use of active chilled beams in the classrooms reduce background noise from the HVAC system. The shop spaces have high-volume low-speed fans to promote air movement and human comfort.

DEMAND-CONTROLLED VENTILATION CONTROLS CO2 LEVELS AND, BECAUSE OF THE USE OF AN ELECTRIC HEATING PLANT, THERE ARE NO COMBUSTION EMISSIONS ON SITE FROM THE BASE BUILDING.

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Site Plan

Hybrid HVAC Our approach to this building was to design a hybrid system that could reap the benefits of Variable Air Volume (VAV) and active chilled beams (ACB) as follows: 1) We utilized a Dedicated Outside Air System (DOAS) to keep the size of the air handling unit, and the size of the fan motors small (about 1/3 of a conventional re-circulating type unit).

2) Every zone combined active chilled beams with a VAV box.

Heating was done by separate radiators along the perimeter walls. By equipping each space with a sensor that measured temperature, dew point, and carbon dioxide, we could then have the VAVs ramp up and down in response to the greater of the demands. This allows us to turn down the airflow when the rooms are unoccupied or partially occupied thereby reducing the fan speed and outside air required.

GLAZING WAS STRATEGICALLY PLACED TO PROVIDE NATURAL DAYLIGHT AND VIEWS TO OVER 95% OF THE CLASSROOMS AND ADMINISTRATIVE SPACES.

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If the VAVs are in full position and the room temperature is not being satisfied, then a control valve opens to allow chilled water through the chilled beams and provide the additional cooling needed by the space. It’s important to note that the air­ flow to the room was sized based on ventilation and humidity control requirements, not based on cooling requirements – this is why our air handling system is approximately 1/3 of the size of a conventional VAV reheat system.

3) To deal with the penalty of over-ventilating due to cooling requirements, we designed the DOAS system to utilize dual-core heat recovery.

This technology reverses the direction of the exhaust air and outside air at the air-handling unit every 90 seconds, allowing us to reduce the ventilation heating load by 90% and the ventila­ tion cooling load by 80%.

4) In areas of high occupancy where the latent loads (i.e. humidity) were too high to utilize chilled beams, we provided cooling-only distri­ buted heat-pumps that rejected the space heat into the chilled water loop.

To meet workforce demands and student needs, one main design theme for this project was crea­ ting a “living lab” so that students and educa­ tors can learn from the building. This resulted in exposed services, oversized mechanical rooms for student learning, and measures to study the operations of the building so that it becomes a learning tool.

Brian Christianson is a Principal at Stantec.

Hybrid ventilation diagram PROJECT PERFORMANCE Energy Intensity: 147 KWhr/m2/year [Include both base building and process ener­ gy]Reduction in energy intensity: 40%, based on ASHRAE90.12007.

Water consumption from municipal source: 3,863 litres/occupant/year Reduction in water consumption: 35% Construction materials diverted from landfill: 90% PROJECT TEAM Architect: Stantec Project Manager: Colliers Structural Engineer: Fast & Epp Mechanical/Electrical Engineer: Stantec Civil Engineer: Stantec Commissioning Agent: CES Building Envelope Commissioning: CES General Contractor/Construction Manager: Stuart Olson Photos: Barry Underhill, Upper Left Photography

A VIEW TO THE SOUTHEAST CORNER OF THE BUILDING SHOWING THE COVERED ENTRANCE CANOPY TO THE THREE-STOREY ATRIUM AND THE SOLAR SHADING ON THE SOUTH-FACING WINDOWS. IN CONJUNCTION WITH RUTLAND GLASS, ALUMICOR SUPPLIED SUPERIOR THERMAL PERFORMANCE THERMAWALL 2600 CURTAIN WALL ALONG WITH THERMALLY-BROKEN UNIVENT 1350 OPERABLE VENTS.

Level 2

1. Classroom 2. Lounge 3. Boiler Shop

4. HVAC Shop 5. Machine Shop 6. Exterior Testing Area 7. Mezzanine above

1. Teaching Area 2. Student Lounge 3. Lab Space

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UNBC Wood Innovation Research Laboratory

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Collaborative Passive House design achieves a Canadian first

By Graham Twyford-Miles

The University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC) Wood Innovation Research Laboratory (WIRL) is Canada’s first Passive House certified university educational building.

The climate, use, and form of this facility created a number of challenges: the low winter temperatures made it chal­ lenging to achieve the heating energy needs limitations set by the Passive House Institute, which are the same for every climate; the wood workshop with large equipment uses significant energy; and the high ceilings cause higher heat loss per occupied floor area since there is more envelope area losing heat.

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Level 1

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Lab Conditioning Room Tools / Storage Mechanical Room Washroom Janitor

7. Comm.

8. Electrical Room 9. Offices 10. Entrance 11. Elevator Room

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THE WOOD INNOVATION RESEARCH LABORATORY (WIRL) IS ADJACENT TO AND COMPLEMENTS THE WOOD INNOVATION DESIGN CENTRE, WHICH TOGETHER ACTIVATE A VACANT CORNER.

These challenges were met with a very high thermal performance envelope and windows, efficient ventilation systems, and atten­ tion to construction details.

The team’s success is the result of a collaborative process in which every decision was guided by building performance engineering.

This has resulted in a design where architecture and mechanical building systems work in harmony to reduce heat loss through the envelope, capture and distribute useful heat from occupants, equipment and the sun, and promote high air quality.

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The WIRL is located in downtown Prince George, adjacent to and complementing the Wood Innovation Design Centre.

Together, these buildings house the UNBC Master of Engineering in Integrated Wood Design program. The downtown location supports broader community efforts to revitalize the area by activating a vacant corner with UNBC students, faculty and staff engaged in applied research activities to support the BC forestry industry.

Ventilation and energy Level 2

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Seminar Flexible Collaborative Area Office 1 Office 2

The WIRL consists of two distinct areas: 1) office spaces and a seminar room, and 2) a large wood workshop with overhead crane and high-tech wood working equipment. Each area has different lighting and ventilation requirements, as well as different indoor temperature setpoints.

The office spaces and the seminar room have south-facing windows within 7m of the occupied area, however, they are not operable to save costs and improve performance. The windows are highly efficient, Passive House-certified windows with a U-value of 0.1.

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THE COMPLETED CONSTRUCTION HAS SET A HIGH STANDARD FOR AIR TIGHTNESS, SECURING THE BEST NORTH AMERICAN RESULT OF ANY BUILDING UNDER THE PASSIVE HOUSE STANDARD.

The air handling unit supplies 100% outdoor air to the offices and seminar rooms where it is passively heated by occupants and sunlight through south-facing windows then transferred to the north-facing workshop area and exhausted through the high-efficiency heat recovery ventilator which recovers 85% of the useful heat to pre足 heat the incoming fresh air.

A heat pump transfers heat from fan coil units cooling the offices and seminar room on the south elevation to the large north-facing laboratory space. The hydraulic power pack rejects heat from electricity by transferring

it directly to the heating loop which uses a radiant floor system to store this useful energy in the concrete floor slab.

A recirculation wood dust extraction system with HEPA filtra足 tion filters the air to avoid the large heating load resulting from bringing in cold outside air. To meet code requirements, addi足 tional fire detection and suppression systems were installed.

The fresh air provision for the building is approximately 0.4 air changes per hour. The outdoor air change rate is closer to 1.5 air changes per hour which exceeds the requirements of ASHRAE 62.1.

WOOD TRUSSES USED VERTICALLY FOR THE WALL RATHER THAN HORIZONTALLY PROVIDE A 50CM CAVITY FOR THE INSULATION TO HELP ACHIEVE R70.

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Passive House criteria limit the allowance for space heating needs to 15 kWh/m2 for the whole building. The expected ener足 gy use intensity (EUI) is 35 kWh/m2 site energy, and 114 kWh/ m2 primary energy. The heating demand as per Passive House Planning Package calculations is expected to be 11 kWh/m2.

THE WIRL PROVIDES THERMALLY AND ACOUSTICALLY COMFORTABLE SPACE WITH GOOD ACOUSTICAL SEPARATION BETWEEN THE WOOD WORKSHOP AND THE OFFICES AND SEMINAR SPACE SEEN TO THE LEFT.

Wood was used as the primary structure, with a glulam post and beam superstructure over an insulated raft foundation.

The wall assembly consists of wood trusses used vertically rather than horizontally, which proved to be the most econo­ mical method of achieving the 50cm cavity for the insulation.

The insulation for the walls is blown-in mineral fibre which has low embodied energy and achieve excellent fire ratings as well as acoustic resistance. The insulation below the slab and on the roof is EPS to reduce environmental impact. The enve­ lope is very high performance with R70 walls and a R100 roof.

Global Warming Potential For a regular building the influence of embodied energy in the construction materials is only about 10% of the Global Warming Potential (GWP). For a Passive House building the influence of the construction materials is about 38% GWP, so embodied and operational energy approach similar levels because while the operational energy is drastically reduced, the embodied energy is increased because more materials and insulation are needed.

Designing with wood rather than steel reduced the embodied energy of the structural system by about 22%, and there is a 70% GWP reduction resulting from designing to the Passive House Standard.

Graham Twyford Miles M.Urb., LEED AP BD+C is Principal, Sustainability + Building Performance at Stantec in Vancouver.

PROJECT CREDITS Architect: Stantec Architecture Ltd Civil/Mechanical/Electrical Engineer: Stantec Consulting Ltd Structural Engineer: Aspect General Contractor: IDL Projects Photos: Stantec Architecture Ltd

THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE BUILDING IS THE SOURCE OF HEAT, VIEWS AND NATURAL LIGHT FOR THE OFFICE AND SEMINAR SPACES.

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BC Elementary School cuts emissions with new Biomass Boiler

BECAUSE OF LACK OF PHYSICAL SPACE AT CATALINE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, A NEW SEPARATE BUILDING HOUSES THE WOOD PELLET BOILER.

By Matthew Redekopp

Through innovative technology and collaboration, an elementary school in Williams Lake reduced annual greenhouse gas emissions by 284 tonnes and utility costs by half.

Cataline Elementary School in School District 27 installed a biomass boiler in 2016 to heat the school, a kindergarten annex and a neighbouring campus of Thompson Rivers University.

“School District 27’s fuel switching project is a great example of how the public sector can reduce their carbon emissions while lowering operating costs,” said Orest Maslany of the BC Climate Action Secretariat.

“Through determination, innovation and collaboration, projects like this are making important contributions to BC’s carbon neutral goals across the provincial public sector every year.”

The heating system at Cataline Elementary School was built in 1972 and was showing its age by 2013. With a cracked heat exchanger, it was costly to operate and main­ tain and was producing high greenhouse gas emissions.

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FALL 2019 | BC FOCUS

This project was innovative in two different ways. First, bio­ mass boilers aren’t often the technology of choice for boiler replacements among school districts. And second, School District 27 reached out to potential partners in order to share costs and achieve minimum efficient scale.

The requirements of the BC Carbon Neutral Government Program were a major driver to pursuing a biomass boiler system in addition to the provincial carbon taxes. School District 27 also had the tar­ get of a 5 per cent annual reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.

Two other schools in the district already had pellet boiler (Alexis Creek and Tatla Lake facilities), so the idea was already familiar to the district’s maintenance team.

A major limitation at Cataline Elementary was physical space. The facility was also in need of an upgrade to the HVAC mechanical system, so there was limited room for a biomass boiler and fuel.

The solution was to install the new wood pellet boiler in a separate building nearby the school.

Rocky Point Engineering oversaw the engineering of the new facility and connections to the three buildings. When the plan was finalized, Ventek Energy Systems installed the new system.

The Ariterm pellet boiler was manufactured in Finland, shipped to Canada in a two-month voyage, assembled in Quesnel and lowered into the new building by a crane.

THE WOOD PELLET BOILER SUPPLIES HEAT TO THE CATALINE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, E.J. BARE EDUCATION CENTRE, AND TO THE THOMPSON RIVERS CAMPUS WITH INDIVIDUAL FLOW AND ENERGY METERING FOR EACH.

The new building houses an Ariterm pellet boiler, new com­ pact Viessmann gas boilers, heat exchangers and fuel storage.

Because pellet boilers have limited dial-down capabilities, it was determined to use natural gas boilers (existing boilers at Thompson Rivers University and new gas boilers at Cataline Elementary) for shoulder seasons, pellet boiler heating for heavy winter, and to rely on the on-site gas boilers for supple­ mental heat in extreme cold weather.

In addition to the Rocky Point and Ventek expertise, School District 27’s maintenance team managed the on-site heavy lifting – including all the piping, electrical, plumbing, welding, mechanical work and final tie in of the system. The new pellet boiler started operation on October 23, 2016.

Rede Energy Solutions is the district’s energy management team and was responsible for monitoring the energy consump­ tion before and after the installation of the new boiler. The new pellet boiler is 95% carbon neutral, resulting in significant carbon tax and offset purchase reductions. Compared to other pellet boiler systems installed in schools in the district, the new system is far superior in its heat regulation abilities and versatile turn down ratios that translates into less reliance on the more costly gas boilers.

Nearby Thompson Rivers University is enjoying a 15 per cent savings in heating costs with no capital outlay, no maintenance expenses, as well as lower carbon tax and offset purchase requirements. ____________________________________________________ Matthew Redekopp, P.Eng, CEM, LEED AP, Founder and CEO, Rede Energy Solutions (www.getrede.ca) which works with rural schools across western Canada to reduce energy costs and meet carbon footprint reduction targets through energy management.

WOOD PELLETS USED AS FUEL IN THE BIOMASS BOILER.

Technical Specification •

Boiler: 400 kW Ariterm Bio with vertical flow convection section c/w moving grate BioJet burner, Arimatic 500 CN Control System, Tosibox on-line operating system, GSM access system, PS10 Pellet Feeder, and modular K4 Walking Floor fuel storage system.

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10% turn down and 3-5% up keeping.

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Variable frequency drive fuel feed system.

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Separate heating zones for Cataline Elementary School, E.J. Bare Education Centre and Thompson Rivers Campus with individual flow and energy metering for each.

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760 m of insulated underground heating piping for the three buildings

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All products are certified to ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 standards. For the North American market, the pressure vessels are available with the ASME H stamp certification.

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Zero Energy Buildings as exciting as a Mustang, really?

HAVE YOU EVER WITNESSED PEOPLE LOOKING AT A CAR ENGINE UNDER THE HOOD? THEY ARE SMILING, CERTAINLY LOOKING IMPRESSED! WHAT ARE THEY REALLY LOOKING AT? A symbol of power? Maybe! Some of these engines can get you from 0 to 100 km/h in a few seconds.

A marvel of engineering? Yes, internal combustion engines have certainly changed the way we work, live and play!

But let’s not get overly excited! With an overall thermal efficiency of 20 to 35%, that thing under the hood is not the perfect machine! In comparison, some heat recovery ventilators are 80%-plus efficient. A house with airtight, ther­ mal bridge-free thick walls may use 90% less energy than a conventional house. These high performance buildings are

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FALL 2019 | BC FOCUS

THE ABC OF A HEAT RECOVERY VENTILATOR.

THE INTERACTIVE EXHIBIT WILL BE ON DISPLAY AT THE SCIENCE WORLD AT TELUS WORLD OF SCIENCE THIS FALL.

quiet, comforta­ble­and easy to operate. So why do we get excited looking at an engine, but we never seem to notice the thickness of a wall, or talk about the coefficient of performance of a heat pump.

Things are about to change! Did you know that BC is taking action to tackle climate change by deman­ding all new buildings to be in compliance with zero energy­ready standards by 2032. The new provincial­regulation is called the Energy Step Code. The City of Vancouver is pushing a simi­ lar agenda, with a 2030­ deadline and additional greenhouse gas (GHG) intensity metrics.

This strategy to reduce buildings GHG emissions revolves around what is called an “envelope-first approach”. Soon, all buildings will have thick walls and airtight assemblies. They will be thermal bridge-free, use triple-pane windows and they will be equipped with high-efficiency Heat Recovery Ventilators (HRVs).

Now, maybe experts in the field know the science behind zero energy buildings is fun. However, thick walls and heat pumps are not (at first sight) as exciting as Mustangs and Porsches.

To change that perception, the BCIT Zero Energy Buildings Learning Centre has developed an interactive science exhibit with the hope of cre­ ating excitement for the house of the future. The exhibit was designed to get people of all ages to understand the science of heat transfer, the value of well-insulated walls, the physics of heat pumps and much more.

The exhibit will be at Science World for a number of months, starting this October. The exhibit will then be on display at various locations in BC, including Vancouver, Vancouver Island, as well as Northern BC and BC’s interior. Make sure to check the website for exact dates and location. www.bcit.ca/zeroenergybuildings

LEARN ABOUT THE CRITICAL LAYERS OF A HIGH PERFORMANCE WALL.

FALL 2019 | BC FOCUS

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The Awards recognize excellence in the design and execution of all types of sustainably-designed, high-performance Canadian residential and non-residential buildings and interiors, both new and renovated. Projects need not be certified under a green building rating system. Register now to receive an Entry Kit.

SCHEDULE

• Deadline for submissions / date limite pour soumettre vos projets March 6, 2020 / 6 mars 2020 • Judging date / délibération des juges March 13, 2020 / 13 mars 2020 • Winners announcement / dévoilement des gagnants June 1, 2020 / 1 juin 2020

ENTRY CATEGORIES - ELECTRONIC SUBMISSIONS ACCEPTED 1. Residential [small] 2. Residential [large] 3. Commercial/Industrial [small]

4. Commercial/industrial [large] 5. Institutional [small] 6. Institutional [large]

7. Mixed Use 8. Existing Building Upgrade 9. Interior Design

RECOGNITION - Winners announced June 1, 2020 in Toronto prior to the start of the CaGBC National Conference - Winning projects published in the Summer issue of SABMag which is also distributed to all attendees of the CaGBC National Conference - Winning projects published in the SABMag web site, www.sabmagazine.com, and in the SABMag monthly e-News - All projects submitted will be considered for publishing in SABMag and the CaGBC FOCUS publications

Thanks to our sponsors

National Sponsors

ARCHITECTURAL

Category Sponsors

awardscallforenrysab65.indd 1

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2019-10-07 10:54 AM

CaGBC is hosting an Innovation Forum on November 19 that will provide an in-depth exploration of the nexus between optimizing high performance buildings and the occupant experience.

High performance buildings require a rigorous integrated design approach that balances and optimizes each component of the building. Occupant behaviour and equipment has been shown to significantly impact the ability to deliver a healthy and productive indoor environment with minimal energy use. Conversely, companies are increasingly interested in improving occupant satisfaction, wellbeing and productivity. These forums will showcase innovative products, services and market solutions that deliver maximum building performance while achieving occupant satisfaction.

When: November 19, 2019 Where: Vancouver, BC This in-person forum is one of three across Canada See the CaGBC BC Chapter website to register and for more details (www.cagbc.org/BC)

Sponsored by:

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YOUR LEED V4 QUICK-REFERENCE

CANADIAN DIRECTORY OF PRODUCTS AND SERVICES FOR SUSTAINABLE, HIGHPERFORMANCE BUILDING

Visit our on-line Directory to see hundreds of listings of companies which supply products and services for sustainable, high-performance building.

Listings are organized by Product Category and by LEED v4 Category.

Our LEED v4 Directory is created with the help of our partner:

Our 2019 Partners SITE | LANDSCAPING | RAINWATER HARVESTING Molok® Deep Collection™ System Dulux/PPG

Wishbone Industries Ltd.

Forbo Flooring Systems STRUCTURE & EXTERIOR ENVELOPE Alumicor Building Excellence Architek SBP Inc.

Nora Systems, Inc. Masonite Architectural Shaw Contract Group

Arriscraft Bailey Metal Products Ltd.

ELECTRICAL | PLUMBING | HVAC | RENEWABLES

Euroshield®

Acuity Brands

LiveRoof

Aqua-Tech

Nedlaw Living Walls

Elkay

Radon Environmental

Fantech

Thames Valley Brick & Tile

Sloan Valve Tempeff North America

THERMAL & WINDOWS Demilec, Heatlok Soya

Termobuild Viessmann Manufacturing Company Inc.

Eco Insulating Glass Inc. EuroLine Windows Inc.

GREEN DESIGN SUPPORT + PROFESSIONALS

Inline Fiberglass Ltd.

Canadian Precast Prestressed Concrete Institute

Innotech Windows + Doors

Diamond Schmitt Architects

LiteZone™ Insulating Glass

FABRIQ architecture

Pollard Windows Inc.

Pomerleau

Tech-Crete Processors Ltd.

RJC Engineers Sustainable Forestry Initiative

INTERIOR FINISHES CBR Products Columbia Forest Products

https://sabmagazine.com/product-directory/ 24

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CaGBC News Education Services

Built for You: CaGBC launches custom-designed education services to help Canadian businesses succeed in the low-carbon economy

The Canada Green Building Council’s Education group is adding customdesigned programs to its already robust education and training offerings.

Designed to help companies thrive in the new low-carbon economy, these customized programs are built around specific business needs, and draw on CaGBC’s 15 years of experience training green building professionals and supporting LEED and Zero Carbon standard development and certification.

Market Transformation Brings Opportunity For companies involved in the design, construction, and operation of highlyefficient buildings, the transition to a low carbon economy represents a significant opportunity. Our research indicates that by 2030, the retrofit economy alone could contribute $32.5B to Canada’s Gross Domestic Product and create over 260,000 jobs annually.

To ensure Canadian firms are ready for both the opportunity and the challenges this transition represents, it’s critical they retool their employees’ skill sets.

To leverage the opportunities presented by this new economy, organizations must become more responsive to changing market green building technologies and standards. As the numberone source for industry-specific education, the CaGBC Education team is well placed to help companies anticipate and train for the skills of the future.

A customized approach to education & training CaGBC starts with a needs analysis to fully understand the business requirements and the skill sets required by your team.

Once the required skills are known, CaGBC Education staff will identify any gaps,­ and create a custom education and training program.

Curriculum delivery will be customized as well, with a focus on in-person or online sessions led by industry experts. These interactive sessions will rely on problem-solving and real-world situations to keep participants engaged.

Companies and participants in these custom education services will benefit from CaGBC market research, insights from CaGBC’s industry connections, and localized case studies.

For more information on CaGBC’s Education Services, contact education@cagbc.org FALL 2019 | BC FOCUS

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Richmond’s W. D. Ferris Elementary: Canada’s Greenest School With just over 500 students, this Kindergarten to Grade 7 school has big ambitions when it comes to sustainability

W. D. FERRIS ELEMENTARY IS HOME TO JUST OVER 500 STUDENTS RANGING FROM KINDERGARTEN TO GRADE 7. THE SCHOOL HAS INVESTED IN TURNING ITS GROUNDS INTO A WELCOMING GREEN SPACE, WITH RAISED GARDENS, TREE PLANTINGS AND GATHERING PLACES.

Each year since 2014, the Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC) and the Canada Coalition for Green Schools have celebrated a school that demonstrates a commitment towards sustainability with the Greenest School in Canada competition.

Schools across the country vie for the honour—grade schools, high schools, private schools and more. Some are big-city schools, and some are small—but all showcase a desire to inspire their students to consider the environment in their everyday activities as well as their school lessons.

This year, the coveted title went to Ferris Elementary School from British Columbia’s Richmond School District No. 38. It describes the school as a thriving community of learners that live by the H.E.A.R.T. motto: Helpful and Safe, Empathetic, Accountable, Respectful, and Truly Kind.

With support from Kevin Lyseng—a Grade 5/6 teach and environmental steward—this small school has big ambitions when it comes to anything green. Their application stood out among the other submissions for its commitment to reducing its environmental footprint and how so much of the school was involved in green initiatives.

Not only that, they backed up their application with histori­ cal data that provided hard evidence of the impact of their efforts—impressing the competition jurors, a group made up of seasoned green building professionals.

Students at Ferris Elementary conduct the regular audits to gather data that helps identify issues and find solutions. They even launch seasonal campaigns to help change behaviours— from reducing waste by 80 per cent since 2007 to cutting electricity use by two per cent since 2013 (despite adding to the plug load with new tablets and screens).

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Students at Ferris benefit from the green programming—with gardens they tend (including their grape vines which provide jelly and snacks for the classes), to their mason-jar bee hives and outdoor spaces.

By encouraging students and staff to walk or ride bicycles to school, they are encouraging healthy lifestyles—and making the streets around the school safer during pick up and drop off times.

“At CaGBC, we believe that focusing on sustainability deliv­ ers tangible benefits, not only in energy savings and waste reduction, but in improved human health and wellbeing,” said

AMONG W. D. FERRIS’ PLANTINGS ARE PRODUCTIVE GRAPE VINES, WHICH THE STUDENTS TEND. THIS SEPTEMBER, THE GRAPES WERE HARVESTED TO PROVIDE NUTRITIOUS SNACKS FOR STUDENTS AND HELP MAKE JAMS AND JUICES

Thomas Mueller, president and CEO of CaGBC. “Ferris Elementary ticks all these boxes with waste reduction programs, building system improvements, and initiatives that positively impact student’s lives.”

Even vendors at the school work hand-in-hand with the stu­ dents to find ways to improve sustainability at the school. They have limited single-use plastics and use ph-neutral cleaners to keep their scent-free, low VOC classrooms in tip-top-shape.

The school’s programs have been recognized before—even taking home prizes some big cash prizes. But the bragging rights to being “Canada’s Greenest School” is also nice.

“The Ferris school community is very honoured to be chosen as Canada’s Greenest School for 2019 by the Canada Green Building Council,” said Diane Steele, Principal of W. D. Ferris.

“We also want to acknowledge the hard work done by students and staff daily in schools across Canada to educate their com­ munities about environmental stewardship.”

•

By monitoring usage, achieved a two per cent reduction in electrical use since 2013, despite adding to the plug load.

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An upgraded boiler has helped achieve 32 per cent reduction in natural gas use since 2013.

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Achieved a five per cent reduction in water use.

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Championing plastic waste reduction through participation in the Great Canadian Shoreline cleanup since 2007, and engaging students in a petition and letter writing campaign to municipal leaders.

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W. D. Ferris Elementary Commitment to active transportation, encouraging staff and students to walk or ride to school, including hosting learn to bike clinics.

Steele, her staff and students hope that Ferris’ success will help to encourage all schools to inspire green-minded changes in their communities.

W.D. Ferris Elementary’s Green Achievements •

Regular waste audits have improved waste diversion by 80 per cent since 2007.

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Through rescheduling lunch period, fermentation, vermicomposting and traditional composting projects, achieved a 95 per cent reduction of food waste.

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Paid for the installation of two water bottle refilling stations by recycling 250,000 bottles.

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Building a greener Canada Brandy Burdeniuk

GBCI Canada was formed to provide new tools and services to increase the uptake of green buildings and green business practices in Canada and is jointly owned by GBCI and the Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC).

enhanced building performance,” she said. “This goes beyond emissions reductions and operational savings to also embrace human health benefits, which meaningfully transform the places where we live and work.”

The presence of the CaGBC, and the fact that Canada is the second largest market for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design® (LEED) certifications outside the US, made it an ideal location for the acceleration of the green building industry. Like its global counterparts, GBCI Canada now exclusively administers project certifications and professional credentials for LEED, the WELL Building Standard, the Sustainable SITES Initiative (SITES) for land use, Parksmart for parking struc­ tures, TRUE Zero Waste certification, Investor Confidence Project (ICP) for energy efficiency retrofits, and the GRESB benchmark, which is used by institutional investors to improve the sustaina­ bility performance of the global property sector.

Burdeniuk is focused on key markets including Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver. To facilitate the anticipated growth, Burdeniuk recently added to the team in Quebec. Earlier this year Nawel Guecioueur joined the team in a business develop­ ment capacity working from the CaGBC Montreal office. Before joining GBCI Canada, Nawel worked as a business development manager at Altus Group, where she was the expert consultant in commercial real estate data solutions.

GBCI Canada’s Chief Customer Officer Brandy Burdeniuk is responsible for advancing these service offerings and championing the improved building performance which results from inves­ ting in green building standards and practices. It’s something Burdeniuk is passionate about, having previously been a Principal at EcoAmmo, a con­ sultancy firm focused high-performance on LEED pro­jects for over a decade.

“GBCI Canada enables the Canadian industry to leverage new opportunities and to validate

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“The Quebec market is an exciting place to be working in the green building industry,” Guecioueur said. “The Quebec market boasts the secondhighest­number of certifications in the country, and the highest number of LEED Residential Design and Construction projects. We’re also seeing interest in SITES and WELL as Quebec’s industry continues to lead the way in green building adoption.”

Working with the GBCI Canada board, Burdeniuk and Guecioueur are poised to help Canada create a greener tomorrow, one building at a time.

For more information on GBCI Canada, visit GBCICanada.ca

Canada

The future of green building is here.

LEED future-proofs your investment against increases in carbon and energy pricing, as well as the expense of energy-saving retrofits that will otherwise be needed down the road. Simply stated, LEED is as good for your business as it is for the environment.

Canada Learn more at GBCICanada.ca

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Building Better Teams: Investing in Corporate Education Becomes a Competitive Edge

You’ve likely heard it from companies before: “our people are our strength” or “our employees are our most valuable asset.” Is it just talk?

According to the Conference Board of Canada’s 2018 Learning and Development Outlook, more companies are making good on it.

”The industry is trying to shift to low-carbon buildings,” said Carla Giles, vice president of CaGBC’s Regional Operations.

By CaGBC

More businesses are asking for custom training packages to ensure they are ready for the shift to low-carbon buildings.

According to the report, Canadian employers are investing more time and money in their workforce’s training, spending an average of $889 per employee on training in 2016-17, up by $89 from previous years. At the same time, the number of training hours a year increased to 32 hours per employee from 25 hours.

As Canada’s building sector moves towards a low-carbon economy, the Canada Green Building Council’s (CaGBC) Trading Up study shows there will be a significant skills gap to address. Leading organizations are already mobilizing to help their labour force develop the skills required for designing, constructing, and maintaining lowcarbon buildings.

Customized Training As part of its core mandate, the CaGBC provides the industry with affordable and reliable training based on its deep expertise in green building.

To help the industry meet the challenge that the transition to a low-carbon economy entails, the organization provides flexible education programming.

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“We provide quality training in formats that best suit their needs, including in-person, online, or on-demand.”

“For those leaders who want a more customized learning experience, CaGBC now offers those services,” Giles explained. “Our experts will work with companies to understand their skills gap, and then build an educational program around their needs.”

These bespoke programs are especially useful for topics such as the adoption of green building best practices including the Zero Carbon Building Standard, deep green retrofits, and energy benchmarking, according to Giles. Based on the initial skills assessment, CaGBC designs a curriculum that includes industry-leading materials, regional case studies, and access to experienced instructors able to provide an interactive, problemsolving approach to learning.

“Our end goal is to make our companies feel supported through the transition to low-carbon buildings,” said Giles. “And that they have the tools and training to continue to innovate and grow, while delivering on the promise of smart, energy-efficient buildings.”

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To Contact the Manufacturer, Please Email info@tech-crete.com

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MARK YOUR CALENDARS

BUILDING

LASTING CHANGE

2020 JUNE 3 – 5, 2020 BEANFIELD CENTRE, TORONTO 32

For sponsorship opportunities contact | Sarah Burns | 613-288-8097 | sburns@cagbc.org

FALL 2019 | BC FOCUS