Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/755184
DECEMBER 2016 | 35 Green Building Design objective is to support industry with technical expertise and design and modelling support in the design phase to go beyond what is required by code." A leading example of the initiative and green building design has been the University of British Columbia (UBC), says Ron Mastromonaco, key account man- ager. "They have very aggressive sustainability goals and have fully integrated the New Construction Program into their processes. The success we have seen at UBC has also encouraged other campuses." The Quantum Matter Institute and Orchard Commons at UBC are two recent projects that used the New Construction Program to better understand opportu- nities to help them lower energy bills early on in the design process. Looking at the areas that make the most impact on green building, Bojan Andjelkovic, specialist engineer with BC Hydro, agrees that the focus has now shifted to more integrated envelope and building mechanical and electrical sys- tems. "It's no longer just about adding insulation and more efficient lighting; the heating and cooling systems present an opportunity for efficiency improvements as they are large consumers of energy. We have seen a shift to using more heat pumps and heat recovery systems. It's a great trend, because heat pumps have been posi- tioned as the most promising technology to a net-zero future." Across the country, the Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) in Ontario is also seeing great success with its Save On Energy programs, under which its High Performance New Construction initiative falls. This program provides design assistance and incentives for building owners and planners who design and implement energy efficient equipment within their new space. "Programs like Save On Energy, which apply to new building design, have been very effective at applying market pull through the use of incentives. Such programs are a key contributor, upping the pace of market transformation through assist- ing in the understanding and adoption of newer technologies," agrees Bob Back, director of Sustainable Buildings Canada and Energy Profiles Limited, who works closely with IESO. Also under the Save On Energy programs are two initiatives aimed at exist- ing buildings: the Retrofit Program, which assists with upgrades (and is consid- ered a future area of focus for green building design), and the Existing Building Commissioning that incentivizes owners to improve the energy performance of their chilled water system. However, Bach warns that one key issue is defining when the assistance is no longer needed. But he has faith in the industry, which has become extremely educated on all matters of green building design. "I am very confident that designers and other industry stakeholders will continue to raise the bar, beyond where the energy codes and standards place it. Much of the market is asking for better buildings in which to live and work, and owners and developers are pressing design teams to respond. This 'market pull' has been the most powerful force in moving the industry forward at an accelerating pace over the past 20 years or more. "In some respects, codes and standards are running to keep up. Fenestration continues to move forward in terms of thermal, solar, visible light transmittance, strength and condensation performance, and some advanced versions can change with the outdoor and indoor conditions under the control of a building automation system or even just by sensing local conditions. Frame systems have better thermal performance and durability. Overall costs keep coming down as these technologies receive further development and also wider adoption." A Orchard Commons at the University of British Columbia. PHOTOGRAPHY BY ROBERT STEFANOWICZ