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FEBRUA RY 2018 | 33 Energy Management In Ontario, the Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) is continuing to lead the energy man- agement movement. "Climate change is driving a lot of companies to excel; pressures on the bottom line are pushing companies to look for more sophisticated ways to make their businesses more efficient, and energy efficiency is a natural place to look. Energy management is key," says Bryan Young at the IESO. The IESO has been incenting through its Certified Energy Manager training energy manager certifica- tion for five years now, and has the most accredited energy managers in the country. "One change we have seen is that energy man- agement has become more than a discussion. It's in practice everywhere you look," says Young. "It's about organizations such as ours taking a risk when they recognize an opportunity, and creating pro- grams like the energy manager program for forward thinking companies, that has proven to be a success. We can have all the incentives and skilled people in the world, but if there isn't a corporate direction to say 'we will do this,' then we will fail." Across the country, BC Hydro is staying one step ahead of changing regulations and incenting its customers toward effective energy management practices. Paul Seo is senior program manager and looks after all commercial customers, of which there are 90,000. Seo's focus is on the retrofit market and opportunities towards supporting strategic energy management practices. "The program has shifted from looking at a prac- tical one-off solution after receiving a high bill, to a more strategic approach where everyone has a role. When we first came up with the concept of strategic energy management in 2009 for the commercial sec- tor, the 20-year plan was to create the role of a chief sustainability officer. At the time facilities manager's roles were just renamed to include energy manage- ment. The industry has evolved quicker than we could have imagined. Out of the 60 energy managers we have today, 10 are directors," says Seo. He adds that strategic energy management is built off of three pillars, with the energy manager being the core component: business management – under- standing where you are and where you want to go to; asset management – incenting capital dollars to upgrading equipment; and change management – which goes hand-in-hand with the controls and is about changing behaviours. Of course lighting is still BC Hydro's and its cus- tomer's "bread and butter," but the future in this realm holds something quite exciting. "Moving ahead we are looking into advanced lighting controls. Having an advanced lighting control system includes traditional technologies like occupancy sensors, day- light harvesting and timers, but also incorporates newer abilities like power measurement and high-end trim, with the ability to address and collect perfor- mance data from each individual fixture. The lighting system can also become integrated with other his- torically disparate systems, sharing data for example with the building automation system [BAS]. With the growth of Internet of Things [IoT] and Integrated Businesses, having a smart lighting system will enhance the technology by offering more savings and additional value for organizations," says Seo. FortisBC agrees that advancing technologies have become increasingly important in the move to become more efficient and reduce emissions, all while making sure customers have access to afford- able energy choices such as natural gas. The most recent FortisBC pilot project looked at Calgary-based CleanO2 Carbon Capture Technologies. "This first-in-world technology reduces energy use in boilers and captures carbon from flue gas, which is then converted to sodium bicarbonate, also known as soda ash. This system resulted in cost savings for the commercial business and a reduc- tion in greenhouse gas emissions. Cadillac Fairview Richmond Centre and Blue Horizon Hotel are among the organizations testing the technology in their buildings and the company expects to have results by the end of 2018," says Nicole Bogdanovic, spokesper- son for FortisBC. Another FortisBC pilot project looked at a more energy-efficient alternative to standard rooftop units called condensing make-up air units. "With rooftop units collectively consuming about 5.5 million giga- joules of natural gas each year in B.C. alone, this is an important area for positive change," says Bogdanovic. For FortisBC, like other leaders in the sector, the one theme at the forefront of energy management is collaboration. Whether it is FortisBC's Climate Action Partners program, engineers working alongside technology companies, or companies providing total transparency of energy usage, the future is about working together toward the goal of reducing energy and being fluid enough to manoeuvre to new goals as increasing data is released. A Williams Engineering.indd 1 2017-05-10 2:55 PM

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