Energy Service Company Helps U of C Cut Costs and GHGs

Saving energy means saving money, but how do you convince people to use less when they aren't directly paying the power bills for their office or residence?

The solution many organizations have chosen is to enlist the expertise of a dedicated energy service company (ESCO) to encourage conservation through the use of new technology and by making their clients aware of the value of cutting energy use.

"The energy market has changed dramatically in the last few years because we're really moving towards helping our clients come up with roadmaps for conserving energy and reducing their carbon footprints," says Julie Matthews, a consultant with Direct Energy Consulting, a business unit of Direct Energy.  "We look at energy use and try to change behavior and patterns of energy use in the daily lives of our clients by educating and communicating to them in terms that are important to them."

The University of Calgary joined forces with Direct Energy in 2005 with the goal of achieving a 30 per cent reduction in energy use in seven years.  As the biggest electricity consumer in Calgary, the university stands to save $24-million dollars over seven years, reduce ongoing operating costs and cut greenhouse gas emissions by an estimated 29,500 tonnes annually.

"It's part of our larger sustainability plan but it's also about saving money that can be used for other things at the university, such as research or student scholarships," says Murray Sloan, the U of C's chief energy and utilities engineer.  "Communicating that value to our students and staff is important so that they recognize there are many benefits to using electricity wisely."

While building audits and retrofits take place behind the scenes, the partnership called Project evolve is also focused on public awareness about energy conservation that involves educating occupants about power consumption, energy efficiency tips and the ecological impacts of the power they consume.

"Translating power use into a carbon footprint is often a very effective tool because people care about their impact on climate change," Matthews says.  "We spend time educating them about their habits in ways that can change their behavior at work or at home."

Similarly, the Alberta government used energy service companies to deliver a multi-year plan to reduce energy use in many facilities around the province.

"It was worth doing and we showed it was possible to do it without a budget," says John Gibson, head of Alberta Infrastructure's building science team.

"We've now done well over 200 buildings across the whole province, we've spent $26-million, realized $6-million a year in mostly guaranteed savings, and have reduced our greenhouse gas emissions by over 20 per cent below 1990s levels."