Have you had a chance to take a look at the BEC Year 2 awards event which took place in virtual format in September? It’s still available for viewing. It was a resounding success that reflected the exceptional year we had in 2019. As a group, participants in the Building Energy Challenge reduced greenhouse gases by 3.36% and energy consumed by buildings by 2.95%. Bravo!
Unfortunately, the trophy presentation scheduled for October 6 had to be cancelled. We were hoping for a more special presentation formula, but the exceptional circumstances of the present moment obliged us to proceed differently. The winners will receive their trophies by mail shortly.
Now that an analysis of the year 2019 has been completed, let’s look forward to 2020, a year of uncertainty that has greatly disrupted our plans, forcing us to adapt quickly from one week to the next. It is under such conditions that real leaders in energy management show their mettle.
Rest assured that the BEC is adjusting to this new reality. In 2021 we will pay tribute to the efforts of one and all, duly taking the context of 2020 into consideration. Energy must remain at the heart of our concerns, despite the pandemic. Many changes in building operations are called for, and more than ever the health of building occupants is the immediate priority.
We will continue to evaluate the impacts of these conditions on building energy management. We ask for your patience as regards the continuity of the BEC competition. An update of operating conditions will be necessary. It will be sent to you by the end of the year and will allow us to continue with the BEC, maintaining our initial objectives and commitments.
In this period of major upheaval, comparative analysis of building operations remains the tool of choice for getting our energy improvement projects back on track.
Please upload your 2020 energy data into ESPM, as well as information on the number of workers and the number of hours of operation per week so far this year. It is an important step with 2 main objectives:
- To evaluate the energy consumption of buildings in the context of the pandemic, and to validate the impact of our responses to date.
- To compare the results of each building with those of other similar buildings. To that end, the BEC will be posting the information obtained for each group of buildings.
You will soon receive a questionnaire regarding the impact of the pandemic on your energy management. Your answers will help us determine what paths to pursue in the near future. Thank you in advance for your cooperation and contributions.
We are a community of leaders and we will face this great challenge together.
Keep up the good work!
Mario Poirier
Program Director
