A rainy month of October plus a federal election with no big surprises, where major decisions affecting our society (e.g. the environment) will be difficult to make under a minority government. Let’s look at the positive side of things as regards the BEC, such as pursuing a focus on the environment that the Liberal government tried to emphasize over the past four years (with more promises made during the election). Lowering greenhouse gases remains a priority and is the responsibility of one and all, including the real estate industry.
Rather than wait for assistance from the government or coercive regulation in order to get even the most skeptical involved, we must continue the work we are doing.
Good energy management begins with understanding your building. Analyzing your energy consumption profile is the first step to take.
We have already let you know about the monitoring tools available for your profile. Hydro-Québec provides one for your electricity consumption in the Client space on its website, and Énergir does something similar for consumption of natural gas. Energy Star Portfolio Manager (ESPM) allows you to group together on one site your complete energy profile.
Now’s the time to set a target. Time flies, and poorly used energy is a wasteful practice.
How do we go about it? We’re working hard in our efforts to send you, by the end of the year, an initial report showing the annual energy consumption of BEC participants. You’ll be able to review the different energy performances and make comparisons.
You know your building and no doubt realize that it has energy saving potential. Set a realistic target and inform all those collaborating on the project.
ESPM provides tools to help monitor whether you are reaching or falling short of the target you have set.
The Technical Committee is currently working on several aspects to help you reach your objectives, such as budget management, in order to show that financing of energy expenses is not that complex, simpler than you think. Another area is service contracts for building automation systems. It has the potential to reinforce your efforts by working in partnership with your service providers. An additional goal is Better understanding of audits, to help you better grasp the potential of your building.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank the association for its excellent training session on optimizing electro-mechanical systems (recommissioning), presented to a packed house in Montreal. Other training sessions are being prepared, including one on using the ESPM platform. It will take place on January 21.
Keep up the good work, and remember that we are there for you. Don’t be shy about asking for help, or drawing our attention to a potentially useful tool or something that could help improve your comprehension of a particular topic.
I wish you all continued success in meeting these challenges!
Mario Poirier
Program Director
