Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 76.79
Liaison Mike Wilson
Submission Date Jan. 27, 2017
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

University of Victoria
OP-5: Building Energy Consumption

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 3.38 / 6.00 David Adams
Energy Manager
Facilities Management
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Part 1

This credit is based on energy inputs from offsite sources and electricity produced by onsite renewables. When the institution purchases one fuel and uses it to produce heat and/or power, you should enter only what is purchased. For example, if the institution purchases natural gas to fuel a CHP system and produce steam and electricity, only the purchased natural gas should be reported.

Figures needed to determine total building energy consumption:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Grid-purchased electricity 176,779.86 MMBtu 187,913 MMBtu
Electricity from on-site renewables 0 MMBtu 0 MMBtu
District steam/hot water (sourced from offsite) 0 MMBtu 0 MMBtu
Energy from all other sources (e.g., natural gas, fuel oil, propane/LPG, district chilled water, coal/coke, biomass) 174,481 MMBtu 227,302 MMBtu
Total 351,260.86 MMBtu 415,215 MMBtu

Start and end dates of the performance year and baseline year (or 3-year periods):
Start Date End Date
Performance Year Jan. 1, 2015 Dec. 31, 2015
Baseline Year Jan. 1, 2010 Dec. 31, 2010

A brief description of when and why the building energy consumption baseline was adopted (e.g. in sustainability plans and policies or in the context of other reporting obligations):
N/A

Gross floor area of building space:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Gross floor area of building space 4,301,155.31 Gross square feet 3,700,741.85 Gross square feet

Source-site ratio for grid-purchased electricity:
1.05

Total building energy consumption per unit of floor area:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Site energy 0.08 MMBtu per square foot 0.11 MMBtu per square foot
Source energy 0.08 MMBtu per square foot 0.11 MMBtu per square foot

Percentage reduction in total building energy consumption (source energy) per unit of floor area from baseline:
27.03

Part 2 

Degree days, performance year (base 65 °F / 18 °C):
Degree days (see help icon above)
Heating degree days 2,528.80 Degree-Days (°F)
Cooling degree days 76.70 Degree-Days (°F)

Floor area of energy intensive space, performance year:
Floor Area
Laboratory space 39,889.28 Square feet
Healthcare space 0 Square feet
Other energy intensive space

EUI-adjusted floor area, performance year:
4,394,055.73 Gross square feet

Building energy consumption (site energy) per unit of EUI-adjusted floor area per degree day, performance year:
30.68 Btu / GSF / Degree-Day (°F)

Optional Fields 

Documentation (e.g. spreadsheet or utility records) to support the performance year energy consumption figures reported above:
---

A brief description of the institution's initiatives to shift individual attitudes and practices in regard to energy efficiency (e.g. outreach and education efforts):
The University of Victoria operates the Sustainability Action Team program. The program has three components that focus on energy use to varying degrees; the Res Green Team, the Green Labs Program, and the Staff Sustainability Network. Student Residence Green Team In 2015, the Office launched the Res Green Team to provide support for students living in UVic residence and who want to engage in sustainability. Since then, the Res Green Team has connected students across campus in a variety of sustainability related volunteer activities. The Green Team also identifies campus sustainability opportunities and implements their own initiatives. Each year, the Res Green Team volunteers engage hundreds of their colleagues on campus through their activities. Green Labs Program In early 2014, UVic piloted a ‘Green Labs Program’ focused on efficient fume hood use in chemistry labs. The program encouraged lab users to shut the fume hood sashes, and toggle the hoods to “setback” mode when they leave for the day. Since the program development, night setback has increased by more than 50 percent. This practice has reduced the demand on the building ventilation and heating systems. Other green labs initiatives, involving chemical substitution, lab glassware recycling, and mercury thermometer replacement, have also been implemented since 2012. Staff Sustainability Network The Staff Sustainability Network brings together more than 40 staff leaders who are passionate about sustainability from over 20 different departments on campus. Monthly meetings held since August 2015 help the members advance their leadership skills and collaborate on sustainability related issues. The Network’s first major campaign was the 21 Days to Green Your Routine challenge during the summer of 2016. Each of the participants adopted one additional sustainable action to repeat every day during this 21-day event. Over 130 staff and faculty members from across campus signed up and committed to green challenges in their offices. The Network has undertaken a program to identify energy and water savings opportunities across campus.

A brief description of energy use standards and controls employed by the institution (e.g. building temperature standards, occupancy and vacancy sensors):
Temperature control in all major buildings on UVic's campus is performed by a Building Automation control system. Direct Digital Control systems are computer managed microprocessor HVAC and lighting control systems. These systems are capable of operating with a numerous input and output signals which work off of a number of variables which includes sophisticated time scheduling.

A brief description of Light Emitting Diode (LED) lighting and other energy-efficient lighting strategies employed by the institution:
In the recent past, many buildings on campus have had old indoor fluorescent tube lights replaced with 25 watt T8 fluorescent lamps, which are much more energy efficient. However, LED retrofits are rapidly become the standard at UVic. LED lighting is being used in the underground parkade, Campus Bike Centre in the University Centre Building, and the new Centre for Athletics, Recreation and Special Abilities. New LED retrofits are planned for early 2017 for three other Campus buildings.

A brief description of passive solar heating, geothermal systems, and related strategies employed by the institution:
Centre for Athletic, Recreation, and Special Abilities (CARSA) opened in May 2015. The facility was built to the LEED Gold Standard and includes a geo-thermal heat exchange system. The geo-thermal technology is able to use the ground as a thermal battery, dumping heat from the building in the summer and extracting heat from the ground in the winter months. The geothermal system helped reduce the carbon footprint by offsetting the need for natural gas to heat the facility.

A brief description of co-generation employed by the institution, e.g. combined heat and power (CHP):
None.

A brief description of the institution's initiatives to replace energy-consuming appliances, equipment and systems with high efficiency alternatives (e.g. building re-commissioning or retrofit programs):
UVic is working with our electricity provider (BC Hydro) and consultants to conduct a comprehensive review of our energy efficiency in 19 of our largest campus buildings (those over 50,000 SF). The focus is on low cost operational improvements to the building HVAC and lighting control systems. The program allows for a re-commissioning of buildings coupled with a detailed energy audit, sub meter monitoring/archiving and software data base analysis. The first phase, consisting of 6 buildings, was complete by early 2013, with phase 2 complete in 2015, and phase 3 to be complete in 2017.

The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
---

Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
Between 2010 (baseline year) and 2015 (performance year), UVic decreased total energy consumption from all sources by 6%, despite new buildings being opened. The improvement in energy efficiency across campus is the result of a number of important factors including: - The hiring of a full time Energy Manager to focus on energy efficiency - Installation of real time energy sub-metering in the majority of buildings - Lighting system upgrades in six of our largest buildings - Fine tuning of heating, cooling, HVAC systems and lighting control systems in our largest buildings - Sustainability Action Team programs - Creation of Campus Integrated Energy Master Plan For more information on UVic’s energy savings initiatives, see: https://www.uvic.ca/sustainability/operations/energy/index.php and http://www.uvic.ca/facilities/service/sustainability/energy.php.

The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.