Energy Conservation and Innovation at UBC
UBC has a long-standing commitment to energy conservation, dating back to the University’s first sustainable development policy in 1997 and the launch of EcoTrek, the university’s first major campus-wide energy conservation initiative in 2002.
In 2014, Facilities established the Energy Conservation & Innovation (ECI) team, a dedicated team of energy professionals who work closely with Building Management System (BMS) technicians. Together, they identify energy conservation opportunities, implement solutions using in-house expertise, and continuously monitor and verify the impact on the universities overall utilities budget.
Our goals
The Energy Conservation & Innovation team is working toward two ambitious stretch targets:
- Reduce electrical energy consumption by 4 GWh annually
- Reduce thermal energy consumption by 20,000 GJ annually.
These targets are strategically designed to offset the increased energy demand associated with new construction on campus. While year-over-year progress may vary, ECI has successfully decoupled energy consumption from campus growth. This progress has demonstrated that expansion doesn’t have to mean increased energy use (See figure below).
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A track record of impact
UBC’s energy conservation efforts have evolved significantly over the years. Early initiatives like ELECTrek and ECOTrek laid the foundation by installing critical infrastructure such as utility meters and establishing a culture of conservation. Since the formation of ECI and through both utility-funded funded programs (BC Hydro and FortisBC) and internal initiatives, UBC has generated and maintains approximately $4.5 million in annual energy savings, with over $100 million saved since 2002.
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Leading the way in innovation
ECI is recognized across the energy conservation industry for delivering leading-edge projects ranging from small-scale retrofits to large capital initiatives. The team regularly shares lessons learned and best practices with peers at other universities and public-sector organizations. Recent industry-leading projects include:
- Retrofitting high-lift heat recovery chillers to offset building heat use.
- Using direct measurement of laboratory air contaminants to safely reduce ventilation rates while ensuring occupant comfort and safety.
- Implementing ASHRAE 36 High Performance Sequences.
- Implementing people-counting sensors for advanced demand-controlled ventilation.
- Automating trend collection and fault detection.
- Retrofitting tubular and recessed lighting fixtures with energy-efficient LEDs.
Learn more about these initiatives
Here are some projects that support energy conservation at UBC.
Jun 18, 2024: Continuous optimization of buildings
Mar 18, 2022: Irving K. Barber Learning Centre Energy Conserving Measures
Jan 19, 2022: Chemistry North Heat Recovery Coils
Jan 18, 2022: Chemistry Centre Heat Recovery Chiller
May 21, 2021: Michael Smith Labs Aircuity
May 20, 2021: Real-Time Energy Management
May 19, 2021: Centre for Comparative Medicine Optimization
Jan 12, 2019: Chemistry North, Fume Hood Optimization
Jan 11, 2019: Forestry Sciences Optimization
Jan 09, 2019: MOA Heat Recovery Chiller
May 09, 2017: WiFi Building Controls
Dec 08, 2016: LED Lighting Retrofit Campaign
Jan 26, 2016: Earth Sciences Building Energy Conservation
Jan 25, 2016: Life Sciences Centre Energy Consumption
Feb 04, 2015: ICICS/CS Heat Recovery Chiller
Jan 27, 2015: Aquatic Centre
Jan 24, 2015: Air Filter Replacement Program
Jan 23, 2015: Coil Cleaning
Jan 22, 2015: Centre for Comparative Medicine – Boiler retrofit
Jan 21, 2015: Pharmaceutical Sciences energy conservation
Jan 18, 2015: Biological Sciences West
Dec 05, 2014: ECOtrek
Dec 03, 2014: Building Tune-ups