AEE Canada East

Buildings generate nearly 40% of annual global energy-related CO₂ emissions, with the operations of buildings responsible for 28% annually. Our industry is shifting quickly from an “energy-reduction” mentality to decarbonization, and we are at the forefront of this movement.

This presentation will touch on the basics of greenhouse gas emissions and global trends, setting the context for the main discussion on decarbonization strategies for building portfolios.  Integrating carbon forecasting into existing asset management cycles provides critical data for enabling strategic investment decisions to reduce carbon emissions and ultimately to achieve carbon neutrality across a portfolio. Outlining actionable implementation strategies to achieve decarbonization can bridge the gap between current portfolio realities and achieving future targets. Referencing experience managing projects for building portfolios across Canada and around the globe, this learning opportunity will use case studies to discuss strategies for identifying priority buildings as well as the challenges, opportunities and regional considerations for decarbonization around the world. As energy management experts, each of us has a unique role to play in the decarbonization of our built environment.  The goal of this presentation is to initiate conversations on how we can work together to effectively and efficiently reduce global emissions.

Speaker

Anna is a Canadian leader in carbon reduction solutions for buildings and a recipient of the AEE 2021 Young Energy Professional of the Year award. Anna has previously focused on guiding Government of Canada clients to net zero carbon. She was a key contributor to the development of plans to avoid over 18 million tons of CO₂e emissions in over 1000 buildings across Canada. Anna has led the development of holistic sustainability and carbon reduction strategies across Canada as well as internationally.

Outside of work Anna is actively involved in programs to assist young people of all backgrounds in their exploration of climate change, social entrepreneurship, and sustainable living. As AEE Canada East’s Council on Women in Energy & Environmental Leadership (CWEEL) Lead, Anna is supporting career development for professional women in the industry.

Anna has recently joined JLL Canada in the capacity of Senior Decarbonization Advisor. In this role she is continuing to expedite her mission to extend her efforts beyond Canada and bring together a network of leaders internationally who will work together to curve the effects of climate change.

In Canada, the building sector typically accounts for over 50% of annual carbon emissions in metropolitan areas. These emissions are attributed to the combustion of natural gas for building heating and domestic hot water production. As our communities face the global challenge of decarbonizing our economy, the building sector represents the majority of metropolitan carbon emissions, and the lowest hanging fruit to drive the greatest carbon reductions. The electrification of building heating has been acknowledged by the market as the path to NetZero, and through mass uptake of heat pumps, this transition can be accomplished in a highly efficient manner. Ground-Source Heat Pumps (GSHP) are specific variation of heat pump systems that leverage the deep ambient earth as a source/sink to produce ultra efficient and dual-purpose heating and cooling solution for buildings, while typically producing a reduction in a facility’s peak electrical demand and while increasing the overall grid capacity utilization. GSHPs have been known to produce up to 65% reduction in HVAC energy use intensity, up to 95% reduction in scope two HVAC carbon emissions, and a complete elimination of potable water use in HVAC cooling towers heat rejection. In this session, you will hear from Andrei Hari of Armstrong Fluid Technology and Adam Alaica of Geosource Energy discuss GSHP systems, and their application on past projects delivered through an integrated partnership for both new buildings and retrofit applications. This session will review of GSHP technology, design/delivery/operational management, the application of next generation Design Envelope smart pumping, empirical data driven operations/optimization, and project delivery models.

Speaker

Andrei Hari has worked a combined 20 years with Armstrong Fluid Technology. He currently holds the title of Canadian Business Development Manager, concentrating on educating the industry on a systems approach to chilled water, geothermal, heat pump and boiler plant optimization with a focus on an understanding of Demand Based Controls, Digital twins and the application of AI, along with the importance of flow control. He has also held roles as US North Central Regional Sales Manager, US National Commercial Sales Manager and US National Sales Manager / Large Projects. He is a graduate of Ryerson University, with a Mechanical Engineering degree. He has over 30 years of experience in Industrial, Municipal and HVAC pumping and Industrial and Commercial Heat Transfer applications. With this experience, he has spent the last 15 years developing an intricate understanding of HVAC optimization strategies and load distribution systems.

This combined experience gives him a unique insight, not only into the mechanical side of Commercial HVAC applications but also a unique perspective on a systems solution approach to flow control, chilled water plant automation and optimization with Demand Based Control methodology, applying Armstrong Fluid Technologies Design Envelope solutions, all based on the basic engineering fundamentals of Fluid dynamics, Heat transfer and Thermodynamics.

Adam is an energy professional, with over 9 years of experience in the low-carbon energy sector. Majority of Adam’s tenure in the industry has focused his effort on the feasibility and design development of low-carbon thermal energy technologies, including geothermal, sewer heat recovery, heat pumps, heat recovery chillers, and others; both at the building and community level (district energy). In addition, Adam brings hands on experience in automation and process control from the industrial sector.

Speaker

Zibi is unique new development of 4,000,000 square feet of residential and commercial buildings on 34 acres of former industrial lands in downtown Ottawa and Gatineau.  Zibi aims for the One Planet certification, which includes a commitment to net-zero carbon.   To achieve this in Ottawa’s challenging climate, all buildings will be connected to a zero-carbon district energy system that uses waste industrial heat in winter from the neighbouring papermill and the adjacent river for heat rejection in summer. The heating network is a low temperature water at 45°C produced by centralized high efficiency heat-recovery chillers.  The presentation will introduce Zibi and the path to zero-carbon, review the unique nature of this DES, and provide some insight into the economics of the project.

Speaker

Scott is a real-estate entrepreneur focusing on community-scale projects where there are opportunities to drastically reduce a development’s carbon footprint.   Through Scott’s purposeful leadership, highly sustainability projects have been achieved without compromising economic returns.  He has spent years in the role of educator and facilitator, as a consultant and lecturer, moving the development industry toward triple-bottom-line outcomes.  Scott has held project management, project director and development director roles on some of Canada’s greenest developments, culminating today in the $1.7B Zibi development in the Nation’s Capital.

The ASHRAE Position Document on Building Decarbonization was recently approved and announced. Building decarbonization addresses a building’s entire life cycle: its construction and energy use as well as methane and refrigerant leaks, which are the primary sources of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. A primary means for reducing building GHG emissions includes reducing building energy use through energy-efficient electrification while also removing emissions from the electrical grid.

This session will explore solutions for electrification of thermal systems using site sourced, site recovered and compressor-based heating. Air-to-water and water-to-water heat pump system benefits, limitations, and best practices will be discussed as well as cold climate strategies.

Learning Objectives

1. Explain the electrification landscape
2. Understand heat pump capabilities and limitations
3. Identify key considerations for selection and sizing 
4. Compare electrified system types
5. Discover cold climate variations
6. Unlock energy storage for both heating and cooling

Speaker

Lukas is an account executive with the Trane Toronto team, holds a Bachelor of Applied Science with specialization in Environmental Engineering from Queen’s University, and is an active member of ASHRAE. Lukas works closely with clients to achieve their sustainability and energy goals by leveraging their BAS and upgrading equipment or optimizing HVAC performance. Specializing in electrification of heating and building environment optimization with smart building automation solutions, Lukas supports clients to create and design HVAC solutions and follows them through manufacturing, installation, and optimal operation. Lukas actively empowers others to take a step back and consider the holistic picture in every project. Lukas supports clients in Canada to achieve their sustainability goals with lasting results.

In his free time, Lukas hits the backcountry; canoeing and hiking in the summer, and cross country skiing in the winter.

Viewing Sustainability through the lens of Data Platforms creates the opportunity to deliver repeatable, measurable and sustainable results. Cisco’s Smart Building approach builds on the concept of bridging IT (Informational Technology) and OT (Operational Technology) data sources to create new Use Cases that drive business value.

Speaker

William MacGowan leads the Digital Buildings Practice for Cisco’s Industry Transformation Division in Canada. William has extensive experience within the AEC (Architects Engineers Constructors) Space and is intimate in the design, implementation and integration of IOT (Internet of Things) building systems. William has been intimately involved with the progress of open data communication standards and converged Facility + IT (4 th Utility) Networks. William has deep knowledge in the areas of Use Case Development, Space Utilization and the Delivery of High Performance Building Value. William is an honors graduate of the Queens University Electrical Engineering Program and is a Certified Energy Manager (CEM) with the American Energy Engineers (AEE) Association. William resides in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.