Pathways to Decarbonization 2024 was held on April 9, 2024 in Ottawa, Ontario. Browse the proceedings below for recordings and slides.
Session 1: Natural Resources Canada Industrial Energy Efficiency Programming
Presentation on CIPEC (Canadian Industry Partnership for Energy Conservation) and how programs like ISO 50001 can help industrial organization on the path to decarbonization and energy efficiency.
Green Industrial Facilities and Manufacturing Program: The Green Industrial Facilities Manufacturing Program (GIFMP) provides financial assistance to support the implementation of energy efficiency and energy management solutions designed to maximize energy performance, reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and increase competitiveness for industry in Canada.
GIFMP offers cost-shared financial support for a holistic and comprehensive suite of energy efficiency measures to be completed by March 2027 and is being delivered through two separate tracks: Energy Efficiency Solutions, Industrial Facilities.
Speaker
Eric Gingras
Manager Outreach and Engagement Team
Since 2018, Eric Gingras has been the manager of the Outreach and Engagement Team for the Industrial Division of the Office of Energy Efficiency of Natural Resources Canada. M.Gingras started at Natural Resources Canada in 2002 as a senior industrial specialist responsible for industrial energy management programs such as the Canadian Industrial Partnership for Energy Conservation (CIPEC). M.Gingras has a varied work experience from Installation Manager for the G8 Summit in Kananaskis for the Department of Foreign Affairs to Manager of Research and Development for composite products manufacturers in Quebec and Vermont.
Session 2: Leading with Purpose – Navigating the Path to Decarbonization Requirements
This session focused on leadership aspects, including leading with purpose and vision in sustainability initiatives and fostering a culture of sustainability within organizations. As well, it delved into practical approaches to decarbonization across various industries, innovative solutions and technologies for reducing carbon emissions, and overcoming challenges and barriers to effective decarbonization strategies.
Speakers
Ghina Annan
Decarbonization Business Lead
Ghina is Stantec’s Decarbonization Business Lead and an expert in high-performance building design with a focus on net-positive regeneration. She is designated as an ASHRAE Distinguished Lecturer, recipient of the 2022 Association of Energy Engineering (AEE) International Young Energy Professional of the Year Award and Climate Action Leadership Award for the 2023 Women in Energy Awards. Ghina has more than a decade of experience working on iconic projects throughout the Middle East. As the ASHRAE committee chair for the Building Decarbonization Whole Life Design Guide, she actively contributes to the development of guidelines focused on whole life carbon considerations for building systems. Also, Ghina’s significant contributions to the ASHRAE Fundamentals Handbook, particularly in the chapter on global climate change, have been recognized and published in 2021. Furthermore, Ghina is a member of United Nations RTOC (Refrigeration, air conditioning, and heat pumps) contributing to 2023 Energy Efficiency Working Group. This working group plays a vital role in assessing and advancing energy efficiency measures and technologies within the industry.
Jeff Schroeder
Senior Principal
Jeff is a senior mechanical engineer who specializes in district energy systems, cold climate design and sustainable building designs. Jeff is committed to providing exceptional service to his clients. A strategic thinker, Jeff works closely with the project team to draw out innovative and sustainable solutions. He has worked on a number of campuses and within complex buildings for both commercial, institutional and federal clients. Jeff’s project experience includes Energy Centres, hospitals, primary and secondary education, laboratories, corporate offices and protective service (RCMP and police).
Sustainability is a core principle with Jeff, both professionally and personally. Jeff seeks appropriate sustainable design in all his work – leading integrated teams from early goal-seeking through to completion. He has designed and implemented systems that exceeded current standards, such as solar domestic and solar air heating systems, open loop aquifer cooling, closed loop geoexchange systems, river water free cooling, low temperature cascading hydronic systems, combined heat and power (CHP), low energy radiant heating, passive cooling, natural ventilation, heat recovery and rainwater harvesting.
Session 3: Low GWP Refrigerants and Heat Pump Transition
It’s been well established that electrification is the clearest path to de-carbonization and that Heat Pump technology is a key component to make electrification at scale possible. But, as we enter the first major phase down of high Global Warming Potential (GWP) refrigerants, we have about 2 years to convert almost all HP technology over to new low GWP refrigerants.
The low GWP alternates have very similar profiles to R410a, the major difference is that along with lower GWP, these refrigerants fall into a new ASHRAE classification of A2L or “low toxicity and slightly flammable”. This has major implications on how heat pump systems are designed, especially VRV/VRF systems that use refrigerant as the heat transfer media.
Daikin has looked at many options for which refrigerant to transition to. We know that it’s important to choose a replacement refrigerant that not only meets the GWP regulatory requirements but is safe, abundant, efficient and performs on the 3 R’s to help the planet (recycle, reduce, reuse).
The presentation included:
- the history of refrigerant transitions and why things are changing again
- the features and characteristics of the two main refrigerants being considered by HP manufactures for this transition and why Daikin has chosen R32 for most of it’s North American products
- how new, tighter, regulations around the use of slightly flammable refrigerants will impact VRV/VRF system design and how to implement some of the prescriptive mitigation measures to designing a compliant system
Speaker
Shawn Slaunwhite
Business Development and Change Agent
As Regional Rep Director for Atlantic Canada, Shawn holds both account management and market development responsibilities for Daikin’s Variable Refrigerant Volume (VRV) heat pump systems. He contributes as the regions voice towards developing market specific products and Daikin’s national strategy for brand recognition. Through relationships built with Government, Utilities, Developers, Engineers, Architects, and Contractors, he works to educate and support the market. Shawn loves a great underdog story and is interested in all thing’s construction and renovation. He finds the greatest satisfaction in using his creativity and experience to find practical solutions that better people’s lives.
Session 4: Decarbonizing Laboratories
Labs are widely known to be a prodigious consumer of energy. On a per square foot basis, labs can consume 5 to 10 times more energy than office buildings. Unlike office buildings, which are typically designed around a ventilation standard of 20 cubic feet per minute (cfm) per person of outside air — equal to about one air change per hour (ACH) or less — lab modules normally require 100% outside air — often at exchange rates between 6 and 12+ ACH — to meet the aggressive fume hoods exhaust and other laboratory requirements. Also, in comparison to other institutions and commercial buildings, laboratories may also have high plug loads that can dominate the energy pie and from an energy efficiency perspective these can often being overlooked. While sustainability requires to be maximized, in laboratory environment this cannot be achieved at the expense of safety. Hence a rational evaluation of integrated Laboratory safety, sustainability and ventilation (HVAC) management strategy has to be integrated part of the High Performance Zero Carbon Laboratory Buildings (infrastructure) solution. This presentation provided a holistic discussion on a roadmap for implementing a High Performance Laboratory infrastructure based on holistic whole building Life Cycle approach and the important parameters which are essential as part of the design and implementation strategy.
Speaker
Kashyap Desai
Chief – Mechanical Engineering & IBMS
Kashyap Desai, P. Eng, CRE, has over 40 years of diverse experience in High Performance and Sustainable Built-Environment. He provides leadership through practice and demonstrated success.
He has core design competencies in High Performance Buildings which include a portfolio of commercial, institutional, Government, R&D, S&T/Laboratories, Life Sciences, Campus & Community, District Energy, Intelligent Textiles, Petrochemicals, Defense, Manufacturing. Kashyap promotes an Integrated Whole Building Life Cycle based approach.
Kashyap has worked with leading multinational A&E consulting firms as well as some Design-Build firms. He is currently leading the Mechanical & IBMS at Labs Canada (PSPC).
Projects designed & managed by Kashyap have been implemented in Canada, USA, India, Australia and Middle East.
Kashyap has received numerous ASHRAE awards as well as Award & citation from SaveONenergy. Kashyap was also Awarded Canada 150 – NEPEAN Medal for exemplary community service. Kashyap is also a social influencer managing non-profit organizations and providing mentoring to deserving professionals/students.
Lunch Keynote: Ottawa’s Climate Goals – Where we are and where we need to go
The keynote presentation provided an overview of the City of Ottawa’s Climate Change Master Plan, targets the City has set and action the City is taking to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and build resiliency to climate change in Ottawa.
Speaker
Andrea Flowers
Manager of the Climate Change and Resiliency Unit, City of Ottawa
Andrea Flowers is the Manager of the Climate Change and Resiliency Unit at the City of Ottawa. She and her team are responsible for developing strategic policies, programs, projects, and partnerships to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and build resiliency to climate change in Ottawa. As the City’s centre of expertise for climate change and resiliency, the team provides technical expertise on corporate projects and supports community initiatives. She has more than 15 years of experience in the public, private, and not-for-profit sectors.
Session 5: Decarbonizing the Built Environment through HVAC Innovation
As Canada focuses on emissions reduction and a net zero future, building decarbonization must be considered. This presentation explored HVAC technologies that can be utilized to decarbonize the built environment.
Speaker
Matthew Sharp
National Operations Leader – Comprehensive Energy and Infrastructural Solutions
Matthew Sharp is an experienced energy management and project professional with a diverse background that spans over 30 years. With expertise in Business Development, Construction, Operations, and Sustainability, Matthew has effectively managed various types of complexes in both project development and fulfillment roles.
In his most recent role at Trane, by Trane Technologies, Matthew leads the development and implementation of comprehensive solutions projects. Prior to Trane, Matthew held senior positions at The Hospital for Sick Children, Johnson Controls, Toronto Hydro Energy Services Inc., and General Motors. As the co-founder and president of Sharp Energy Strategies, he established a successful energy management and performance contracting company.
Matthew holds an Executive MBA from the Richard Ivey School of Business and certifications including LEED AP, PMP, CET, and CEM. He has also actively contributed to the industry and community through board positions and volunteer work. With his commitment to sustainability, Matthew is driving successful energy management and decarbonization initiatives.
Session 6: Decarbonization, Sustainability and Efficiency – Coordinated Strategies for Building Comfort Conditioning Systems
Decarbonization, Electrification, Efficiency and Advanced Plant Controls.
What does it all mean?
Buildings have a significant role to play in the move to decarbonization. They represent 39 percent of all Carbon emissions. (26% operational, 11% embodied). As we tackle the challenge of operational carbon emissions, the move to electrification will drive the need for more power, increasing the load on a grid that is already being stretched. This is driving a need for clean and renewable energy, but the increase in demand will outpace the efforts on our ability to provide the increased supply. Our priority needs be to conserve energy wherever possible. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA) Sustainable Development Scenario, energy efficiency represents more than 40% of the emissions abatement needed by 2040. Understanding some key engineering fundamentals in HVAC systems design and their application in advanced HVAC demand-based control logic will help achieve some of the efficiencies needed to meet our 2040 goals. The intent of this presentation was to provide an understanding of what advanced logic looks like, what it is based on and how it is executed with Artificial Intelligence, Digital Twins and Machine Learning.
Speakers
Andrei Hari
North American Business Development Manager
Andrei Hari is Armstrong Fluid Technology’s North American Business Development Manager for HVAC Optimization Solutions. He has been with the organization for over twenty years and in the fluid flow industry for over thirty years. He is a graduate of Ryerson University, with a Mechanical Engineering degree. His primary focus over the last fifteen plus years has been in advanced HVAC system optimization control solutions.
He now focuses on educating the industry in providing a fundamental understanding of how advanced control logic works through basic engineering fundamentals of fluid flow, heat transfer
and thermodynamics with the application of digitalization and demand base controls.
Understanding of how systems work in a practical world will help unlock the potential for significant energy abatement and the efficiencies that can be achieved as we focus on net zero through decarbonization, sustainability, electrification, and efficiency.
Session 7: Innovative Financing
Access to capital can be a large stumbling block on the path to decarbonization. This session discussed an innovative investment solution that accelerates the energy transition and decarbonization of Canadian businesses.
Speaker
Catherine Langlois
Development Director
With a passion for fostering energy efficiency with carbon reduction, Catherine has served as the Development Director at SOFIAC since its inception. Her dedication has driven the realization of over $40 million worth of impactful projects across Canada, leveraging her expertise in both Marketing and Finance. Through effective decision making and execution abilities, she consistently produces exceptional positive results for businesses. Driven by the advancement of sustainable initiatives, Catherine remains committed to shaping a brighter, greener future for all through fiscally prudent means.