Energy Management

Edmonton Catholic Schools - Environment Care for Creation Policy
Our belief in a gracious Creator affirms the goodness and inter-relatedness of all creation. Scientific discoveries heighten our moral and ethical awareness of the earth's fragile state. Both this belief and these discoveries lead to a care for creation in all its inclusiveness. This care is multifaceted and involves a consistent life ethic.

The Edmonton Catholic Separate School District No. 7 will cooperate with all those groups that share a similar concern for the care of creation. This care includes the spiritual, social, personal, ethical, intellectual, economic and scientific dimensions.

Specifically the district is committed to
1. leadership in improving the quality of the environment,
2. promotion of values, attitudes, understanding and skills which lead to environmentally responsible behaviour,
3. cooperation with agencies that promote care for creation,
4. advocacy of learning experiences within the curriculum, appropriate to student developmental levels, that reflect care for creation, and
5. consideration of environmental issues and concerns in purchasing, building and maintenance programs.

Edmonton Catholic School Districts has over one hundred sites which includes space for district administration and meeting space for over 35,000 students and staff. Facilities include a central main board administration building, a central service centre, active schools, and leased facilities.

The facilities provide over 467,000 square meters of condition space. For 2006/2007 school year, the utility budget ~ $6.5million:

Originally established in the late 1800's, the facilities expanded with the economic growth of the communities, the oldest in service 1907 with the latest completed in 2004.

The diverse age, has resulted in a variety of architectural, electrical and mechanical systems which provide comfortable, efficient and safe environments. The diversity presents many challenges to ECS in operating and maintenance.

In 1980 ECS management implemented a program. A framework for energy management plan was created, and is reviewed annually. The plan builds upon success of past practices and projects.

Projects implemented & Ongoing Commitments include:

• Dedicated Energy Manager
• Energy Audits
• Utility Procurement Program
• Facility Operator Training Program(s).
• (33) Lighting System Retrofits
• (100) Facility Energy Management Systems - automated HVAC control
• HVAC Energy Projects - boiler replacement, modernization, repairs & retrofits.
• HVAC Technicians - maintain ongoing comfort & efficient operation.
• Building Envelope Improvements - roof, window, door replacements.
• Water Conservation - pump leakage, washrooms, irrigation.
• Building Modernization Design Team Reviews
• Service Staff Awareness
• Portables - controls & efficient unitary heating, ventilation systems.
• In-school Suasion (awareness) programs

Accumulated Impact
The combined activities have netted Edmonton Catholic Schools an accumulated utility savings of ~ $19.1 million (since1984 base year) with an investment of ~ $7.5 million.

1 Includes Natural Gas and Electricity

(equivalent to planting 836,840 trees )

Annual Savings
When compared to the 1983/1984 "Base" year, the combined activities are resulting in annual savings of:

(equivalent to planting 47,000 trees)

2 The total amount of CO2 fixed over the lifetime of the tree. In these estimates we have assumed a life of 80 years, since after this age, a typical tree in Canada requesters little additional CO2.