Visioning session
Session duration: 1 – 2 hours
We’ll meet with your project lead, sustainability manager and a design team member to help define your project requirements and sustainability priorities.
Sustainable educational spaces
A three-time Savings by Design participant, Ottawa Catholic School Board (OCSB) was recently named one of Ontario’s Top Energy Performing Boards by Sustainable Schools, ranking third out of 72 boards.
Highlights
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A three-time Savings by Design participant, Ottawa Catholic School Board (OCSB) and named one of Ontario’s Top Energy Performing Boards by Sustainable Schools.
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During the Savings by Design workshops, the costs and energy-saving potential of innovative technologies to reduce energy use and create energy-smart schools.
Results
$30+ million
in avoided energy costs since 2004
30%
average annual electricity savings**
25%
average annual natural gas savings
Participating in Savings by Design has been a key part of OCSB’s long-term energy-management strategy. The three schools that have completed the program are now a model for the board’s other new construction projects, setting a green standard in line with OCSB’s sustainability vision.
Energy-smart schools
Each school is a single-storey, 50,000 square foot building with a gymnasium that is used by the community in the evenings.
As builder, developer and fiscally responsible board, OCSB is in a unique position: their design decisions are directly correlated to their annual operating budgets.
Introducing innovative technologies
During the Savings by Design workshops, the costs and energy-saving potential of different HVAC systems, exterior wall and roof insulation options, windows, lighting, demand control ventilation and more technologies were compared.
“The Savings by Design program provided a risk-free environment for exploring sustainability innovation as well as an opportunity to test concepts through energy modelling,” said Gerry Sancartier, Property and Operations Officer, OCSB.
Key energy-saving enhancements
- Improved boiler thermal efficiency to 85%.
- Enhanced wall and roof insulation.
- Replaced the windows with a Solar Heat Gain Coefficient of 0.54 and a U-value of 0.30.
- Upgraded rooftop unit furnace from staged to modulating burner.
“The best part of Savings by Design is that the money saved through energy efficiencies can be spent on school resources and, ultimately, directed back to the classroom.”
Gerry Sancartier,
Property and Operations Officer, OCSB
