Improving ventilation in schools
Built in 1923, St. Catharines Collegiate offers year-round educational programming to more than 600 students, right in the heart of downtown. By participating in the Commercial Custom Retrofit Program, the historic building reduced natural gas costs, improved energy efficiency and made spaces safer for students and staff by enhancing indoor air quality
Highlights
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District School Board of Niagara were able to significantly reduce boiler operating and maintenance costs simply by changing the logic and strategies behind how our systems operate.
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The benefits add up:
1. Lower natural gas bills.
2. Improved ventilation control.
3. Enhanced heating system efficiency.
4. Greater comfort for students and staff.
Results
$22,120
Enbridge Gas incentive*
$25,680
annual natural gas savings†
200,000 kwh
estimated annual electricity savings‡
<1 year
payback**
† Estimated annual natural gas savings of 85,604 m3 at $0.30/m3.
‡ Savings identified by the District School Board of Niagara.
“The end result is a safer, more efficient building, the smartest controls and a large reduction in natural gas use."
Graeme McKenzie, Energy Coordinator,
District School Board of Niagara
Their challenge
With boilers and air handling units not optimized to recognize unoccupied periods, St. Catharines Collegiate was spending more on energy costs than necessary.
Our solution
A Building Automation System upgrade enabled the school to optimize heating, ventilation and pumping scheduling to improve energy efficiency, increase comfort and reduce wear and tear. New programming ensures systems operate more efficiently, plus monitoring and alerts help detect equipment issues in the early stages to avoid costly breakdowns.
“As a public sector organization we have a mandate to reduce energy use,” says Graeme McKenzie, Energy Coordinator, District School Board of Niagara. “We were able to significantly reduce boiler operating and maintenance costs simply by changing the logic and strategies behind how our systems operate. I recommend engaging an Enbridge Gas Energy Solutions Advisor as soon as possible to get free expert help and financial incentives to support your project.”
