Energy consumption at Vanier College

Energy efficiency is becoming an increasing preoccupation in many institutions from all around the world, especially in schools where there is a need to cut down on costs. Vanier College’s energy consumption is generally quite sustainable although there are many sections to improve. Here I will be looking at Vanier College’s heating system, electric system and computer installations. I will also be giving recommendations in order for Vanier to improve its energy consumption, become more sustainable and support the environment.

Vanier College’s heating system is a priority necessity in campus as it is essential to provide a warm and comfortable environment for the staff and students in winter. Vanier’s heating system costs about $285, 000 per year (figure from the year 2013) and it works by heating water using natural gas. The only building in Vanier that does not operate with this system is the H building that works instead with electrical heating cables. According to Vanier, the reason for not using electricity instead of natural gas as a source of heating is that natural gas is much more cost efficient. Vanier College uses a standard heating system that many people use at their own homes. The problem with using natural gas is that it produces great amounts of carbon dioxide. There are various options that I would recommend Vanier in order to be more sustainable. The first thing would be to use alternative fuels rather than natural gas. A recently new way of heating has been developed by using dried corn as fuel. According to USA today magazine this alternative way of heating: “Corn produces 65-80% less carbon dioxide than natural gas.” This would be a very interesting alternative for Vanier as it is a cleaner way of heating and also it can be a better economical option as USA today magazine also claims that: “corn energy costs 59% less to produce than natural gas.”  This would situate corn as both a clean and economic alternative way of heating Vanier. It is very important to develop a good sustainable heating system at Vanier as the magnitude of such a big buildings as Vanier has makes it a priority to have the most efficient system possible.

Another priority at Vanier is to have a good, efficient and sustainable lighting system. This might be the most important energy resource at Vanier as it is used everyday when there are lessons taking place. When I started investigating on Vanier’s lighting system I realized that Vanier is using fluorescent tubes which are one of the cleanest sources of light in the market but, I realized that the problem at Vanier was not related to the kind of light system there is, but the way in which the lights are used. I realized that every single light at Vanier is on during the entire day, even at places where at many times there is no one in that area like for example the lockers in the N building.  Also, I realized that the lights of many classes where on at times when they were not being used. Finally, I decide to come at night and investigate if the lights were being turned off.  To my surprise, many of the lights were turned on when the building was totally empty. In order to overcome this problem, save light and become more sustainable I would first of all suggest Vanier to use solar energy to provide electricity instead of obtaining it from Hydro Quebec. Solar energy con help: “slash electric bills in half” (Willey, E). This can help Vanier both come more sustainable and save energy. Also, I think that it would be ideal if Vanier installed detection systems in areas at Vanier where there are normally not many people. This way, it is possible for the lights to turn on or off depending on whether there is anyone in the area or not. This would be very beneficial as it can have a “saving potential, which can achieve 50%.” (Oms lighting). Vanier should finally try to create an awareness group in order to give tips to both students and teachers on how to save electricity at Vanier like turning off the lights when you come out of a class. This could be done by making posters and signs and putting them up in the hallways and also by talking directly with students and teachers. Vanier uses an enormous amount of electricity per year but with these recommendations, it is possible for Vanier College to become much more energy efficient.

Finally, many students use the computers provided at Vanier College’s common areas as resources to study and work on projects therefore it is important that they are used efficiently and in a sustainable way.  Vanier counts between the library and the IT centre with 72 computers that consume a great amount of electricity every day as they are used many hours during the time when Vanier is operating. When investigating on the usage giving to the computers, I realized many computers remained on when they were not in use or would have screen savers on. Also, I managed to discover that the computers remained plugged in during the vacation periods when no one was using them. According to Alliance to save energy: “Screen savers don’t save energy – only sleep mode does.” The first advice I would give Vanier in order to become more sustainable is to ensure that all computers are set up to go into sleep mode after a certain time of not being in use. Also, according to Bray, M: ”The average computer draws between 1.5W and 3W when it is turned off but plugged into a main socket.” If Vanier unplugs the computers during the vacation periods, this will on the long term help them to become more energy efficient and they will also be able to save money there is no electric consumption of computers during these periods. These small advices can make a very big difference on Vanier’s costs and energy efficiency.

As a conclusion, it is safe to say that Vanier is a CEGEP that has been trying to control its energy consumption and has tried to become more sustainable. By analysing Vanier College’s heating system, lighting system and computer installations it was possible to determine the areas where Vanier should improve in order to become more efficient and sustainable. Vanier College has the potential to become a CEGEP that gives an example to other institutions by becoming the best energy efficient CEGEP in Montreal.

References

• “Presence detector.” Right Light. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Apr. 2014. <http://www.omslighting.com/rightlight/2335/&gt;.
• Wiley, E. (2012, March 20). Are Electricity Bills Zapping Your School? How Districts Can Minimize Budgets While Still Increasing Technology. ViewSonic.
• “Summer Corn as Winter Fuel.” (2006, August). USA Today Magazine. 2735. 15
• “Energy Saving Tips For Schools.” Alliance to Save Energy. 11 Mar. 2014. Web. 9 Apr. 2014.
• Bray, M. (2006, Dec.) “Review of Computer Energy Consumption and Potential Savings”. Retrieved from: http://coral.ufsm.br/desp/geomar/esp1041/3-computer_energy_consumption.pdf