As the human population increased in the last century, so has our exploitation and consumption of natural resources. Our dependence on fossil fuel such as oil and gas is considered highly unsustainable, as resources are not only limited, but also depleting at an alarming rate. Furthermore, the overuse of fossil fuel is one of the main causes of global warming. According to Environment Canada, Canada’s total greenhouse gas emissions in 2012 were 699 megatons of carbon dioxide, 18% above 1990’s emissions (Environment Canada, 2014). At Vanier College, our energy consumption is far from sustainable and can be improved. This paper will examine the school’s heating, computer and lighting systems and determine how can be improved in order to become more sustainable.
Firstly, the heating at school is a main cause for concern regarding sustainability because of the energy source it uses. Vanier uses six furnaces. All buildings, except for the H building, use a hot water heating system, which is powered by natural gas. The H building is the only one whose furnace uses electricity as a power source through electrical heating cables. According to Michael Wang, building technician and project supervisor at Vanier College, natural gas is a very efficient source of energy (Wang, 2014). According to the U.S. Department of Energy, natural gas contains between 20% and 45% less smog-producing pollutants (USDE, 2014). It emits 30% and 45% less CO2 than coal and oil respectively. Mr. Wang also explains that, compared to other energy sources, natural gas is very cost efficient. For a period starting in November and ending in April, Vanier’s annual heating cost averages 285, 000$ (Wang, 2014). Reliance on any other energy source, even electricity, could cost the school much more. However, like it is the case for all fossil fuels, the limited supply of natural gas makes it an unsustainable energy source. Luckily, Vanier College is working on an energy saving project. Developers are studying geothermal technology as a possible alternative energy source. Geothermal power, which is generated by heat stored under the Earth’s surface, would offer many benefits as a source for heating. First off, its unlimited supply makes it a renewable and sustainable source of energy. According to Unicef, “the biggest advantages of geothermal heating are low heating costs (cost savings can be as much as 80% over the fossil fuels) and it also uses significantly less electricity than standard heating systems”(Unicef, 2014). Through heat pumps, geothermal heating is also 48% more efficient than gas furnaces and 75% more efficient than oil furnaces (Unicef, 2014). This project is still ongoing and no results have been obtained yet, but this energy source seems to have great potential. In brief, although the school manages to cut costs by relying on natural gas, in should concentrate on finding more sustainable sources of energy.
Secondly, the lighting system is a sector in which improvement can be made as it is one of the biggest consumers of energy. The school’s lighting system consist mostly of fluorescent tubes, which are one of the most efficient bulbs since they use up less energy and last up to 6,000 hours longer than regular bulbs (Particelli, n.d.). However, although these bulbs are made to be energy efficient, they fail to serve their purpose. The reason electric bills remain high is because all sectors of the college campus are kept fully lighted even when they are often void of students or personnel. One of our teammates has discovered that most lights remain on overnight and beyond night school hours. This seems like a complete waste of electricity. Fortunately there is a possible solution. The school could purchase and install occupancy sensors, which are devices that turn lights and other equipment on or off in response to the presence of people in an area. This could be especially useful for areas that are rarely visited during the day. Some sensors can even control lighting based on the amount of daylight available. According to the U.S. Department of the Interior, sensors are relatively inexpensive and can produce savings averaging between 35% and 45% (DOI, n.d.). Therefore, through motion sensors, Vanier College can become much more efficient in its use of lighting.
Lastly, the biggest waste of energy at Vanier would probably be the computer labs. Like the lighting system, computers are constantly on and remain in sleep mode when no one is using them. Multiply this by the number of desktops running all day at school (72), and you have a huge amount of energy potentially going to waste. To top things off, there are also computers and projectors in all classrooms which remain constantly on as well. Fortunately, there are ways to reduce energy waste on computer systems. Firstly, the school should purchase and install energy star certified LCD monitors, which would reduce its consumption. According the Energy Star website (Energy Star, n.d.), their advantages over regular CRT monitors would be a reduction in power consumption as well as a reduction in heat generation which, consequently, would help the school lower air-conditioning costs.
In conclusion, Vanier College has put some effort into adopting sustainable practices. The installment of fluorescent lights all around campus and the project on geothermal energy are notable examples of this. Unfortunately, there are still lots more that can be done to improve their heating, lighting and computer systems. It is good to know, however, that school officials are on the right track.
Simon-Abraham Mesfun
Bibliography
“National Greenhouse Gas Emissions”. Environment Canada. Government of Canada, 11 April 2014. Web. 23 April 2014.
Reduction of Carbon Dioxide Emissions from Coal-Fired Generation of Electricity Regulations. Environment Canada. Government of Canada, 25 June 2013. Web. 23 April 2014.
“Natural Gas”. Fueleconomy. U.S. Department of Energy, 25 April 2013. Web. 24 April 2014. https://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/bifueltech.shtml
“Geothermal Heating”. Our-Energy. Unicef. Web. 24 April 2014.
Wang, Michael. Personal Interview. April 15th 2014.
Particelli, Brice. The Newest Generation of Light Bulbs. Home Advisor. Web. 25 April 2014.
“LCD Basics”. Energy Star. U.S. Department of Energy, n.d. Web. 25 April 2014.
greengiant 
Simon: This is a logically organized and well-written exploration of the energy situation at Vanier. However, the third body paragraph lacks a summary sentence, and both the second and third body paragraphs lack quotations. The writing is fine, but watch grammar and typos (e.g. missing words).