Thank you very much.
First of all, my name is Wayne Rogers. I'm an electrical engineer with both Luminescence and ReLumen Engineering, companies that have specialized in energy efficiency and energy-efficient lighting since 1987.
Our focus has primarily been lighting because it represents 20% to 25% of the energy consumption of any building. As an example, we have helped to develop energy-efficient lighting standards for the University of Alberta and implemented their use in over a million square metres of large and medium-sized buildings on its multiple campuses. The lighting systems are meeting an average overall density of less than 0.05 watts per square metre, or less than 0.55 watts per square foot. This is about one-third the current energy-efficient practice, as established by the IAS and ASHRAE 90.1.
Both companies have provided design and design-build services for Government of Canada buildings. Many of them have been complexes consisting of several buildings. Many are considered smaller buildings.
Lighting technology has been changing at an increasing rate over the past 20 years. Most recently, light-emitting diode technology has matured to the point where it is useful in commercial applications. However, it is more expensive than the alternative fluorescent technology, which is more efficient and has less light depreciation. Proven fluorescent technology called linear T8 and T5 has been effective since 1992, and manufacturers have steadily improved it, making it highly reliable and cost-effective. Despite this, over 70% of older buildings in Canada are fitted with old 1940s T12 lighting technology. There is a long way to go.
The Government of Alberta has been leading the way in upgrading most of its large buildings using energy-efficient performance contracts. All new buildings, including schools, must meet LEED silver standards. This includes all P3 projects. While this is a relatively high standard, efforts are being made to further enhance lighting in the leases negotiated with leased facilities and to have the landlord improve the lighting efficiency.
Our federal government experience includes an RCMP detachment in Jasper. A relatively simple, small project in 1992 was subsidized by Alberta Power and became the first example of a federal efficiency upgrade. The RCMP had no money for their 50% share of the cost, so ReLumen Engineering created a $15,000 lease for the RCMP for three years. It cost the government nothing, and the savings continued for the next 17 years.
For Parks Canada in Banff, Luminescence Lighting entered contracts to design and construct lighting upgrades for the museums and information centre in 1997. These projects have less than a five-year payback, and the contracts were very simple.
For Agriculture Canada, both ReLumen and Luminescence have been involved in auditing and implementing lighting upgrades in research facilities, including laboratories from Prince Edward Island to Alberta. These facilities have been completed using the department's limited budgets for their work.
For Public Works, there was an extensive study done in approximately 2004 of its Canada Place building in Edmonton. The study included lighting, but it took over two years, and there were three options that were mocked up to show high-quality, efficient lighting. Since then, simple technology replacement has been implemented and there's been no optimizing of the savings.
As for the opportunities going forward, we have asked about but not been able to confirm the total area of the federal government's building inventory. However, in 2010 we obtained office information for buildings throughout Canada, amounting to about 320-million square metres of space. If we simply use 100-million square metres of space as a reference for government buildings, including those leased to government, we could think of saving 10 watts per square metre simply by retrofitting the lighting. Those areas would include ones that have already been upgraded with technology replacement. If the lighting operates for a conservative 3,000 hours per year, with an energy value of 10ยข per kilowatt hour, then the value of those savings would be $300 million per year with a net CO2 reduction of over two million tonnes per year.
If the inventory of all buildings leased and owned were developed with energy efficient standards being established for all buildings, then a realistic objective for energy savings could be established. All upgrades need to include data for the upgrades done to date.
If further lighting upgrades were done, we could expect to have less than a five-year payback for every one of them. A very simple process needs to be established to allow projects to be implemented on a wide basis.
To date the cost of doing the paperwork with the federal government for energy efficient projects has been complex and time consuming.
We would like to thank you for this opportunity.