Government Operations committee  Yes, it does accumulate.

Government Operations committee  There are lots of private sector studies around that. I can't give you aggregate statistics, but I made the point earlier about our using our own facilities as living laboratories. Back to the LEED gold, LEED platinum question, we've built a laboratory in Hamilton—I referred to it earlier—targeted for LEED platinum.

Government Operations committee  The simple thought is to pass the buck, because Carol actually runs the Energy Star program as well, within the Office of Energy Efficiency. I will ask Carol to respond.

Government Operations committee  As a departmentally specific response to your question, first of all we are driven by the 17% reduction in GHGs. An 85% percent reduction in GHGs translates into energy savings. By that I mean that energy efficiency is 85% of GHG reductions. That's the formula we tend to use. That's an average, of course, because individual aspects will be up and down.

Government Operations committee  I guess I would add that the FBI was in fact designed in the Office of Energy Efficiency for the reality of the funding that was available when the program was designed—which, quite candidly, hasn't changed. Because the departments don't have the capital, as Carol indicated, that's why it was created.

Government Operations committee  The simple answer is yes. We do collaborate very closely with the DOE at the level of a program/policy comparison conversation. We also collaborate at the laboratory level with the national lab system in the States as it relates to our own efforts to improve an understanding, develop technology, etc.

Government Operations committee  Again the answer is yes. Whether we've learned from them or they've learned from us, or it's one plus one equals two and a half or three, I'd have to go back into the specifics to provide you an explicit example. But there's no question that we do work closely with them.

Government Operations committee  It is useful. It adds value, correct.

Government Operations committee  Our relationship with them tends to be project specific. It's not a broad spectrum operational implementation program design, but rather about recognizing that a number of reserves are off-grid, particularly in the north, and if you go up to the high Arctic even more so. The cost to maintain fly-in, diesel-generated power is probably the worst not only from a cost perspective but indeed from a GHG perspective as well.

Government Operations committee  We may be able to help, if we work together and with the analysts, because we do track office space in the various forms that John is talking to for the purposes of tracking where energy efficiency opportunities may reside.

Government Operations committee  Obviously, we're happy to supply what we have.

Government Operations committee  I'm not sure there's a simple answer to that, largely because the contract itself is designed in a modular fashion. As a contract, the first obligation they have.... We, the department—I don't mean Natural Resources for everyone, but the department calling the contract—would carry what I will call a contingency fund, so the ESCO, the energy service contractor, would go in and do the assessment of the building.

Government Operations committee  That's the max we have—

Government Operations committee  There's a technology that was developed a number of years ago called a solar wall. It's part of the CANMET Materials Laboratory, the new one built down in Hamilton, but we've also got a demonstration piece here in Ottawa out at the Bells Corners facility. Basically, it is an external wall that is built and creates a gap between the building exterior wall and this passive solar collector.

Government Operations committee  With regard to specific statistics in terms of where Canada ranks, Carol actually monitors that and has the specific numbers, so I'll let her speak to that first. If you want me to respond to the other aspects of the question, I'd be happy to do that.