By Ru Yap, CFB Kingston Energy Performance Contract Eco-Team

Buildings represent 42% of Kingston’s carbon footprint, making it a key focus for climate action.

Buildings are the third-largest source of carbon emissions in Ontario contributing to 24% of the province’s carbon footprint behind transportation (35%) and industry (28%) (Office of the Auditor General of Ontario, 2020). Climate action is becoming a priority as cities and communities are increasingly understanding the threat of greenhouse gas emissions pollution – such as its impact on food access, changing weather patterns, air and water quality, and biodiversity. In Kingston, impacts of climate change have already been observed including an increase in average temperatures and more frequent hot days.

The City of Kingston’s Climate Leadership Plan found the building sector represented more than 42% of Kington’s total community emissions - much higher than the province average. The report also found that 67% of building energy came from fossil fuels and 90% of building emissions results from on-site combustion of fossil fuels for heating and industrial uses (City of Kingston, 2021). As the City is working towards its vision of “an innovative carbon neutral city that continues to work collaboratively with community partners to achieve climate leadership”, a focus towards reducing energy use in buildings and taking advantage of new green building strategies is crucial in realizing the City’s vision. 

Tackling energy efficiency in buildings requires implementing retrofits in old and already existing buildings and ensuring that new buildings are aligned with net-zero construction strategies prior to construction. 30% of Kingston’s emissions can be reduced through shifting energy to renewable sources and through retrofits to homes, businesses, and organizations. Energy efficiency strategies include:

1.     Eliminate air leaks: Sealing air leaks around doors, windows, and other openings prevents conditioned air to escape. As heated or cooled air leaves buildings, heating and cooling systems have to work harder and use more electricity.

2.     Upgrade to energy-efficiency lighting: LED light bulbs consumes much less electricity when compared to incandescent or CFL light bulbs. LED light bulks also last longer, and many businesses are onboard to make this switch as it saves cost in the long run.

3.     Improve HVAC systems: Old inefficient heating and cooling systems are significantly less energy efficient then modern ones. With consistent maintenance and servicing, HVAC systems can continue to run efficiently leading to a reduction in wasted energy.

4.     Use smart technologies: Programmable thermostats and occupancy sensors optimize heating and cooling based on usage patterns. Energy systems respond to the demands of users instead consuming the same amount of energy at every hour of the day resulting in a reduction in energy waste.

5.     Upgrade windows: Replacing single-pan windows with double- or triple-pane windows will reduce heat loss

6.     Installing Insulation: Insulation added to walls, ceilings, and floors help reduce heat loss in the winter and heat gain in the summer. Insulation can also be added to pipes to reduce heat loss and energy required to heat water as piping insulation helps maintain the water temperature.

7.     Leverage peak shaving measures: Peak shaving strategies reduce the electricity strain required during peak times to transfer and shift energy usage to off-peak hours. Strategies include load shifting and on-site clean energy generation combined with energy storage solutions.

8.     Implement renewable energy sources: On-site renewable energy sources such as solar panels or geothermal systems help reduce reliance on energy sourced from fossil fuels, and reduce energy demanded from the grid. Combined with storage systems, on-site renewable energy sources can even out the distribution of energy required from the grid at peak times while reducing energy costs.

In Kingston, organizations are taking on energy efficiency projects to do their part in the fight against climate change. CFB Kingston’s Energy Performance Contract will result in greenhouse gas emissions reduction of 33% - that’s equivalent to removing 1,630 passenger vehicles off the road! CFB Kingston is implementing measures such as LED Light retrofits to increase lighting efficiency by 70%, efficiency upgrades to water fixtures such as faucets and shower heads, leak detection surveys to reduce water wasted, and piping insulation for water pipes to maintain the optimal water temperature when water from a building is heated from a central plant. CFB Kingston is also implementing new ground mounted solar panels combined with an energy storage system so that energy captured during the day can be stored and used during the night!

As buildings are a major driver of greenhouse gas emissions, we should look to buildings as a solution to slowing down the impacts of climate change. Community action, government programs and incentives, and corporate commitments all have a role to play in contributing to creating a carbon neutral Kingston.