After a successful pilot project, Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) will implement its Smart Buildings initiative to lower energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions in up to 100 buildings across Canada over the next three years.

The Connaught building in downtown Ottawa was part of a Smart Buildings technology pilot project by PSPC. (Google Street View)

“As part of PSPC’s pilot project, the Smart Buildings technology has been installed in 13 PSPC buildings in the National Capital Region (NCR), including Connaught Building, R.H. Coats Building, Main Statistics Canada Building and the Health Protection Building,” said PSPC media relations representative Mario Morneau.

“These buildings were selected to gather information to support the Energy Services Acquisition Project, which is the modernization of the heating and cooling plants in the NCR.”

What Smart Buildings technology does

Most buildings have digital systems that control their mechanical and electrical equipment. Smart Buildings is a technology that improves the way building owners monitor and control mechanical, heating, cooling and lighting systems to increase efficiency.

It can collect thousands of pieces of raw data from these systems every few minutes, analyze it and use the results to detect and immediately deal with inefficiencies.

The information can be displayed in public areas to help foster an energy-conscious culture among people in the building. The Smart Buildings system can also establish baseline data so building managers know if energy efficiency is improving.

Energy savings of up to 17 per cent

The Smart Buildings technology has resulted in energy savings of up to 17 per cent in the 13 PSPC buildings in which it has been installed. That translates into savings of approximately $1 million annually.

“The cost varies depending on building size, but ranges between $40,000 and $80,000 per building, plus $10,000 in annual fees, and it takes about two to six weeks to install the system,” said Morneau.

PSPC is coordinating with its regional offices across the country to identify the best candidates to implement the technology in buildings it owns. It’s targeting those with high energy costs and building automation control systems which the government isn’t planning to replace in the near future.

“There is no training, nor additional employees required to use the results of the Smart Buildings technology,” said Morneau.

Other partners in the initiative

PSPC has put a national standing offer in place for Jones Lang LaSalle Real Estate Services, Inc. (JLL) and a joint venture between RYCOM Corporation and Built Environment Optimisation Pty. Ltd. to support the ongoing implementation of the Smart Buildings technology in federal buildings.

JLL has already provided Smart Buildings services to 24 corporate clients, totalling 24.75 million square feet of building space.

The Smart Buildings program is part of a $2.1-billion, five-year commitment announced in the federal government’s 2016 budget to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve the greening of its operations. The government has committed to a 40 per cent reduction in its emissions by 2030.

The National Research Council of Canada is providing PSPC with expert advice on green building technology for the Smart Buildings program and other initiatives.