University of Guelph Receives $25 Million for Energy, Water Conservation

U of G

 

Mar 26, 2018

The University of Guelph has received $25 million from the Ontario government to support its ongoing energy and water conservation efforts. The funds — $9.5 million in grants and $16.8 million in interest-free loans — come from the province’s greenhouse gas campus retrofits program within its larger climate change action plan. (Shown in photo: Engineering professor Andrea Bradford discussing the experiential learning opportunities provided by water and energy conservation projects.)

“We are committed to a future as an energy-reliable campus, and this new funding will allow us to expand and enhance initiatives aimed at placing fewer demands on the planet,” says Don O’Leary, vice president (finance, administration and risk).

The university will use the funding to upgrade and expand its heat recovery system, install real-time energy monitoring meters and a new electric boiler, and pursue other projects to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

“Our goal is preserving natural resources, cutting down on greenhouse gas emissions and energy costs, and helping protect the environment,” O’Leary says. “Increasing the efficiency of our heating system and introducing electric-based heating is another step toward a long-term strategy of reducing reliance on carbon-based fuel for heating.”
The retrofit projects will reduce CO2 emissions by more than 3,200 tonnes per year, the combined equivalent of removing nearly 700 cars from the road, powering and heating about 350 homes, and the benefit of planting more than 83,000 trees.

Students will have access to course-based and hands-on learning opportunities involving the heat recovery system. Students — largely in engineering, environmental sciences, business and environmental governance programs — work in U of G’s Department of Physical Resources each term, and this project will provide more learning opportunities.
O’Leary said U of G has found innovative ways to use and manage energy and water for many years. The university has invested millions of dollars in energy and water conservation efforts as part of its long-term plan to be a carbon-neutral campus, he said.

This includes the Green Gryphon initiative, a $26.2-million, campus-wide energy retrofit that led to a new thermal energy storage system. Overall, the project has reduced the university’s electrical consumption by eight per cent and electrical demand by 14 per cent annually.

U of G has also invested more than $10 million in other retrofit programs, including energy-efficient lights and windows, heating systems and water conservation. Campus-wide water use has decreased by nearly 8% and total energy consumption by 11%, saving the university some $2.2 million a year.

In 2016, U of G’s conservation efforts were rewarded with a $5.8-million energy-saving initiative from the province, part of a funding rewards program overseen by the Ministry of Energy.

Photo: University of Guelph

Related Articles


Latest Articles


Changing Scene

  • Federal Investment to Add 989 New Montreal Homes

    Federal Investment to Add 989 New Montreal Homes

    November 18, 2024 The federal government is providing nearly $364 million to help build 989 new homes in Montreal. The announcement took place at 5200 rue de la Savane, in Montreal, which received $100 million dollars through the Apartment Loan Construction Program (ACLP) to build 303 homes and will be operated by Olymbec. This rental building, named Lynk, is designed to… Read More…

  • ABB and NIEDAX Group Announce Completion of Joint Venture with the Formation of Abnex Inc.

    ABB and NIEDAX Group Announce Completion of Joint Venture with the Formation of Abnex Inc.

    November 18, 2024 ABB completed the previously announced 50/50 joint venture with Niedax Group. The Abnex Inc. joint venture (JV) will broaden solutions and advance opportunities in the rapidly growing North American cable management market. Integrating engineering and manufacturing capabilities of ABB’s Installation Products Division with Niedax Group will enable the newly formed company to deliver a… Read More…

  • Ontario Building More Electric Vehicle Charging Stations

    Ontario Building More Electric Vehicle Charging Stations

    November 18, 2024 The Ontario government is building over 1,300 new electric vehicle (EV) charging ports in small and medium-sized communities, marking a major milestone in the province’s plan to increase access to EV chargers outside of large urban centres and support the electrification of transportation across the province. As the province continues to see… Read More…

  • Ontario Investing Over $74 Million Through Next Round of Skills Development Fund Capital Stream

    Ontario Investing Over $74 Million Through Next Round of Skills Development Fund Capital Stream

    November 18, 2024 The Ontario government is launching the second round of its Skills Development Fund (SDF) Capital Stream starting November 29, with over $74 million in available funding to build, expand and retrofit training facilities for workers in the trades, including construction, manufacturing technology and health care. The government is also investing nearly $5 million from the first… Read More…