Building Intelligence and Environmental Sustainability

As environmental sustainability becomes a priority for condominium boards, finding effective ways to measure and achieve this goal is essential. With a multitude of products and technologies available, condo boards face the challenge of choosing the right tools to ensure successful results. This article will consider how a building can enhance its current system to track, monitor, and measure its performance to ensure an advantageous outcome.

Smart Building & Building Automation Systems

Buildings are constantly getting smarter. Internet-connected thermostats can anticipate and adjust building equipment based on incoming weather patterns. Occupancy sensors help deliver the right amount of ventilation to a room at just the right moment. Even windows are getting smarter with cloud-connected glass, which automatically dims to keep indoor brightness at a set level.
The most successful buildings have refined the process of data acquisition and measurement to meticulously track and analyze the exact number of resources the building is consuming at any given moment, including electricity, water, materials, and workforce. To keep track of all these metrics and monitor their performance, they use a Building Automation System (BAS). BAS was once an expensive technology that was only available to the most sophisticated facilities that could afford it. In the past few years, advances in hardware and software have driven down the cost of equipment and implementation to the point where they can now become financially compelling assets. For a condo board with sustainability and cost containment around utilities in mind, a BAS is the best starting point for becoming a Smart Building.

Utility Consumption and BAS Benefits

Reducing utility consumption has become an essential goal for many condominiums - those of which have seen colossal increases in budgetary expenses as municipalities increase charges for water, and the Federal Carbon Levy imposes an ever-growing cost on natural gas each year.  The key functions of a Building Automation System (BAS) enable a building to not only schedule, measure, and monitor its operations, but also to analyze and track the usage trends of major energy loads. These tools become the linchpins of environmental sustainability goals for the building, allowing it to target key outcomes like lowering greenhouse gas emissions, water consumption, and peak electricity.

In most condominiums, the cooling system is the largest electrical load in the building, and much of the natural gas load is consumed by several boilers and make-up air units. The amount of equipment that needs to be controlled and automated is often relatively small compared to the total cost of energy consumed, which makes BAS a lucrative opportunity to cut utility costs with a typical payback of three years or less. By using a BAS to target and reduce utility expenditures, the building frees up capital to fund future sustainability projects.

Maintaining and Upgrading Systems

A Building Automation System (BAS) should be monitored and calibrated regularly to ensure optimal performance. Additionally, it should generate detailed energy reports that adjust for weather conditions, offering valuable insights into the building's energy consumption patterns. This data helps the corporation make informed decisions for improving energy efficiency and reducing costs. 
Successful implementation of the system results in a downward trend in total energy consumption. Moreover, most of the equipment is in a rarely accessed mechanical room, and most construction happens away from the residents, causing minimal disruption. Non-proprietary BAS are very flexible and allow for ambitious additions, such as water consumption monitoring for irrigation systems, measuring the amount of waste generated, or load management for electric vehicle charging stations.

Regular reviews of the energy reports and taking a proactive approach to replacing equipment could also yield additional savings for the corporation. This is particularly beneficial for older buildings, which may still rely on outdated technology. Many buildings still have two-stage equipment like boilers, which could benefit from the far more precise heating controls offered by a newer modulating boiler. Similarly, older pumps and makeup air units often operate at constant speeds, but upgrading to newer models with variable speed controls can enhance efficiency and reduce costs. These pieces of equipment are often replaced by programmable variable speed models, which allow the building to reduce consumption based on demand, time of day, or sensors.

The last two decades have reshaped the way equipment operates, with energy becoming the top cost of ownership instead of the cost of equipment itself. For example, the lifetime operating cost of a pump used to be 20% energy and 80% cost of equipment, including maintenance. The lifetime operating cost today and into the future is now 90% energy and 10% cost of equipment, including maintenance.

Funding Sustainability Projects

One of the major challenges in pursuing sustainability is allocating budget for these initiatives. Depending on the project, various sources such as grants, financing options, and incentives can help cover some or all the costs involved. Enbridge has an ongoing commitment to incentivize building intelligence via Building Automation Systems (BAS) with its Building Controls Incentive program, which is available now through at least 2026. The provincial Save on Energy*2 program offers several incentive streams for projects that decrease total or peak electrical consumption. Municipal programs like Hi-Ris in the City of Toronto*3 can provide long-term financing for projects with a longer payback period. Some contractors offer flexible, multi-year payment terms, which may provide a zero-down, cash-flow-positive project opportunity.
Evaluating and Tracking Savings

With the tools to measure success in place, a condo board can start asking key questions like “What are the most painless ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in our building?”, “Are we using and programming our building to be as energy efficient as possible?”, “If we take on a project, what is the return on investment?”, and “How can we track our savings?” Using the tools available, a condominium can determine if there are potential savings and greenhouse gas reductions possible by scheduling the equipment to run at reduced speeds during non-peak periods. Other building equipment, such as garage exhaust fans for example, can be shut down entirely and turned on by demand using a carbon monoxide sensor system. Savings on each project can be measured by tracking the pre-project consumption and comparing it with the post-project consumption.

Conclusion

Today, energy costs account for a significant portion of a building’s operating expenses. Making smart decisions that reflect the operating economics of today’s energy landscape allows condos to become more sustainable and to budget better for the future. 

Co-Author: Kyle Hampson, Director Building Automation Systems for the Complete Group of Companies 
Kyle Hampson's career is a testament to his expertise and dedication in the HVAC and BAS sectors. He began as a young apprentice in 2004 with a local HVAC company, focusing on installations and retrofits. His commitment and skill led him to the apprenticeship program at Mohawk College, where he studied Refrigeration & Gas and graduated in 2009.
By 2014, Kyle had transitioned from hands-on work to a corporate role with Johnson Controls (JCI) in Ottawa, where he quickly emerged as a leading sales agent. His success at JCI paved the way for his next opportunity at HTS, a major HVAC equipment supplier. At HTS, Kyle led the HVAC and BAS service sales division, managed direct sales, and worked with contractors and engineers. He particularly excelled in BAS sales, overseeing one of the largest BAS retrofits in Ottawa at Shopify’s head office.
After seven impactful years with HTS, Kyle returned to his hometown and took on the role of Director of BAS at Complete Energy Solutions. His career reflects a blend of hands-on experience and strategic leadership, underscoring his significant contributions to the HVAC and BAS industries.

Co-Author: Fan Fong, Director of Energy Management for The Complete Group of Companies 
Fan Fong is a leading authority in energy savings, with an impressive array of credentials, including membership in IBPSA Canada, CaGBC EAP, and participation in Environment and Climate Change Canada's CAIF SME Program for Commercial Deep Retrofit Projects. Additionally, Fan has contributed to TransformTO and worked on significant projects with the Ryerson University Centre for Urban Energy, focusing on Microgrids, Distributed Energy Resources, and Rural Electrification. With over 15 years of experience, Fan has successfully identified and realized over $40 million in energy savings for condominiums, specializing in onsite power generation, building controls, and mechanical retrofit projects.
 

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