Concordia leads in energy efficiency — again!
Photo by Sriram Narayanan
When it comes to energy efficiency, Concordia is leading the way, according to the latest results from the Ministère de l’Éducation et de l’Enseignement supérieur (MEES).
For 2015-16, Concordia had the lowest energy consumption per unit area among the six major universities in Quebec — the same top ranking it has received for the past 19 years.
The university also reclaimed the top spot for lowest energy cost per unit area from Université de Laval, who held the bragging rights last year. It’s the 17th time Concordia has held the honour in this category.
“This ranking is ultimately a validation that Concordia is the most efficient and responsible university in Quebec when it comes to energy use,” says Daniel Gauthier, building performance coordinator for Facilities Management.
A campus-wide effort
Gauthier points to the university’s focus on fiscal and environmental responsibility as key contributors to this long-lasting legacy. He says the entire campus community — faculty, students, researchers and the administration — deserves credit.
“We prioritize energy efficiency and equipment life-cycle costs, including energy use, for all new constructions, renovations and in the operation of our existing spaces.”
For example, science, fine arts, engineering and computer science programs, which are high energy-consumption groups by nature, are run using the fewest gigajoules of energy per square metre of space.
Concordia also currently has three buildings certified by Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), an internationally recognized sustainability rating system.
In 2012, the John Molson (MB) Building on the Sir George Williams Campus was certified LEED Silver. The PERFORM Centre (PC Building) on the Loyola Campus was certified LEED Gold that same year.
The Research Centre for Structural and Functional Genomics (GE Building) on the Loyola Campus was certified LEED Gold in 2013.
The Applied Science Hub, Concordia’s planned expansion at Loyola, will also be aiming for LEED Gold certification once construction is complete.
How can you help to keep energy use down? Gauthier urges the Concordia community to contribute by turning off computers and office lighting at night.
“Every little effort makes a big difference.”
Learn more about Concordia's sustainability initiatives.
