Garrison Petawawa Launches Campaign ‘Energy Efficiency at Home and at Work’

Garrison Petawawa is proud to launch its Energy Awareness Campaign called ‘Energy Efficiency at Home and at Work’ in support of the Federal Government GHG Reduction initiative being applied to Canada’s military bases.

The project was the result of a competitive bidding process, overseen by Defence Construction Canada, to select a qualified provider to implement a guaranteed energy savings project in 48 facilities on the Garrison.

This ambitious project was initiated in 2017 through a detailed Feasibility Study process. Over several months, the mechanical and electrical systems along with the operation of the buildings were investigated thoroughly. This allowed the selected provider (Johnson Controls) and DCC to acquire a deep understanding of energy use throughout the facilities.

This resulted in targeting a number of strategies to reduce energy consumption and GHG emissions. The project is expected to generate annual savings of over $ 1.6 million, enough to offset the entire project costs of approximately $18 million within less than 10 years.

After evaluating the technical and economical feasibility of potential energy efficiency measures, four strategies were selected to be part of the final project.

• Replacing the majority of existing lighting fixtures with new efficient technologies including LED fixtures;
• Improving building operation and equipment control sequences based on actual occupant needs;
• Installing new energy efficient heating and ventilation units to replace outdated systems;
• Improving the steam distribution network’s efficiency through piping inspection and insulation improvements.

“This investment will have important economical and environmental impacts in support of the Federal Sustainable Development Strategy (FSDS),” said Lieutenant-Colonel Louis Lapointe, 4th Canadian Division Support Group Commander. “By reducing energy consumption in our facilities, we will not only reduce our energy bill but the installations will improve the quality of working and living environments inside these buildings.

“This is achieved due to improved lighting levels and light quality as well as increased indoor comfort and air quality,” he added. “As a result, the whole Garrison community will benefit from the GHG emission reduction program.”

The project is expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 5,417 tons of CO2 equivalent. By comparison, this is the equivalent to 1000+ cars off the road, or 978 homes powered for one year! Through this initiative, Garrison Petawawa is paving the way for similar projects at Canadian Military bases across the country in applying more sustainable technologies and operational practices in government buildings.