Energy Use in Owen Sound Public Buildings, Water and Sewer Facilities
In recognition that energy conservation is as important as developing new capacity the Province has required that all municipalities and selected public sector bodies develop Conservation and Demand Management Plans. As a first step in this process municipalities must summarize their 2011 energy use for a range of facilities and report it to the Ministry of Energy and post it on municipal websites by July 1, 2013. Before July 1, 2014 municipalities must post their 2012 energy data and develop a five-year Conservation and Demand Management Plan for the municipality. Over the next year the City of Owen Sound will be examining its operations to see where energy can be saved.
The PDF file found below summarizes the energy use in most City buildings and the energy used in the water and sewage treatment systems.
The electrical or natural gas energy used is expressed in the report as kilograms of Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Energy Intensity relative to floor area as Gigajoules per square meter and as applicable, Gigajoules per Megalitre of water or sewage pumped. Energy intensity is a combined measurement of both the electricity and natural gas used in a facility and allows comparison between similar facilities in different municipalities.
For example, City Hall uses electricity to power the lights, office equipment and air conditioning and uses natural gas to heat the boiler that provided space heating. The combined 254,080 kWh of electricity and 44,043 cubic meters of natural gas used at City Hall in 2011 are combined to yield an Energy Intensity of 1.35 Gigajoules per square metre of floor space.
- 1 Gigajoule = 278 kilowatt hours (kWh). For example a heater rated at 1000 watts (1 kilowatt), operating for one hour uses one kWh of energy or 0.0036 Gigajoules of energy.
- 1 Megalitre = One million litres
Regulation 397/11 does not require the reporting of outdoor facilities or lighting such as street or traffic lights. The Owen Sound & North Grey Union Public Library is not included as it is governed by a separate service board.
Energy Use Data posted in accordance Regulation 397/11 of the Ontario Green Energy Act
City of Owen Sound Energy Conservation and Demand Management Plan (2015-2020)