Ontario School Plant Manager Winter 2014

Winter 2014

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• School Boards Get a Boost from the Province’s Capital Priority Investment • Rethinking Dark Schools • Ontario Schools are Going Green

In this issue:

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Ontario School Plant Manager | Winter 20144

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PRINTED IN CANADA 12/2014

Message from the Minister of Education 5

Ontario’s $800 Million Capital Priority Investment Helps

Education Infrastructure Keep Pace 6

Shedding Light on School Security 8

PowerSave, Power Smart 10

Bus Safety through Video Security 11

The Wright Stuff - OCDSB’s 2014 Wm. J. Wales

Award Recipient 12

Northern Edge: Ontario Dispatch Coordinator Earns

Special U.S. Designation 13

Ontario’s Schools are Going Green 14

WHMIS Apps Offer On-The-Go Flexibility 18

Make Eye Protection a Priority 20

Halton Catholic District School Board Delivers on

Energy Efficiency 21

High-Efficiency DHW in Schools 24

Smart-Building Technology Spending Projected to

Triple by 2018 26

Rethinking Classroom Ventilation 28

Baby, it’s Cold Outside - so Keep That Boiler in Shape 30

Index to Advertisers 30

On the Cover: Outdoor classroom of Belle River District High School, a certified EcoSchool in Greater Essex County DSB.

When Ontario students go to school each morning, they enter classrooms that are safe, clean and modern places to learn. This is thanks to the hard work and com-mitment of staff who work diligently to maintain almost 5,000 schools across Ontario throughout the year.

Ontario’s school plant managers are key partners in our renewed vision for education, Achieving Excellence. The re-newed vision contains four key goals for the next phase in education: achieving excellence, ensuring equity, promoting well-being and enhancing public confi-dence. We know that these are ambitious goals but I’m confident that by working together — as we have done over the past 10 years — we can help all students reach their full potential. Evidence of our partnership and its impact on students is abundant and seen in our schools every day.

Over the past 10 years, significant capital investments in school infrastruc-ture have ensured that students benefit from safe, healthy, and modern places to learn. Since 2003, our government has invested $12 billion in school buildings, resulting in nearly 660 new schools and more than 625 additions and renova-tions. In 2014 alone, the ministry an-nounced approximately $800 million to support capital priorities -- such as new

schools, additions, and major retrofits. We also recognize the importance of

ensuring that there is sufficient funding for ongoing school renewal and mak-ing our schools green. That is why our investments include approximately $3.5 billion toward addressing school renewal and energy efficiency. This funding will ensure that our schools are in a state of good repair and they serve as models of environmental stewardship. As this fund-ing reaches school boards, it is plant managers and other staff who ensure value for public dollars and that projects meet the expectations of the students and their communities.

One of our biggest accomplishments working together has been the imple-mentation of full-day kindergarten. Your work with construction companies to en-sure that additions and retrofits are on track has helped to make this innovative program for all four- and five-year-olds a success.

There is no question that full-day kindergarten is the most significant transformation in our education sys-tem in a generation, but just as impres-sive was the transformation required of our schools in order to accommodate the program. Thanks to your hard work, 3,500 new kindergarten classrooms were created to support the program and meet

the needs of our youngest students and their families.

When families send their children to school each morning — from full-day kindergarten to grade 12 — they know they are sending them to a safe learning environment. Working together we have implemented a comprehensive Safe Wel-come Program that is helping to protect our students. Under the 2005 and 2012 Safe Welcome Program, almost 3,200 el-ementary schools have received funding to install security devices that give staff more control over who enters the school. For the past nine years, we have provided funding to nearly 850 elementary schools to install new locking doors and security cameras on their front and perimeter doors. But our funding would mean noth-ing without dedicated staff who turn in-vestments into results. Students are safer because plant managers and staff like you have worked hard to support the Safe Welcome Program.

I’m proud of all the work we do togeth-er. The examples above are by no means comprehensive, but they are reflective of the positive impact you are having on our schools and students. Thank you for your commitment to excellence, and I offer my best wishes for a successful school year.

Liz Sandals, Minister of Education »

Message from the Minister of Education

Ontario School Plant Manager | Winter 2014 5


Ontario is working to keep its schools at the top of the class. According to Educa-tion Minister Liz Sandals, the province has provided over $12 billion in capital fund-ing for school boards, including funding to support nearly 650 new schools (opened, planned or underway) since 2003.

Now Ontario’s Education Ministry is hoping added spending will take them even closer toward improvement goals of the nearly 5,000 schools across the prov-ince. This past March, the government an-nounced significant funding for priority capital investments to school boards for capital projects needed in the next three years. These include building new schools and additions/retrofits to address enrol-ment growth, to support full-day kinder-garten, to replace schools in poor condi-tion and to support school consolidations.

“The government’s $800 million Capi-tal Priority Investment will support the construction of 45 new schools, 31 addi-tions to schools and 11 renovations,” says Ontario Education Ministry spokesper-son Gary Wheeler. “The investment helps school boards address accommodation pressures, condition of buildings, consoli-

dations, program retrofits, school replace-ments, and expansions or renovations associated with the rollout of full-day kindergarten,” he says, noting that this funding is in addition to the $1.3 billion of priority capital funding that has been provided to school boards since 2011 to address the highest priority major capital projects identified by the school boards. Indeed, since that time, the Ministry’s Capital Priorities program has supported the closure of 88 redundant schools and replaced them with 35 new schools and 23 additions/renovations.

To get involved in this current round of funding – announced March 2014 – school boards prioritized and submitted their capital priority project lists to the Minister of Education in October 2013. Funding de-cisions were based on which projects had the most urgent and pressing needs in the next three years.

“We’re supporting the consolidation and rightsizing of facilities to reduce re-newal needs; replacing older schools; ex-panding schools to lower class sizes and implementing full-day kindergarten. Also, we are supporting approximately 8,000

Staying CurrentONTARIO’S $800 MILLION CAPITAL PRIORITY INVESTMENT SPEND IS HELPING THE PROVINCE’S EDUCATION INFRASTRUCTURE KEEP PACEBy Kelly Gray

Education Minister Liz Sandals.

Todd Awender, Superintendent of Education Greater Essex County DSB.

We are continuing our investments in new school buildings and renovations to provide our children

with better places to learn.


jobs per year across the province,” says Wheeler.

The capital investments are broad with new schools, permanent additions and renovations occurring from Algoma to Oakville in 83 projects. For example, Greater Essex County District School Board (DSB) has three projects underway that will impact hundreds of students and involve an expenditure of $19.5 million. According to Todd Awender, Superinten-dent of Education Greater Essex County DSB, the projects include a $10.5 million, 411-student permanent addition to Te-cumseh Vista Secondary School, as well as a $2.5 million renovation to the new Westview Freedom Academy (9-12), and a $6.5 million renovation and FDK retrofit to what is currently W.F. Herman Secondary School. He reports that these projects will make lasting changes.

“We have consolidated Forster and Cen-tury Secondary Schools into a new facil-ity called Westview Freedom Academy. To do this, we’re using $2.5 million from the

Capital Priorities program to renovate the existing Century School building,” he says, adding that the new school will blend stu-dents from mainstream and vocational at the new site.

Greater Essex is also undertaking work on W.F Herman. The smaller Gordon Mc-Gregor Public School will be closing, with those students transitioning to what is currently the Percy P. McCallum FI Public School, a building at the rear of W.F. Her-man Secondary School. As well, McCallum students will transition into the Herman Secondary building, resulting in a new JK-12 facility. The cost of the project is slated at $6.5 million.

“This is a very busy time for us at Greater Essex and a very exciting time for

students, parents and the community,”

Awender says, remarking that new schools

and re-branded facilities create an op-

portunity for students to make a lasting

impression through things such as the se-

lection of new school colours, sports team

names and other important features of

spirit and tradition.

Looking forward, the Ministry projects

the funding toward student excellence

will be ongoing. “We are continuing our

investments in new school buildings and

renovations to provide our children with

better places to learn,” says Minister San-

dals. “These modern and improved spaces

will allow students to focus on their learn-

ing in school and beyond.” »

The government’s $800 million Capital Priority Investment will support the construction of 45 new

schools, 31 additions to schools and 11 renovations.


For the past 22 years, I have worked as a Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (C.P.T.E.D.) specialist at Peel Regional Po-lice, which, as Canada’s third largest municipal police service, is responsible for policing the cities of Mississauga and Brampton on the western outskirts of Toronto. There, I have developed an international reputation as a CPTED (pronounced sep-ted) prac-titioner as it relates to schools. It is from this perspective that I wish to use my experience to comment on a controversial energy- and cost-saving measure that is darkening our schools.

A Little PerspectiveThe concept known as Dark Schools was first introduced in San

Diego in 1974. It is based on a belief that “intruders with flash-lights are more easily spotted”1 . San Diego was a logical place to introduce such a concept as the presence of a major observatory severely curtailed the use of light in the public realm. While spe-cifics about the program were not well documented, it was gener-ally regarded as “successful”, having saved the school district $2 million in electricity costs in addition to “reducing crime”.2

The concept was repeated in San Antonio in 1995, where van-dalism costs reportedly dropped by approximately 75 per cent after turning the lights off between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m.3 Closer to home, the York Region School Board implemented a “Lights Out” program in 1998 which tracked glass breakage as a proxy for criminal activity, the former showing some promise as costs per square went down.4 This was followed by a pilot program at the Peel District School Board in 2013.

While it is very tempting to, at least, superficially, declare the lights out program a success, it is interesting to note that none of the examples have been definitively studied or otherwise seri-

ously challenged. In this regard, one would do well to appreciate that the levels of reported crime in Canada have been dropping for more than twenty years, with the overall level of reported crime now at levels not seen since 1972.5 One must therefore take this trend into account when considering the impact on crime.

Technology has also had a major influence on crime; the devel-opment of a broad range of personal electronic devices has cre-ated a new category of highly coveted property, which is translat-ing into more punk-off robberies of smart phones, ipods and the like and fewer electronic devices traditionally found in schools.

It is my belief that, despite the lack of empirical evidence, this trend is likely to continue to gain momentum for a variety of fiscal and environmental reasons so long as school boards continue to base their decisions on outdated cost-benefit analyses that not only perpetuates the use of old lighting technologies but gener-ally ignores the deleterious effects that darkness has on a variety of safety and security concerns, including conventional closed-circuit television (cctv) systems, officer safety and the probability of civil litigation.

The Case for Dark SchoolsThe case for Dark Schools was largely based on a narrow, eco-

on School SecurityShedding Some Light

By Constable Tom McKay


on School Securitynomic argument that turning out the lights produced major cost savings that reflected a drastic decrease in energy costs without provoking an offsetting rise in crime or its costs. The case typi-cally relied on the use of inefficient lighting technologies, such as incandescent lighting or high-pressure sodium, and the increas-ingly arcane view that burglars would be discouraged from engag-ing in criminal activity given the need to carry and use a flashlight should they decide to commit a burglary.

Over the years, the case has increasingly been made for en-vironmental reasons as concerns over global warming/carbon footprints and excessive light pollution continues to gain trac-tion throughout most of the industrialized world. Conspicuous by its absence are a broad range of countervailing arguments, especially those that involve the ever-increasing potential for civil litigation given that the dark school concept is contrary to international standards such as those set out by the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IESNA).

Today, the case is dependent upon school boards that either fail to move with the times or are otherwise content to perpetuate the use of less-than-efficient lighting technology. The case becomes increasingly anachronistic with each passing year as more and more major North American municipalities make the transition to LED light in the face of an ever shrinking pay-back period.6

The Dark School Approach in a LED worldThe development of LED lighting has all but eliminated the need

to resort to drastic measures in order to save on energy costs. This has effectively freed school boards to base their lighting deci-sions on an approach that achieves the best lighting result with-out necessarily compromising light safety. This is important with respect to achieving both safety and security, as insufficient light can provoke criminal trespass and/or civil liability as people are drawn to or interact with the site.

With respect to liability, school boards would do well to ground their lighting decisions in conventional standards which would help insulate them against the prospect of civil litigation. They would also do well to discourage the criminal element by making the most of the benefits associated with LED lighting, particularly their instantaneous nature and their ability to be dimmed. The net result would be the presentation of a conventionally lit school during the times when the school is generally in use, which in-cludes most evenings.

After those hours, the focus would become more strategic in nature, with the ultimate goal being the development of a dynam-ic lighting environment capable of both deterring and deflecting criminals. With respect to deterrence, I recommend that a mini-mum light level no less than 0.05 foot candles be maintained, as this will provide for detection.7 For any board seeking recognition or identification of individuals, a light level of 1.0 and 1.5 foot candles should be used.

With respect to deflecting, I recommend that the schools be retrofitted with motion detectors around vulnerable and strategic

points such as entrances and corners. This can trigger the lights to come up to full power using a “high/low” system. The net result is a dimmed yet otherwise conventionally lit school, which stands ready to fully illuminate itself in the event that a passive infrared sensor is triggered.

This on-demand quality will achieve a number of objectives, including:• reducedenergycosts• lightingwhenit’sneeded,and• theintroductionofsomeriskinthemindofcriminalatacriti-

cal time.Hopefully, this will serve as a stressor on a would-be criminal

to the point of invoking a flight response. In the event that the criminal fails to react in this manner, the increased light can be expected to draw attention and provide the ability to monitor the criminal’s activities.

ConclusionThe era of the Dark School concept has managed to survive de-

spite a paradigm shift in the development of an energy-efficient light source with superior attributes as measured against existing lighting technologies. This has artificially perpetuated the Dark School era, leaving schools in the equivalent of an energy “poor” house and lighting “dark” age, as the continued use of an outdat-ed technology effectively leaves school administrators with little choice and/or money to do otherwise.

School boards need to recognize that this is the 21st century, and the era of high-pressure sodium lights has come and gone. The transition to LED lighting must not be delayed further so that school boards can enjoy its many benefits, including reduced en-ergy costs, superior colour-rendering ability and the ability to direct light when and where it’s needed, curtailing light trespass and improving light uniformity in the process. Finally, one would do well to not to confuse favourable trends in the overall crime rate and the changing nature of crime with a coincident, yet dubi-ous and unproven, lighting strategy.

Footnotes1 EnRoute magazine2 SERVE magazine; “Reducing School Violence”, date and author

unknown 3 http://www.popcenter.org/problems/vandalism/print/4 Message left by Mike Robertson, York Regional District School

Board 5 Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics6 Street light conversion projects underway, Falling LED prices

place a new kind of pressure on sodium, Canadian Property Man-

agement magazine, Barb Carss, Nov. 27th, 20127 Research conducted by the IESNA (Illuminating Engineering

Society of North America) and the Lighting Research Center, a university based research center devoted to lighting »


PowerSave is teaching schools in the U.S. a few things about energy efficiency. Canadians can look to this program as a source of inspiration.

Consider that studies show school buildings are the third biggest energy user of all commercial building types and account for 10 per cent of the energy used by non-residential facilities. Moreover, it is estimated that 30 per cent of the energy in school buildings is used inefficiently or unnecessarily. PowerSave Schools is a program of the Alliance to Save Energy, a U.S. Federal agency that began in 1977 as a response to the OPEC Oil Embargo. To-day, PowerSave Schools shows education institutions how to reduce energy con-sumption an average of five to 15 per cent over a single year through no-cost opera-tions and behavior changes.

Through the PowerSave Schools pro-gram, students are empowered to think big when it comes to the environment and energy use. The program seeks to create true leadership among the student body; youth can apply their academic knowl-edge to solve the economic cost of en-ergy inefficiency and move their schools and communities toward a greener future with energy efficiency practices and mea-surable energy savings. This is the expe-rience of North Penn School District, a 16-school district in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, where students took on the challenge to reduce energy and help cre-ate the conditions for a greener world. As part of this program, students advo-cated, innovated and became empowered change agents in promoting best energy

practices. Last year, the district’s schools were able to save $1.1 million in energy costs by reducing electrical consumption by 5.7 million kWh, or 25 per cent. Stu-dents also worked to remove 5,600 metric tons of CO2 from the atmosphere. These PowerSave efforts helped the students win the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) 2013 Energy Star Partner of the Year Award.

According to the Alliance to Save En-ergy, North Penn received the award for reducing their energy use by over 28 per cent over the past three years. To do this, teams of students across the district led a range of education and awareness-raising activities around the energy efficiency theme; students created posters, record-ed “green tips” that were displayed on in-ternal video monitors, submitted articles to school newsletters, and distributed light switch stickers as part of a “Last Out, Lights Out” campaign. The student body also conducted energy audits of class-rooms and common areas and showed how schools could use more natural light by raising window blinds. Here, schools were told, “When sunshine is bright, turn out the light!” Students also suggested schools not cover heating vents and un-plug appliances when not in use. The Penn North student group also talked to others in an outreach program, where assem-blies on climate change were presented by the Alliance for Climate Education. This initiative reached 4,240 students.

On Earth Day, students presented a dis-trict-wide challenge that sought to dis-cover “How Low Can You Go?” with elec-

tricity consumption. Students also spon-

sored a “Heat-Free Lunch” in all schools

to help minimize electricity usage and

were given math worksheets that encour-

aged them to analyze their school’s elec-

tricity consumption. In this context, more

than 2,000 students made pledges to “Do

One Thing” to help make their home and

school more energy efficient.

Students took the message to the

broader community as well. For exam-

ple, participants handed out compact

fluorescent lamp (CFL) bulbs as prizes at

Montgomery Mall and North Penn School

District’s Innovation Celebration when

people played the Energy Quest game

and answered questions about energy ef-

ficiency. Information flyers were also cir-

culated and presentations were made to

home and school committees.

The Alliance to Save Energy helps em-

power K-12 and higher education stu-

dents change the culture of their aca-

demic environment to one that embraces

energy efficiency. “Under the PowerSave

Schools and PowerSave Campus pro-

grams, students lead no-cost behavior

changes, green career events, demand

side management, and other initiatives

that save energy within and beyond their

school building,” says Scott Thach, the

Alliance’s director of school programs.

“When students are literate in energy

efficiency, they become the next genera-

tion energy efficiency leaders – not only

in their schools, but also in their homes

and communities.” »

PowerSave, Power SmartU.S. PROGRAM DESIGNED TO SAVE ENERGY IS FINDING STUDENTS ARE LEADING THE WAYBy Kelly Gray


If you have ever had your students bul-lied or falsely accused of wrongdoing on a school bus, or had a vehicle pass a stopped bus, creating a dangerous situa-tion, please read on.

Increasingly, interior cameras are be-coming a standard feature in school buses. School divisions are recognizing the need to monitor the school bus for a variety of reasons. These include identify bullying, student discipline problems, vandalism, and even driver safety issues, to get the evidence you need to resolve problems quickly and easily. This also helps deter students from disturbances and allows the driver to do their job, which is to concen-trate on safely operating their bus.

Having cameras installed and in use al-lows things like bullying behavior, situa-tions where there is a disagreement (“he said, she said”, for example), and even proof that a child was on the bus to be scrutinized. Coupled with a GPS sensor, the bus location can be pinpointed to where a situation occurs. An example of that is the actual location a student got on or off the bus. The map shows the location and the video shows the student getting on or off the bus.

The outside of the school bus presents another important safety situation when children are crossing a street for egress or ingress of the bus when the red stop lights are flashing and the stop-arm is ex-tended. Far too often inattentive drivers drive right past the bus with near misses and worse. Cameras have been set up on the outsides of school buses to capture license plates of “drive-bys” to turn over to local law enforcement. Unfortunately, right now this is a slow, drawn-out process

that needs to be improved by lawmakers

upgrading the law to allow automatic tick-

eting for offenders.

There are a number of different types

of video systems. For the inside cameras,

Clearly InSight has employed a four-chan-

nel mobile digital video recorder that re-

cords to an SD card with many available

features.

This year Clearly InSight has introduced

a new IP-based camera system utilizing

the German-produced Mobotix Security

Vision system that offers extremely high

definition 360-degree view for inside the

bus and a focused camera for stop-arm

monitoring. This is a necessary step to

be able to capture a very high percent-

age of the license plates of drive-bys. Our

Q25BusVision interior camera has been in

use since the end of 2013; our S15SBStop

stop-arm camera has just finished testing

with amazing results and is being released

in January 2015.

The products are certainly at hand to

assist you with student safety.

For more information, visit

www.ClearlyInSightIP.com. »

Bus Safety Through Video SecurityBy Gary Williams, President, Clearly InSight IP Network & Video Ltd.

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Back in 1985, D.A. Craig stood at the Operations, Maintenance & Construction (OMC) Committee annual workshop to accept the first Wm. J. Wales Award, a peer-to-peer distinction named in memory of William J. Wales, a long-standing, dedicated member of the Ontario Association of School Business Officials (OASBO) and the OMC Committee. Since that time, 29 members of OASBO have accepted the award, which goes to a person who has made a significant contribution to building plant function over the past year.

This year Glenn Clark of Simcoe Muskoka Catholic District School Board, himself the 28th award recipient, presented the 2014 Wm. J. Wales Award to Ottawa-Carleton District School Board (OCDSB) Facility Manager Peter Wright for his leadership and commitment to innovation.

Addressing the assembly at the OMC’s July event, Clark pointed to a number of reasons the 52-member OMC Committee decided on Mr. Wright for the accolade. “He has been very active within the OMC Executive in the busy roles of Vice-Chair and Chair. He has represented the committee with expertise and commitment for a number of initiatives with the Ministry of Education. With bound-less enthusiasm and a contagious sense of humour, he has been very involved in organizing OMC annual events,” he said, adding that despite shouldering a heavy workload at his day job, Wright routinely raises his hand at OMC meetings and volunteers for new initiatives. “Through his work, expertise and dedication, he has elevated the profile of the OMC team throughout the province. His leadership skills are demonstrated on a routine basis in many ar-eas of his school board’s operations, but most notably within his facilities department.”

A professional engineer, Wright started with OCDSB close to 10 years ago, following a 25-year career in the Canadian Armed Forces where he was commanding officer of an engineer field regiment. He tempered this experience with a period in private business, where he took advantage of the skills he learned fight-ing insurgency in the Bosnian conflict. Indeed, his skill set made him an expert at landmine removal, a practice he jokingly remarks served him well in his current role, where he has to gingerly work his way around a variety of challenges overseeing a staff of 950 custodial, maintenance, energy, design and construction workers in a very busy school board.

According to Wright, this year has been unique given the es-tablishment of the full-day kindergarten five-year program at Ontario schools. In the Ottawa-Carleton District – the largest board in Eastern Ontario, with more than 70,000 students in 147 schools – this has meant a considerable capital expenditure of

$26 million. He notes that this money went to prepare facilities with everything from portables to established classrooms, requir-ing the skill of a choreographer to channel student movement and room availability so that students had space for programs on the school’s first day.

A source of pride for Mr. Wright has been his involvement in the school district’s push for greater environmental sustainabil-ity. Under his leadership, OCDSB was able to team with Ontario’s Feed-In-Tariff Program (FIT) for renewable energy developers in the 10-kilowatt and over area. He reports that currently the dis-trict operates 36 sites that utilize solar collectors to help power facilities. This has delivered a new revenue stream to Ottawa-Carleton schools, which are now able to sell electricity back to Ontario power utilities as well as greatly lower the operating costs for plants. “It’s also a great learning tool for the kids. Our stu-dents can see energy conservation in practice every day and learn about CO2 emissions and carbon credits as well,” he says, noting that they got involved in the energy program about five years ago and saw equipment up and running two years later.

Described as a team player, Wright has utilized his OMC and OASBO membership to help bring people together on issues and challenges. He views the networking and opportunities for shar-ing information as a core strength of OASBO and the OMC Com-mittee. “I was [OMC] Chair a couple of years ago and saw how well the structure of the organization lent itself to things like policy review, initiatives and general dialogue. I see the organization as well positioned and structured to keep the ball rolling for bet-ter education facilities as we move forward to areas of fresh con-cerns,” he says. »

The Wright StuffBy Kelly Gray

Peter Wright accepts Wm. J. Wales Award from Glenn Clark.


When Jennifer McCron was “lured” into the Dispatch Route Co-ordinator position for Brampton-based Parkview Transit, Wheel-chair Division, she was attracted, in large part, by the special needs aspect of the job. Her career in bussing and then transpor-tation trucking had provided a bit of experience in this area but not enough to satisfy her desire to do more.

“When I got the call out of the blue, a big part of what pulled me back into bussing was the fact that it would involve students with special needs,” says McCron. “Special needs has always played an important part in my life. My father’s younger brother had Down Syndrome and my husband’s sister has mental and physical chal-lenges. I was intrigued with the idea of being able to advocate on behalf of these kids. I know how taxing it can be on the parents and primary caregivers, and I was really excited to be able to do my small part to help make things better.”

That was one and a half years ago.

Today, McCron has become one of only two Canadians from Parkview Transit to sit on the Special Needs Council of Student Transportation of America (STA), the parent company of Parkview Transit. She is also one of only four Canadians – ever – to successfully earn her Special Needs Transportation Certificate from the U.S.-based National As-sociation for Pupil Transportation (NAPT), a rigourous program of traditional classroom and hands-on training specifically geared to transportation personnel serving students with disabilities. The program has been offered since 2010.

Creative LearningMcCron became a member of the STA’s Special Needs Council

on the advice of the President of Operations at Parkview Transit. Although that gave her “an easy entry” for the first year, she had to re-apply for her second term.

“When I was first asked to sit on the council, I was very excited because I knew it would allow me to be a bit more hands-on than

just sitting behind a radio or telephone,” she says. “It proved to be a real eye-opening experience and a very rewarding one at that so I re-applied to get back on the council for my second term.”

McCron’s work with the NAPT Special Needs Transportation pro-gram proved to be another invaluable experience.

“It really brought home the issue of behaviour management and of understanding that when one of these children acts out, it’s not the child acting out. Most times, it’s the condition acting out. This really hit home with me and it’s something that I have since taken back to our drivers.”

Another issue that resonated strongly with McCron was emer-gency evacuation procedures.

“They showed us this video of a bus burning in two minutes,” she says. “I had never really thought about things like what would happen if a driver was elderly or if the students weren’t am-bulatory. When I got back, I began to advocate strongly for more training on emergency evacuations. As a result, we’re actually rolling out a new module on the topic in the new year and we’re also going to have mock evacuation

drills so that the drivers get a chance to familiarize themselves with these types of situations. I am very excited about getting this new program off the ground.”

Making a DifferenceSince McCron became involved with ParkView Transit and its

Wheelchair Division, she has spearheaded many initiatives and continues to help spread the word.

“I really think it’s all about providing patience, compassion and understanding,” she says. “The students may not be verbal when they board a bus but they still know that they’re being commu-nicated to. Drivers need to help build relationships. Maybe the driver needs to wait an extra 10 minutes if one of the kids is hav-ing a rough day. There are all sorts of things that we can do to help. It’s a matter of understanding the situation and doing the best that we can to adapt to it.” »

Northern Edge: Ontario Employee Earns Special U.S. DesignationBy Melanie Franner

McCron has become one of only two Canadians from Parkview Transit to sit on the Special Needs Council of Student Transportation

of America (STA), the parent company of Parkview Transit. Jennifer McCron.


Ontario’s educational sector is taking steps to reduce their eco-footprint. Assisting in this plight is two organizations affluent in eco-conscious awareness: the Ontario Ministry of Education and Ontario EcoSchools.

The Power of Green Sixteen schools across four district school boards partici-

pated in the Ontario Ministry of Education’s eight-week Green Clean Program pilot program back in 2009. Its completion re-

sulted in the 2010 release of the Green Clean Program Resource Guide, a guide that promotes safe and eco-friendly environ-ments within Ontario schools.

“The Ministry of Education developed the Green Clean Pro-gram Resource Guide to provide a comprehensive tool to assist school boards interested in adopting a green clean program,” says Ontario Ministry of Education spokesperson Gary Wheeler, who adds that many school boards have since begun employ-img eco-certified products and practices. “The purpose of the

Going GreenONTARIO’S SCHOOLS OPTING FOR ECO-FRIENDLY CLEANING PRODUCTSBy Jillian Mitchell



guide is to promote a high-quality, healthy indoor environment in Ontario schools by providing a standard of leading practices for the provision of environmentally responsible and effective cleaning management practices that can easily be adopted by any school board in Ontario.”

As Wheeler confirms, the demand for the Green Clean Program Resource Guide came directly from the education sector, spe-cifically school boards’ internal stakeholders, such as custodial staff, staff and students who had a strong interest in green-clean programs.

Invariably, the move from conventional to green products can be met with reservations. Wheeler reports that the pilot program addressed these concerns head on. “Initially, there were questions and concerns about the green clean program,” he says. “The pilot answered those concerns by giving custo-dians time and experience with the new green clean products to determine that they were just as effective as the products that they had previously used. As a result, concerns were dimin-ished.”

In addition, the pilot revealed that workloads did not in-crease. “Some jobs took longer to do than before, some jobs took less time to do, but overall the workload remained the same,” Wheeler says.

The Green Clean Program Resource Guide states that switching to green clean products is generally a cost-neutral exercise even

after considering the cost of labour, which typically constitutes the lion’s share of the true cost of cleaning.i

For Wheeler, the program’s value has been proven not only through practical application, but in the post-pilot feedback from the custodial staff itself. “The pilot also demonstrated the health benefits of using green clean products,” he adds. “In post-pilot interviews, custodians repeatedly identified that they noticed a positive change in their health since switching to green clean products.”

The Eco-Educated ConsumerPerhaps one of the biggest shifts schools experience on their

eco-friendly journey is that of moving to green products. With that, comes an unfortunate obstacle: greenwashing.

“In talking with our board representatives, the biggest rec-ommendation that we heard was to look for products with third-party certification,” says Melissa Benner, communications and outreach coordinator for Ontario EcoSchools, an environmental and certification program that aims to create environmentally responsible citizens and reduce the environmental footprint of Ontario’s schools. “There’s a number of different seals that show a product is actually green.”

Many products falsely claim to be “green” or “eco-friendly” as a marketing ploy. The Green Seal and EcoLogo certification labels, however, will guarantee products have been thoroughly

An excited EcoTeam from St. Eugene Elementary School, a certified EcoSchool in Hamilton Wentworth Catholic District School Board.


Alternatives to Road SaltsTraditionally used to keep slippery surfaces at bay, road salts (sodium chloride, calcium chloride, potassium chloride, mag-

nesium chloride, and ferrocyanide salts) have been recognized by Environment Canada as toxic, particularly in large concen-trations.

Earth Innovations Inc.’s EcoTraction is an alternative that has been adopted by the Toronto District School Board and ap-proved for use in some 600 schools.ii EcoTraction, a product manufactured from a hydrothermal volcanic mineral in the zeolite mineral group, proves a cost-effective solution with no damaging effects and the opportunity to re-use it for multiple applica-tions.

Other eco-conscious alternatives include sand (brick sand, particularly), ashes, and kitty litter (the most expensive choice).

Alternatives to Chlorine-based CleanersMany of Ontario’s schools have opted for low-emissions, low-toxicity eco-products, such as hydrogen-peroxide-based clean-

ers, over conventional alternatives in order to promote healthy indoor air.An inexpensive alternative, hydrogen peroxide boasts anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-mold, anti-mildew properties. Its

odourless and earth-friendly qualities (it breaks down into oxygen and water) make it ideal for cleaning a myriad of surfaces, such as walls, windows and countertops, floors, toilets and showers. (Hydrogen peroxide is also available in a dry granulated form, sodium percarbonate, though it is not as environmentally friendly.)

ChemEcology’s Hydrogenic is a certified EcoLogo product that uses peroxide to brighten and deodorize walls, floors, coun-tertops, machinery, stainless steel, and glass.

Alternatives to Conventional Mops and ClothsUsing microfibre mops and cloths can cut the use of cleaning products and significantly reduce water use. With fibres smaller

than human hair and a negative electrical charge, the cloths are able to hold dirt and dust more effectively than cotton or sponge counterparts.

Many health, safety and economic benefits are offered through switching to microfibre. They also have been reported to avoid cross-contamination.

evaluated and that their environmental claims are correct. The two certification labels can be found on an array of all-purpose cleaners, glass cleaners, general purpose cleaners, washroom cleaners (non-disinfecting), floor care products (finishes and sealers), floor care products (strippers), carpet care products (shampoo and extraction), degreasers, hand soaps, and odour control products.

“Boards are starting to think about avoiding chemical clean-ers, and we recognize that it’s sometimes hard for schools, as institutions, to make the changes,” adds Benner. “It’s impor-tant to create an awareness. You’re working as a team, and we really try to have whole school involvement.”

Since its founding in 2002, Ontario EcoSchools has worked with 59 different school boards and certified 1,745 schools in 2013-14. Accordingly, schools are encouraged to implement the program at their own pace, using the downloadable guides and curriculum re-sources available at ontarioecoschools.org. Using the EcoSchools program, school boards create and implement board-wide waste minimization and energy conservation standards.

The program’s six areas of focus include teamwork and leader-

ship, energy conservation, waste minimization, school ground

greening, curriculum, and environmental stewardship. Through

these program areas, students learn about their institution

(what goes into heating, lighting, cleaning the school) and how

sustainability can be best introduced.

“We encourage students to connect with the custodial care-

takers at their school to arrive at green goals. The custodial staff

are the backbone of the EcoSchools program,” Benner says. “If

students aren’t supported by the custodial and administration

staff, they won’t get full systems change.”

Footnotesi http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/policyfunding/GreenClean_

Guide.pdf

ii http://business.f inancialpost.com/2012/06/04/green-

business-gains-traction-with-road-salt-alternative/?__

lsa=8ddb-bf0e »

Three STepS Toward Green


Apps are everywhere—they chart fit-ness, count calories, budget home fi-nances; they even predict the best time to duck out of a movie theatre for a re-

stroom break so as not to miss a pivotal scene. Subsequently, smartphone apps have become big business, and research suggests that by the end of 2014 the

direct and indirect sales of mobile apps will reach $25 billion.

When it comes to the Workplace Haz-ardous Materials Information System (WHMIS), apps are a-plenty. The follow-ing few have been designed as a comple-ment tool for on-the-go employees cer-tified (or seeking certification) through WHMIS. • Available for the iPhone/iPad, An-

droid or Blackberry, Redi-Medic’s WHMIS App is unique in that it offers a complete audio/HD video training course instructed by certified WHMIS trainers. Available in both English and French, the app includes vital information regarding WHMIS la-bels and Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS), and like most apps, it comes with an affordable price tag ($14.99) and downloadable updates in concur-rence with WHMIS regulation chang-es. Redi-Medic’s WHMIS App requires iOS 4.2 or later.i

• FromDanatec, theWHMISHandbookApp is a compact and concise compan-ion to the Self-Teach or online WHMIS program. Ringing in at $7.99, the handbook app is a digitized version of the company’s WHMIS Handbook with searchable features. An added bonus, it includes supplemental information on the upcoming changes regarding WHMIS and GHS (Globally Harmonized

An App A DayWHMIS APPS OFFER ON-THE-GO FLExIBILITY By Jillian Mitchell

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When it comes to the Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS), apps

are a-plenty.


System of Classification and Labeling

of Chemicals) and is kept current with

regulatory standards. Available for

the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch, the

app requires iOS 4.3 or later and has

been optimized for iPhone 5.

• Danatec’s TDG (Transportation of

Dangerous Goods) Handbook App is

available for the iPhone, iPad and

iPod Touch and requires iOS 4.3 or lat-

er. Valued at $7.99, the app includes

a class guide, placarding guide and

checklist for quick reference on TDG

requirements.

• Compatible with iPhone, iPad and

iPod Touch, Risk Management Tech-

nologies’ complimentary ChemAlert

App focuses on chemical safety man-

agement, specifically GHS classifica-

tions, hazards, risk and safety phras-

es, First Aid information and Personal

Protective Equipment (PPE). The

supplementary ChemAlertLite App,

valued at $3.99, offers similar perks

to the free version with the added

perk of providing users access to over

100,000 Safety Data Sheets and inde-

pendent product safety reports. Both

apps require iOS 3.2 or later.

• Developed exclusively for Android,

Knorre’s complimentary Dangerous

Goods Manual App assists in the iden-

tification of hazardous materials and

includes helpful ERI-Cards (Emergen-

cy Response Intervention Cards) and

Hazchem Emergency Action Codes

(EAC), as well as a GHS classification

and labeling summary.

With the ability to zoom in/out, book-

mark, replay or pause information, and

a 24/7 access to online learning (in-

ternet connection not required), these

WHMIS apps speak well to the online

generation.

Footnotei iOS (previously iPhone OS) is a mobile

operating system developed by Apple

Inc. »

With the ability to zoom in/out, bookmark, replay or pause information, and a 24/7 access

to online learning (internet connection not required), these WHMIS apps speak well to the

online generation.


Would you do something that could cost you your eyesight? Most people would an-swer no to that question, yet every day, there are people working on Ontario con-struction and renovation sites who do just that. They work without eye protection even though there are hazards all around them that could damage their eyes.

If something like a nail or a wire gets stuck in your eye while you’re working, On-tario’s prevention system considers that a struck-by injury. “Struck-by” is the term used to describe the various injuries that occur when workers are hit—or struck—by tools, materials, equipment, or vehicles. The eyes are one of the most common body parts to be affected when someone suf-fers a struck-by injury. Between 2002 and 2012, almost 2,700 Ontario construction workers were injured when something hit them in the eye. These injuries could have been prevented if the workers had been wearing eye protection.

Part of the problem is that the current

legislation does not make eye protection mandatory on jobsites. It’s required in cer-tain circumstances where there are haz-ards that could damage a worker’s eyes. However, the reality is that those hazards are not often confined to a specific area. As workers, equipment, and materials move around the jobsite, so do the eye hazards. Some of those hazards are:• dustandgrit• flyingdebris(wood,stone,orconcrete

chips)• sparks and slag fromwelding and cut-

ting• abrasivesfromsandblasting• chemicalsplash• pipesandwiresstickingoutofwalls• tiesandwireshangingfromceilings• thesun,whichcancauseUVdamage• the wind, which can dry eyes out and

carry dust and grit.Whether it’s a physical object that hits

your eye or a biological or chemical hazard that causes the damage, it’s clear that wear-

ing eye protection at all times is a good idea. It’s not surprising that many companies and jobsites have already made eye protection mandatory as part of their commitment to employee health and well-being.

What to WearWearing the right kind of protection can

prevent most eye injuries. Safety glasses with side shields are considered the basic standard for eye protection on construc-tion sites, but it’s important to match the type of protection to the specific hazard. For example, goggles that protect your eyes from dust and other physical hazards may not protect your eyes from radiation or a chemical splash. All safety glasses and goggles should be CSA approved, which means you should see the CSA logo on the frames. In order to protect you the way they are designed to, your safety glasses should fit securely.

If you’re a welder, your safety glasses should also have a shade number marked on them. Always keep your safety glasses on, even when you remove other personal protective equipment, such as a welding helmet or face shield. When you raise your visor or shield, you may still be exposed to flying chips, dust, or other hazards.

If you already wear regular glasses or contact lenses to correct your eyesight, you should wear prescription safety glasses on the site. Avoid wearing contact lenses—dust and other particles can get under the lens and irritate your eyes. It is important to replace your prescription safety glasses if they are scratched or damaged or if your eyeglass prescription has changed.

Consider making eye protection manda-tory in your workplace. Make eye protec-tion your next safety talk.

For more information, visit www.ihsa.ca. »

Protect Your EyesA MESSAGE FROM THE INFRASTRUCTURE HEALTH & SAFETY ASSOCIATION


In 2009, the Halton Catholic District

School Board entered into the next phase

of its environmental stewardship policy,

which called for a commitment to promot-

ing environmental literacy for all students

and staff, as well as integrating sustain-

ability into the board’s operational ser-

vices.

While the board had always conducted

monthly utility bill monitoring, the next

logical step included the implementation

of real-time utility monitoring to address

issues more proactively and become as en-

ergy efficient as possible.

“We were very interested in examin-

ing the long-term results of our energy

conservation programs in our Board,”

says Alex Duffield, Senior Administrator

of Facility Management Services, Halton

Catholic District School Board. “With

utility bill analysis you are always two or

three months behind; real-time informa-

tion provides immediate feedback on what

is happening in our schools.”

To help achieve this, the board’s Facility

Management Services department turned

to Carma Industries, which had extensive

experience and expertise in metering

other school boards in Ontario. The board

installed metering equipment for the

main electricity and gas meters. In addi-

tion, schools have TV monitors installed,

which display graphic profiles for both

electricity and gas that students, staff

and visitors can view. Carma also coordi-

nated the installation and maintenance

Halton Catholic District School Board Delivers on Energy Efficiency Mission By Margaret Manetta, CARMA Industries Inc.

Inside one of the classrooms at the newly constructed Queen of Heaven Catholic Elementary School in Milton which uses LED lighting to help conserve energy.


of the systems, working with a variety of departments within the board, as well as the local gas company to gain access to the main gas meter.

The load profiles and data are contained within CARMASmart-Metering (CSM), Carma’s own energy monitoring and benchmark-ing software, which allows facilities staff to view the profiles and rank their schools against one another for energy efficiency.

Currently, the Carma system is being used by the board for en-ergy tracking and to identify when the HVAC equipment is not run-ning as per the time-of-day schedule. On the operations side, Fa-cility Management Services staff uses weekly comparison profiles to identify any abnormal patterns or blips in energy usage. “The graphic profiles tell us a lot,” says Anthony Rocco, P. Eng., Facil-ity Management Services Consultant at Halton Catholic District School Board. “We can overlay one week on top of another to see if a change was due to a holiday or if we need to seek out further information for a potential issue.”

The metering system can also assist in analyzing whether or not building automation system overrides and control problems are

present. For example, a fan system in a school can be running 24

hours, 7 days per week in hand-operation mode. Real-time data

enables staff to spot the issue and take corrective action imme-

diately.

All pulses are pushed to the Carma metering system, rather

than the building automation system which provides the board’s

Facility Management Services staff with more user-friendly

graphic data and more accurate information. Overall, the meter-

ing information has highlighted the need for better and tighter

controls, such as occupancy sensors and limiting run times to

match occupancy levels.

Of major importance to the board is occupant behavioural

change through energy education. The recent introduction of

electricity and gas dashboards for all schools means that teach-

ers and students can access the energy data and profiles for their

schools. For special events, such as Earth Hour and Sweater Days,

the profiles provide a graphic illustration to students of the dif-

ference their energy conservation efforts have. As well, the ener-

gy information can be accessed by students and teachers through

the TV monitors located in each school, as well as on the board’s

online portal, where historical energy usage can be viewed. An

environmental link is also on the board’s public website.

With close to 4 million square feet of total facility space to look

after, the future looks bright for Halton Catholic’s energy efficien-

cy program. As they work on specific goals for their Energy Con-

servation and Demand Management Plan for the province, they

are piloting a new LED lighting and lighting controls initiative

to monitor best lighting practices for existing and future school

construction. As well, with the help of the Carma system, the Fa-

cilities Management Services department will target the lower

energy performing schools, with an aim of recommissioning and

retrofitting equipment where appropriate.

Achieving, Believing and Belonging – these words are the motto

of the board’s commitment to students and staff for reaching

their full potential. For Facility Management Services, they are

achieving the board’s vision of being environmental stewards for

future generations to come. »

Declan, student at one of the board’s Oakville Catholic Elementary Schools and winner of the “Tacky Sweater Award” on National Sweater Day, February 6, 2014. Sweater Day promotes energy conservation and a proactive approach to environmental sustainability.

Currently, the Carma system is being used by the board for energy tracking and to identify when the HVAC equipment is not running as

per the time-of-day schedule.

c 2013 CARMA Industries Inc. All rights reserved.

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When schools upgrade their heating systems, an update of the domestic hot water (DHW) supply deserves to be considered as well, even when the larger load is where the big savings are.

There are two major strategies for improving DHW efficiency. One is to have the DHW served by the same high-efficiency heat source that provides the space heating, while the other is to in-stall a stand-alone high-efficiency appliance. Further alterna-tives are available using heat pump and solar thermal systems; we’ll be using boilers as the basis of the following discussion.

Adding a DHW load to a network of boilers – one that is oth-erwise dedicated to space heating – uses existing equipment effectively. The space-heating boiler network is typically sized

for the coldest day of the year and often for a certain degree of redundancy. If it’s acceptable to the engineer that the space-heating redundancy be shared with the water-heating redun-dancy, the DHW load can usually be “inserted” into the off-time of one or more of the networked boilers without the system hav-ing to be significantly upsized.

It’s interesting to compare this scenario with a residential ap-plication, where a single boiler is typically handling both space-heating and DHW. The residential control strategy of priority switching puts the space-heating on pause for the duration of the DHW call, allowing the boiler to dedicate its full energy to the quickest possible restoration of the tank temperature. The

High-Efficiency DHW in SchoolsBy Brad Poulsen

Figure 1: Boiler Network with Domestic Opt-Out Piping


more mass there is in the space-heating emitters, the less likely it would be that anyone would even notice this pause. Under priority control, the boiler is properly sized not by combining the space-heating the DHW loads but simply by the larger of the two. As houses tend to get smaller and building insulation methods improve, it has become more and more common that it is the DHW load that ultimately decides the boiler size.

Of course, in a typical school, the space-heating loads dwarf the DHW consumption, but the main difference between the two setups is that a larger scale means longer recoveries, so in schools it is less acceptable to rely on priority switching. Fortu-nately, with a multiple-boiler system, a select boiler or boilers can be piped to “opt out” of the space-heating network to sat-isfy the DHW without interrupting the space-heating at all [See Figure 1]. This can be easily achieved when the boiler software has the ability to turn off the pump contributing to the common heating load and turn on a pump for the heat exchanger that serves a DHW storage tank.

The second major strategy for high-efficiency DHW supply in schools is to use appliances dedicated to the purpose. On-demand water heaters achieve high efficiencies through their wide temperature rises. Whereas a boiler supplying 165°F to an indirect tank in order to achieve 140°F domestic water is not the best way to achieve condensing operation, on-demand water heaters have entering water temperatures at, for instance 45°F, and this does bring us reliably into fully condensing territory.

On-demand water heaters have the primary advantages of high efficiencies, modest installation cost, and smaller boiler-room footprints than storage tanks. Their disadvantage is pri-marily that their output is limited to a particular flow rate: siz-ing the water heaters to matching peak demand might result in units that are needed only infrequently, as well a more costly installation.

One solution to meeting peak demands with on-demand wa-ter heaters is to employ a storage tank or tanks. While this does require a larger boiler room footprint, it dramatically extends the working range of DHW consumption without oversizing.

Whether using a boiler or an on-demand water heater, recir-culation lines will be installed where the wait time for hot water delivery must be kept at a minimum. It is critical that the as-sociated recirculation pumps not be oversized. Oversized pumps are not only wasteful but also risk premature wear on pipes from excessive water velocity; often all that’s necessary for effective recirculation of hot water to the furthest fixture is a well-insu-

lated ¾-inch line with very low gpm. Timers on these pumps are essential for those majority of schools without DHW use dur-ing long stretches of the day. A written record of the desired schedule is a good detail to have posted near the pump, and maintenance includes confirming that the current time setting remains correct.

In weighing the advantages of boiler network vs. on-demand water heater, one of the most significant considerations is meeting the stricter safety standards of the school setting. In the case of DHW, protection against the possibility of backflow of the heating fluid into potable drinking water must be reduced to an impossibility. To this end, double-walled heat exchangers with leak detection will be required with the DHW storage tanks. The safety insurance of double-wall heat exchangers carries a price not only literally but also in efficiency. These have to be weighed against the advantages of employing a single heat source for both loads. »

In weighing the advantages of boiler network vs. on-demand water heater, one of the most significant considerations is meeting the stricter safety standards of the school

setting. In the case of DHW, protection against the possibility of backflow of the heating fluid into potable drinking water must be reduced to an impossibility.


Smart-building technology provides facility operators and occu-pants with the ability to maintain comfort at a low cost by effec-tively using data collected from a wide variety of sources. A recent report released by IDC Energy Insights, Global Smart Buildings Forecast 2013–2018, projects spending in the global smart-build-ing technology market to grow from $6.3 billion in 2013 to $21.9 billion in 2018, representing a 28.4 per cent compound annual growth rate.

Smart-building technology is closely linked to sustainability, for which there is increasingly broad market awareness, as well as to business values aimed to deploy en-ergy and cost-saving solutions.

Over the next several years, adoption rates of smart-building tech-nology are expected to vary by region, with the most aggressive adoption in North America, Western Eu-rope, and Asia/Pacific. Each region’s growth is spurred by different drivers, as North America primarily seeks to reduce and control en-ergy costs, while much of Western Europe is driven by government-directed environmental and energy-efficiency objectives, and Ja-pan is primarily concerned with meeting energy-supply challenges.

Prior to 2013, the global market grew slowly due to external fac-tors such as less expensive electricity in several markets and a slow recovery from the economic downturn leading to deferred capital investments. Adoption is expected to recover as the economy con-tinues to improve and energy costs remain variable. Additional fac-tors in the adoption of these technologies include changes in busi-ness processes required for deployment and utilization, technical evolutions related to data-driven, performance-tracking software, and an industry-wide move toward more open protocols aimed to extend the life of building-automation systems.

Building-automation systems are continuously evolving, as the industry embraces more integrated systems based on emerging technologies over proprietary products. The trend of moving for-ward toward more open systems is, in part, due to the BACnet® protocol.

BACnet® provides the basis in which to grow the smart-building industry through using proprietary products, as it allows interop-erability between different manufacturers’ products and pro-motes the protection of the investment in building controls. In

the past, building owners were forced to replace entire systems when only a simple expansion was required and were often un-able to obtain competitive quotes for new projects because they were locked into a manufacturer’s proprietary system. BACnet® resolved these issues by defining a basic set of rules for how and what building controllers could communicate.

An open standard protocol (ASHRAE Standard 135), BACnet® was built with a guarantee against obsolescence, as it can eas-ily be extended with new features to meet the rapidly changing demands of the building-automation industry, and it was de-signed to be extendable without altering existing capabilities. As a result, BACnet® controllers made today are interoperable with the controllers and workstations of the future. All control-lers manufactured by Reliable Controls® use the BACnet® proto-col as the primary method of communication and are tested and listed by the BACnet Testing Laboratory (BTL).

BACnet® is here to stay: this year marks two significant an-niversaries of BACnet® protocol; DIN EN ISO 16484-5 celebrates 10 years while ANSI ASHRAE 135 reaches an impressive 20-year milestone.

Another factor promoting the growth of the smart-building technology is the expanding volume of data required for more varied systems. In the past, building automation systems fo-cused primarily on HVAC systems; however, the industry is quickly expanding to include a variety of additional elements, all of which work together to create the ultimate smart-build-ing-technology user experience. It is evident that demand is quickly growing on a global scale and broadening the require-ment for the types of data required.

“As businesses recover following the Great Recession, build-ing owners continue to focus on managing their operational en-ergy costs and risks,” says Jill Feblowitz, vice-president, IDC En-ergy Insights. “Often, gathering building data is not the issue; rather, combining, interpreting, and prioritizing that data is becoming the key challenge. Smart-building solutions are valu-able technologies for deploying energy-management strategies that generate operational efficiencies, cost containment, and sustainability benefits that appeal to key stakeholders across

Smart-Building Technology Spending Projected To Triple By 2018


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the chain of command in building manage-ment,” she says.

With a variety of building-automation sys-tems in place around the world, there is a strong requirement for intelligent software to analyze the vast amounts of data being collected. Reliable Con-trols’ RC-Reporter® software allows users to easily access archived building data from RC-Archive to make informed operational decisions. Software solution from Reliable Controls allow users to analyze trend and runtime data from any BACnet®, Internet-connected building and to generate professional performance reports quickly and accurately.

While data-driven software has been in demand for several years now, we have yet to reach the tipping point, as early adopt-ers are largely impacted by the vertical industry; buildings man-aged in the government or healthcare verticals tend to be more mature in their appreciation of the benefits of smart buildings and

more advanced in their deployment. We are likely to see a shift in the near future as smart-building technology becomes more globally commonplace, particularly in homes and private-sector workplaces.

According to recent research by ON World, wireless sensor net-work technologies – a newer staple in smart-building technolo-gies – will enable 50 million smart homes and buildings worldwide by 2018. Smart thermostats are one of the fastest-growing smart energy markets, currently used by 15 per cent of the broadband and smartphone/tablet users surveyed by ON World, up from nine per cent in 2010. Annual shipments of wireless sensor network de-vices are expected to increase by more than 600 per cent within the next five years, with the top three markets in energy manage-ment, smart lighting, and safety/security. This echoes the report from IDC Energy Insights, which also forecasts an uptick in areas including lighting, plug load, equipment maintenance, plumbing, and security, significantly expanding the smart-building technol-ogy market.

With a focus on operational efficiency, energy savings, and occupant experience, Reliable Controls continues to design and develop new products that encompass the elements needed to evolve with the smart-building industry. »


Unitary ventilation equipment has come to bear the unfortunate stigma of class-room noisemaker. It’s unfortunate be-cause decentralized HVAC systems, which rely on unitary equipment, offer schools many benefits including increased com-fort and lower cost of ownership. But these benefits do not outweigh the need for a quiet learning space. Thus, the challenge becomes finding unitary equipment that helps schools meet the latest voluntary acoustic standards for classrooms.

One manufacturer is confident they have that solution: Changeair’s Fresh-man IQ vertical non-compressorized air handler.

The Freshman IQ can provide ventila-tion, heating, cooling, and energy re-covery all in one 40-inch x 25-inch foot-print, essentially decoupling classroom comfort from any centralized equipment or control system. More importantly, re-liable test data indicates that it can do so quietly.

Why Decentralize Anyway?Centralized HVAC has long been the

default solution to quiet classroom de-sign. So why fix what apparently isn’t broken?

The fact is decentralizing conditioned air offers many benefits to schools over centralized design, including:

• Greater design flexibility. Decentral-ized HVAC systems are easier to design because they do not involve the layout and installation of complex duct runs.

• Individualized space control. Decen-tralized systems can be controlled to meet the exact conditioning needs of the corresponding space. Centralized systems, on the other hand, are lim-ited in their ability to meet the exact needs of individual spaces. They also require complex control systems that are costly and difficult to operate and maintain.

• Ease of maintenance. Decentralizedclassroom units are not affected when central equipment fails or must be shut down for service.

• Lower cost of ownership. Unitaryequipment is typically less expensive to install and maintain. They can also be more efficient because load match-ing is more exact and equipment can be completely shut down when a space isn’t occupied.Despite the advantages, decentralized

equipment remains a hard sell to me-chanical designers and school districts. The belief that a centralized HVAC sys-tem is the only path to quiet classroom design is pervasive. Presenting random test data on this or that “quiet” unitary air handler isn’t enough. Experienced engineers respect the complexities of acoustic design too much and know that such data can be misleading. The only reliable test data is that which has been obtained in accordance with AHRI 260, using an accredited reverberant labora-tory (AMCA Standard 300-08). Such uni-

Rethinking Classroom VentilationCAN A DECENTRALIzED SYSTEM MEET THE ACOUSTIC CHALLENGE?By Trish Holder

Freshman Sound Data for 1,000 cfm Airflow


tary equipment test data has not existed – until now.

Changing Minds with Sound DataDuring tests in an appropriately certi-

fied lab, the Freshman IQ performed at or below 35 dB(A) over a wide range fre-quencies, especially above 250 Hz. (It is generally well known and accepted by acoustic engineers that the 125-1000 Hz range is typically the most problematic in an HVAC system). ANSI/ASA S12.60-2010 for Classroom Acoustics, the latest volun-tary acoustic standard for schools, sets 35 dB(A) as the maximum allowable level of overall background noise (averaged over typical operational modes) in a classroom.

It is especially important to note that this data was collected in an accredited reverberant laboratory, designed and equipped to perform testing in accor-dance with AMCA Standard 300, Rever-berant room method for sound and AMCA Standard 210 for airflow performance.

The Freshman IQ was tested in this lab in accordance with the AHRI 260 testing method that is specifically referenced by the 2011 ASHRAE Applications Handbook.

“This is by far the most compelling and credible sound data collected on any unitary-type equipment thus far. As such, it opens the door for far greater flexibility in HVAC design (and comfort) for schools,” says Mark Long, Manager of Engineering at Changeair.

One particular school district chose the Freshman IQ not only for its smaller footprint, improved supply air distribu-tion and easier maintenance, but also the need to comply with the tough en-ergy efficiency and reduced operating sound requirements of The Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CHPS). More schools will surely follow as they seek to meet the high standards of ANSI/ASA S12.60-2010. »

One particular school district chose the Freshman IQ not only for its smaller footprint, improved

supply air distribution and easier maintenance, but also the need to comply with the tough

energy efficiency and reduced operating sound requirements of The Collaborative for High

Performance Schools (CHPS).


The weather outside may be frightful, but thanks to the trusty boiler, the weather inside is delightful – that is, if the equipment is in proper working order.

Invariably, most boiler breakdowns happen in winter, the full-force heating season. The good news: breakdowns are often avoid-able. And though it’s ideal to ensure a boiler is working properly before the cold of winter nestles in, it is better late than never.

Warning SignsThankfully, a boiler emits a few telltale warning signs that it’s

approaching its last legs. Solicit the help of a professional to de-termine whether the boiler can be fixed (be sure to use the proper replacement parts, in these instances) or if it needs to be replaced altogether. • Pressuregaugesshouldreadabovezeroandbelowtheredline.

Readings out of those parameters signal a problem.• An abnormally hot circulator pumpmotor signals amalfunc-

tion.• Any sort of leaking or dripping and a professional must be

called in.• Apilotlightnotignitingproperlymayindicateablockedvent

pipe. Cleaning may be in order. • Temperatureandpressurethatistoolowcouldsignalthatthe

vent damper is open or the inducer is stuck. Turning the breaker off and back on should fix the problem, but if it persists, the aquastat or boiler control may be broken.

• Itmaygowithoutsaying,buthereitisanyway:theheaterwillonly come on if the thermostat is set above room temperature. Call in the professionals if the heat does not come on when turned up past room temp. (Opting for a digital thermostat may be an asset here, as it offers more accurate readings.)Like any piece of heavy-duty equipment, boilers require regular

maintenance. Establish a routine safety inspection and test in ac-

cordance with the manufacturers’ recommendations and school board requirements, if one is not in place. Small investments on boiler maintenance and operator training today can prevent larg-er costs and possible accidents tomorrow.

Safe RemovalMost large commercial/industrial boilers can be dismantled

and removed in sections with the assistance of a boiler removal contractor. Boilers may then be reallocated or appropriately dis-posed of, depending on condition.

Asbestos may be a concern, depending on the age of the boiler; the toxic substance was widely used in construction prior to the late-1980s. Soliciting the help of an asbestos-abatement profes-sional is mandatory in situations where asbestos is (or may be) present, as exposure to even small amounts of the toxic substance can have adverse health affects over time.

In instances where asbestos is present, a professional will se-cure the area with enclosed plastic drop sheets to prevent con-tamination and then set up a negative-air pressure vacuum to service the area. In this system, clean air is actually drawn into the work area rather than contaminated air getting out, render-ing the neighbouring areas safe.

Rebates and Incentives Many conservation and renewable energy programs are offered

in Ontario by various levels of government, local electricity and natural gas utilities, and non-profit agencies, to name a few.

As an example, the Government of Canada ecoENERGY grant allots $750 toward the replacement of an old boiler for a high-efficiency gas or oil boiler (i.e. Energy Star 85% AFU or higher). Additionally, Enbridge Gas Distribution offers select rebates and incentive programs toward retrofits with efficient appliances and systems, including boilers. »

Index to Advertisers

Baby, It’s Cold OutsideKEEP THAT BOILER IN TIP-TOP SHAPE THIS WINTER SEASONBy Jillian Mitchell

Carma Industries Inc. 23

Casterland 20

Dafco Filtration Group 27

Delta Elevator 18

IBC Technologies 3 & 25

NR Murphy 29

PA Shop 7

Poly-Mor Canada Inc. 11

Reliable Controls Corporation IBC

Swish Maintenance OBC

System Air IFC

Viessman Manufacturing Company 19

www.reliablecontrols.com

professional performance reports

Extract intelligence from your archived building data and make informed operational decisions with Reliable Controls® RC-Reporter®. This fully customizable, server-based application allows you to analyse the trend data from any BACnet Internet-connected building, and generate professional performance reports, quickly and accurately.

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ChartingProfessional looking charts

Reliable Controls CorporationSASBO Ops Talk Magazine - - full page ad dimensions (single page full bleed [8.625” x 11.125”] trim size [8.375”x10.875”) - 11.03.14

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Ontario School Plant Manager Winter 2014