Queens has become the first university in Ontario to sign the University and College Presidents' Climate Change Statement of Action for Canada.
QBACC played a crucial role in pressuring the University to sign this agreement.The President's commitment requires the University to set quantitative greenhouse gas emission reduction targets.
QBACC is currently working with Queen's Sustinability Advisory Committee to develop appropriate targets and to ensure that Queen's keeps its committment.
Parliament has already passed the
Climate Change Accountability Act which is now making its way through the Senate. The Act sets ambitious national emissions reductions targets of 25% below 1990 levels by 2020 and 80% by 2050.
Queen's University has committed to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions through the University and College Presidents' Climate Change Statement of Action for Canada signed by Principal Woolf. As part of this agreement, a committee has been formed to determine quantitative greenhouse gas reduction targets for the university.
QBACC is prepared to help Queens meet their greenhouse gas reduction targets through energy conservation initiatives.This involves upgrading Queen's buildings with retrofits to ensure optimal energy-use on campus. Some examples of retrofits include:
-thermostats
-temperature monitoring systems
-light motion sensors
-improved insulation technology
The main advantage of supporting energy conservation through retrofits is long-term saving. Reducing the university's energy consumption can save Queens up to $5 million per annum.
The Preliminary Steps to our campaign
QBACC is researching other Canadian universities that have succeeded in bringing retrofits to their campuses. One of our options is to follow the University of British Columbia, which hired an engineering company (ESCO) to perform an energy audit. This energy assessment will tell us where retrofits are most needed, and which retrofits will be most effective in our buildings.
Ideally, we would purchase a mixture of retrofits-- retrofits that payback after 3 years will help fund other retrofits that payback after a longer period of time (approx. 10 years). After 10 years, the university will have paid for all of its retrofits and can begin saving money. Beyond this financial benefit, the main goal of retrofits is to conserve energy and reduce the University's carbon output.
QBACC is also in the process of building a campaign to raise awareness for this proposal and to show Queens administration that energy conservation and efficiency is a priority for Queens students.
If you have any comments or ideas to share, please email us at queensbacc_gmail.com
QBACC is a founding member of the Queen's Solar Coalition. The coalition is made up of representatives of all levels of student government with the goal of making Queen's into a solar campus.
Through the Ontario Government's feed-in-tariff (FIT) program under the Green Energy Act, Queen's University has the opportunity to sell the renewable energy it generates to the provincial power-grid. The FIT program sets rates at which the Government buys renewable energy, and it is specifically designed to be profitable to individuals and institutions who choose to invest in renewable energy projects.
By retrofitting its buildings with solar panels, Queen's can profit financially, become a leader in sustainability for universities across Canada, and take a political stance to fight climate change.
The Solar Coalition has been crucial in making solar panels a priority to Queen’s administration. As a result of our action, the University issued a Request for Information (RIF) to determine their options for PV-solar installation. In August, the university received 18 responses from companies that outlined potential financial models, designs, and PV installation systems for Queen'’s.
CURRENT STATUS
The proposals are now being reviewed by a committee that includes the VP of Facilities, Engineering Department, Physical Plant Services Department, and the Manager of the Sustainability Office. The results of the review (Request for a Proposal, RFP) were due by October 29th. The chosen proposal will go to the Board of Trustees to be reviewed this December.
In the RFP, there is the potential for the installation of solar PVs on approximately 75% of the available rooftop space at Queen’s as well as a ground-mounted system on approximately 80 acres of land.
The Solar Coalition’'s latest efforts to show our continual support for this project have included petitioning and distributing bag tags that spread the message of our solar campaign.
Visit www.qsolar.org to learn more about solar energy at Queen's.
Join the Facebook group “"Queen’s Solar Coalition"” to show your support.
