Green Technology
Reducing our environmental impact, decreasing costs and increasing safety on our campuses—innovative green technologies are strategically implemented across the university
These technologies help the university work towards its greenhouse gas reduction target of
17%
below 2005 levels by 2020
The Energy Management and Sustainable Operations (EMSO) team collaborates with researchers and faculty to continuously find new ways to implement these innovative technologies on our campuses
Our Interactive Project Map
Stroll through our campuses using our Interactive Project Map! Learn about renewable and alternative energy installations, zero waste, water efficiency upgrades and more.
Open MapFeatured projects
Solar photovoltaic
Agriculture and Forestry Atrium | 2017
Solar photovoltaic panels gather sunlight and convert it into electricity. In the Agriculture and Forestry Building atrium, energy efficient glass panes were embedded with translucent photovoltaic (PV) panels which generate power for the building.
Open PDFThe exceptional shape of the building required planning to map out the panels, especially in regards to how snow would land on the exterior.
Parkade LED lighting retrofit
Southfield Car Park | 2017
With new paint and energy efficient LEDs, the lighting in Southfield Car Park was drastically improved while also reducing energy consumption. The university received a 2017 Lighting Energy Efficiency in Parking award for Exemplary Higher Education Parking Facility for this work.
Open PDFBrighter lights, fresh paint and a cleaner space all contribute to the users feeling safer.
Solar photovoltaic with battery storage
Augustana Miquelon Lake Research Station | 2017
The Augustana Miquelon Lake Research Station contains a residential space and a laboratory for research and educational purposes. The station features a 12 kWh battery bank that connects to solar photovoltaic (PV) panels on the station's south-facing roof as well as the electrical grid.
Open PDF View Current LevelsSolar photovoltaic can be easy! The installation was fast and the project ran smoothly.
LED lighting retrofit
Human Ecology Building | 2017
Prior to the retrofit, lighting in the Human Ecology Building was responsible for 20 per cent of the electricity consumed and often did not meet users' needs in terms of lighting consistency. The retrofit replaced all incandescent and fluorescent bulbs with LEDs.
Open PDFThe project took four weeks but would have only taken one if ballasts hadn't needed replacing.
Aircuity®
Katz Group Centre, Li Ka Shing Centre, Centennial Centre for Interdisciplinary Science and Natural Resources Engineering Facility | 2016
An Aircuity® system continuously monitors air quality and occupancy in laboratories and informs the building ventilation system of the appropriate levels of fresh air to provide. Upgrading helps to save energy, optimize facilities, improve safety and reduce our carbon footprint.
Open PDFIn 2016, Aircuity® was piloted in four buildings. The estimated savings was considerable.
- Katz Group Centre: 6,472 tonnes of CO2 emissions
- Li Ka Shing Centre: 3,582 tonnes of CO2 emissions
- Centennial Centre for Interdisciplinary Science: 933 tonnes of CO2 emissions
- Natural Resources Engineering Facility: 2,353 tonnes of CO2 emissions
Since 2016, the number of Aircuity® installations has increased across North Campus.
Water efficient fixture upgrades
General Services Building | 2015-2016
Water efficiency reduces water use without compromising performance. Upgrading the valves and faucets in the General Services Building saved an estimated $4,040 per year in utility costs. These efficient fixtures were installed before water efficiency requirements became part of the plumbing code used in Alberta.
Open PDFSchedule installations where maintenance is already taking place to reduce labour time.
People counters
North Campus | 2015
Thermal sensors monitor movement to determine how frequently a space is used. Knowing which areas are frequently used and which are not allows the university to reduce energy, allocate staff resources to higher use areas, minimize unnecessary costs and identify space opportunities.
Open PDFSensors in confined spaces or at entrances require calibration to work correctly in those conditions.
Turbine generator
Li Ka Shing Centre | 2014
A turbine generator reduces the temperature and pressure of steam delivered to the Li Ka Shing Centre by the University of Alberta’s District Energy System (DES). This decreases mechanical equipment maintenance costs, while also generating electricity.
Open PDFOptimal performance depends on selecting equipment that is appropriately sized for the job.
Solar photovoltaic
Agriculture and Forestry Atrium | 2017
Solar photovoltaic panels gather sunlight and convert it into electricity. In the Agriculture and Forestry Building atrium, energy efficient glass panes were embedded with translucent photovoltaic (PV) panels which generate power for the building.
The exceptional shape of the building required planning to map out the panels, especially in regards to how snow would land on the exterior.
Parkade LED lighting retrofit Southfield Car Park | 2017
With new paint and energy efficient LEDs, the lighting in Southfield Car Park was drastically improved while also reducing energy consumption. The university received a 2017 Lighting Energy Efficiency in Parking award for Exemplary Higher Education Parking Facility for this work.
Brighter lights, fresh paint and a cleaner space all contribute to the users feeling safer.
Solar photovoltaic with battery storage
Augustana Miquelon Lake Research Station | 2017
The Augustana Miquelon Lake Research Station contains a residential space and a laboratory for research and educational purposes. The station features a 12 kWh battery bank that connects to solar photovoltaic (PV) panels on the station's south-facing roof as well as the electrical grid.
Solar photovoltaic can be easy! The installation was fast and the project ran smoothly.
LED lighting retrofit
Human Ecology Building | 2017
Prior to the retrofit, lighting in the Human Ecology Building was responsible for 20 per cent of the electricity consumed and often did not meet users' needs in terms of lighting consistency. The retrofit replaced all incandescent and fluorescent bulbs with LEDs.
The project took four weeks but would have only taken one if ballasts hadn't needed replacing.
Aircuity®
Katz Group Centre, Li Ka Shing Centre, Centennial Centre for Interdisciplinary Science and Natural Resources Engineering Facility | 2016
An Aircuity® system continuously monitors air quality and occupancy in laboratories and informs the building ventilation system of the appropriate levels of fresh air to provide. Upgrading helps to save energy, optimize facilities, improve safety and reduce our carbon footprint.
In 2016, Aircuity® was piloted in four buildings. The estimated savings was considerable.
- Katz Group Centre: 6,472 tonnes of CO2 emissions
- Li Ka Shing Centre: 3,582 tonnes of CO2 emissions
- Centennial Centre for Interdisciplinary Science: 933 tonnes of CO2 emissions
- Natural Resources Engineering Facility: 2,353 tonnes of CO2 emissions
Since 2016, the number of Aircuity® installations has increased across North Campus.
Water efficient fixture upgrades
General Services Building | 2015-2016
Water efficiency reduces water use without compromising performance. Upgrading the valves and faucets in the General Services Building saved an estimated $4,040 per year in utility costs. These efficient fixtures were installed before water efficiency requirements became part of the plumbing code used in Alberta.
Schedule installations where maintenance is already taking place to reduce labour time.
People counters
North Campus | 2015
Thermal sensors monitor movement to determine how frequently a space is used. Knowing which areas are frequently used and which are not allows the university to reduce energy, allocate staff resources to higher use areas, minimize unnecessary costs and identify space opportunities.
Sensors in confined spaces or at entrances require calibration to work correctly in those conditions.
Turbine generator
Li Ka Shing Centre | 2014
A turbine generator reduces the temperature and pressure of steam delivered to the Li Ka Shing Centre by the University of Alberta’s District Energy System (DES). This decreases mechanical equipment maintenance costs, while also generating electricity.
Optimal performance depends on selecting equipment that is appropriately sized for the job.
Contact us!
Have a question about one of our innovative green technology projects or do you have a project of your own you’d like to share? We’d love to hear from you. Contact us at emso@ualberta.ca.