A reminder to unplug! Turn off computers and appliances before the long weekend
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York community members are reminded to switch off and unplug before leaving for the Canada Day long weekend. It is also a good time to remind others in your area about the importance of shutting down computers, lights, small office or kitchen appliances and other personal electronics before leaving the office.
This simple gesture can yield tremendous results, given that staff and faculty operate more than 8,000 computers, and together the Keele and Glendon campuses have more than 140,000 internal lights.
The ability to shut down certain electrical devices will vary depending on departmental requirements.
Hany Farag, an associate professor in the Lassonde School of Engineering, is powering up and it has nothing to do with video games. While Farag, who teaches in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science may like video games, it’s the questions associated with sustainability of electrifying the transit network that feed his passion.
Hany Farag
A researcher at York University, Farag is exploring what the implications are of a fully electrified (that means no gasoline or diesel) bus transit system would mean for municipalities. How would power utilities support the demand for electricity that is required to power battery-based buses? What are the reliability factors for keeping buses going during peak demand times? Would an on-demand “instant” charge system be better over an overnight trickle charge system, or is there an optimal combination of both that could be built?
To answer these questions Farag applied for and received $200,000 (research funds and in-kind) for a two-year study into what the impacts of a full-battery powered electric bus transit network on Ontario’s electricity grid. The grant, awarded under the Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) Conservation Fund, will support his research as principal investigator into the demand response and load restrictions associated with a fully electrified bus transit system and offer a strategic, research-based roadmap for municipalities seeking to ditch traditional fuel powered buses for the more environmentally friendly, clean technology of electric buses. This is the first study of its kind to document, model and assess the myriad of variables associated with changing over the transit network.
“The key challenge for municipalities is how to support the infrastructure needed for electric buses and what the impact will be on the power grid,” says Farag. “The idea that all buses in the future could be fully electrified is wonderful, but how much energy will be needed over the next 15 years? This research project will help the IESO and stakeholders to strategically plan the conversion to electrified buses, the best combination of battery-powered vehicles and the infrastructure to support electrifying transit systems.”
Farag’s research could result in a paradigm shift for municipalities interested in moving away from gasoline- and diesel-powered vehicles and to the more cost-efficient battery-powered versions. As well, there are huge benefits associated with improving air quality by electrifying the transit network.
This graphic illustrates the difference between an instant on route style of charging batteries (right) versus and overnight system of charging batteries (left). Image courtesy of H. Farag
The research will explore the two types of battery-based buses currently in use, says Farag. The first features a slow, overnight charging system, where the battery-powered buses return to a central hub and connect to the grid. This system offers many advantages, says Farag, in that most of the buses could be charged during off-peak times. The disadvantages are that the batteries are larger and heavier, which means a greater load on the bus. This system is the preferred option for most municipalities in that the demand on the grid is more economical.
The second type of vehicle uses a system of instant charging, meaning vehicles use an overhead hook up to quickly charge batteries at “stations” located at strategic points along their routes, says Farag. The batteries are smaller and lighter, which reduces the load on the bus, but an infrastructure investment is needed to build charging stations at select points on the route. The overall demand on the grid is less in that the batteries charge in a fraction of the time, but there’s also a question about how long a quick-charge bus can travel before needing a recharge and what happens during peak demand times, periods of harsh weather, passenger loads and more.
There are also many questions associated with the lifespan of instant charge batteries versus the longer, slower overnight charge batteries, and the costs associated with maintaining a network of instant charge stations, notes Farag.
“The emerging technologies of electric buses and their associated charging systems have created a new transportation-energy matrix, which is incomprehensible to transit and power stakeholders,” says Farag. “Neither the transit operators nor the power suppliers have any idea of what the best way or what the optimal blend would be for powering electric buses.”
In the project, Farag and a team of researchers will work in collaboration with industry and municipal partners to model, simulate, analyze and optimize the performance of electrical bus systems and the associated charging stations. The team will work with Alectra Inc., an energy solution provider for the Greater Golden Horseshoe Area of Ontario. (The communities in the Alectra grid are Hamilton-Wentworth, Peel Region, Simcoe County and York Region and municipalities in the study area are Aurora, Richmond Hill, Vaughan, Brampton, Hamilton and St. Catharines.) Using transit networks and charging systems data, the team will develop a simulation-design model (some computer gaming may be at play here for the team) to investigate the technical opportunities and economic viability for different configurations of electrical bus systems, including both the quick-charge and overnight options. From this comprehensive analysis and modelling, they will develop a plan to replace existing diesel buses in each of the identified transit systems in the area.
As part of the investigation, Farag and the academic team will study the costs and implications at a local, regional and provincial level. To do the research, the team will make use of the latest engineering tools to investigate the conservation options and barriers for the adoption of electrical bus systems in different transit fleet sizes in Ontario.
This map shows the impacts of transit bus electrification on the Alectra distribution network. Image supplied by Alectra Inc.
“This is really the first study to integrate both electrified bus operational feasibility and its integration with utility grids in a unified research project,” says Farag, noting that the multidimensional approach will assist municipalities to power up their transit systems in a strategic, informed manner. The results will have major impacts not only for transit providers, but for mitigating climate change at a local, regional, provincial and national level.
In addition to working with the municipalities in the study area and Alectra Inc. Farag is also drawing on the homegrown expertise in Campus Services & Business Operations (CSBO), which is partnering in the study. CSBO will be contributing expertise provided by Brad Cochrane, CSBO’s director of energy management, and Helen Psathas, CSBO’s director of campus planning and development.
The knowledge gained from the study “Impacts of Full Battery-Based Electric Transit Bus Systems on Ontario Electrical Grid” will be shared through two public webinars, two conference presentations, three peer-reviewed journal articles and one stakeholder workshop at York University’s Keele Campus, along with regular project updates in YFile.
CSBO Grounds crew help the University’s efforts to achieve a low carbon campus
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Grounds crew members show off the new equipment
An initiative piloted by the Grounds crew in Campus Services & Business Operations (CSBO) at York University will see equipment powered by gas and diesel fuel replaced with electrically powered alternatives. The effort will improve air quality, reduce noise pollution, benefit the health of York University employees. The move to electric power will help the University to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions at both the Keele and Glendon Campuses.
Grounds has recently purchased 49 new pieces of equipment, including a full line of push mowers, handheld leaf blowers, trimmers, hedge trimmers and chain saws. In 2017, a three-year goal was established to replace all the equipment (more than 100 units), and the initiative is a year ahead of the scheduled plan to meet these targets.
“There are many benefits to converting to battery powered equipment. These include zero emissions, no fuel consumption and less maintenance for engine parts. The equipment will be much quieter a benefit outside of classrooms or residences,” said Tim Haagsma, manager of Grounds, Fleet & Waste Management, CSBO. “This will also benefit the health and well-being of the Grounds staff, as there are no toxic fumes and the equipment is lighter.”
For more information about this initiative, contact Haagsma at thaagsma@yorku.ca or 416-736-2100, ext. 20303.
A reminder to unplug! Turn off computers and appliances before the long weekend
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York community members are reminded to switch off and unplug before leaving for the Victoria Day long weekend. It is also a good time to remind others in your area about the importance of shutting down computers, lights, small office or kitchen appliances and other personal electronics before leaving the office.
This simple gesture can yield tremendous results, given that staff and faculty operate more than 8,000 computers, and together the Keele and Glendon campuses have more than 140,000 internal lights.
The ability to shut down certain electrical devices will vary depending on departmental requirements.
York University is one Canada’s Greenest Employers for sixth consecutive time
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How does an institution like York University become one of Canada’s Greenest Employers for the sixth consecutive time? By reducing annual electrical consumption by 34,730,786 kWh, saving $5M in utilities every year, and recycling 3,705,780 kilograms of waste, for starters.
In the 11 years since the Canada’s Greenest Employers competition began, York University has landed on the list of Canada’s Top 100 Employers for sustainability initiatives more than half the time. York University is one of only eight out of close to 100 universities across Canada to win a spot at the top.
As a leader in sustainability, the University has embarked on several environmentally friendly initiatives that alter the footprint of campus buildings, such as five green roofs, the use of PV solar panels, the collection of rainwater, a solar powered electric vehicle charging station, and the LEED Gold certified Bergeron Centre for Engineering Excellence. Three more buildings are also LEED certified.
York University’s sustainability highlights:
As a long-time member of Smart Commute, York University has successfully reduced the use of single occupant vehicles to campus from 70 per cent to 20 per cent;
York University’s ZeroWaste program diverts 68 per cent of waste from landfills;
York University has the largest and first of its kind Faculty of Environmental Studies;
The new Eco Campus in Costa Rica next to the largest rainforest ecosystem in Centre America;
York University offers more than 500 courses that relate to environmental and sustainability studies;
York University’s campuses offer 22 kilometres of walking paths and more than 200 gardens, including the 2,000-sq-ft Maloca Community Garden; and
Water refill stations across the University’s campuses replaced disposable water bottles.
York U celebrates installation of ‘boiler of the future’
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Energy management was a hot topic on Friday, March 2 when the York University community marked the installation of the University’s first new boiler at the Keele Campus in more than 45 years.
Brad Cochrane, York’s director of energy management; Nancy Simoneau, owner and president of Groupe Simoneau; Carol McAualay, York’s vice-president finance and administration; and Richard Francki, York’s assistant vice-president CSBOThe “Nomad” boiler
The new boiler, which produces 100,000 lbs/hr of steam, replaces two 1960s-era boilers (boiler 1 and boiler 2) as part of the larger$17.4-million Central Utilities and Co-generation Upgrades project, and was the subject of a ribbon-cutting ceremony held in the Central Utilities Building (CUB).
“In 2016, York successfully applied for and was granted federal and provincial subsidy grants in support of the ongoing renovation of this Central Utilities Building,” said Carol McAulay, York University’s vice-president finance and administration. “I would like to acknowledge the federal and provincial contribution of almost $10 million towards this project, as well as York’s own investment of over $7 million.”
Replacing a boiler is not as simple as one might expect, however, and the journey was likened to “overhauling an airplane while in flight” by Richard Francki, York University’s assistant vice-president of Campus Services and Business Operations (CSBO), who said “in our case, the airplane is full of students and staff, we are in the middle of winter and we suffered the equivalent of a massive lightning strike.”
As the energy management team organized the roll-out of the CUB’s multi-faceted upgrade project, it had to devise a plan to keep services functioning on campus – providing steam (heat) and chilled water to the University during the overhaul of the plant, as well as electrical power.
“That was a little tricky,” said Francki, “because much of the infrastructure was being addressed.”
Boiler 4, considered the ‘workhorse’ for the campus, was out of commission while the team worked to replace the control systems and address deficiencies. Boilers 1 and 2 were demolished; boiler 3 was aging; and boilers 5 and 6 were shut down during the replacement of the gas turbines.
Blueprints from the original 1906s-era boilers
“So we were down to a very thin margin of boiler capacity as we came into this winter season,” he said. “Boiler 3 was really the principal boiler, and 5 and 6 came online as the gas turbines were reinstated.”
And then in December, CUB suffered a major electrical fault in one of its substations. Already in a situation of reduced capacity, the team reinstated boiler 4 and successfully continued to provide all of the vital services to the University.
Francki also noted the team was up against an aggressive deadline to select and procure a new boiler, and commended the work of Brad Cochrane, York’s director of energy management, for making swift work with Groupe Simoneau, who undertook to modify and ship the new boiler from Montreal to Toronto.
Nancy Simoneau, president and owner of Canadian boiler manufacturer Groupe Simoneau, addressed the crowd and commended York University for “standing behind its core mission that is developing tomorrow’s talent and future.”
The energy efficient “Nomad” boiler, she said, will operate for the first time at its full-rated capacity, and together with engineering students, Groupe Simoneau will monitor and evaluate its performance and efficiency for the next 10 years.
“Today, two Canadian organizations have teamed together to achieve the common goal of pushing further the standard of clean energy production by manufacturing and installing the boiler of the future,” said Simoneau, who also applauded York University for working with a female-owned company.
“York is the kind of organization we should be looking at when it comes to having a positive influence on our Canadian society,” she said.
The women highlighted for their contributions to the project
With the event leading up to International Women’s Day, Simoneau was among a group of women highlighted for their contributions to the project, including:
staff from CEM Engineering who were involved in the application process and conceptual design;
welding staff from Trade-Mark Industrial who worked on installation of the boiler;
staff from Lakeside Process Controls involved with boiler controls and commissioning;
electricians from both Marcomm and Rondar Inc.; and
Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change abatement Officer Linda Cioffi, who reviewed the updated air permit for the project.
For more on the energy management at York University, visit the website.
By YFile Deputy Editor Ashley Goodfellow Craig
AMPD honours ‘Offshore’ documentary creator at inaugural research celebration, Feb. 14
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A screen grab from Brenda Longfellow’s interactive documentary Offshore
The School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design (AMPD) at York University will honour one of its own during the inaugural AMPD Research Celebration on Feb. 14.
Brenda Longfellow
Cinema & Media Arts Professor Brenda Longfellow will be presented with the AMPD Research Award in recognition of her outstanding work.
An accomplished documentary filmmaker, Longfellow’s films have been screened and broadcast internationally. She recently launched the interactive web documentary Offshore, funded by the Social Sciences & Humanities Research Council of Canada, and co-directed with Glen Richards and Helios Design Lab. Offshore can be viewed at offshore-interactive.com/site.
As part of the research celebration, Longfellow will present a keynote talk and screening of her latest film, Offshore. In her talk, titled “Petromelancholia: Offshore, Digital Activism and the Representational Challenge of Ecological Disaster,” Longfellow will speak about the interactive documentary. The film explores the next chapter of oil exploration, taking viewers hundreds of miles offshore and thousands of feet below the ocean floor where the hazards are immense, but the profits are bigger. Offshore exposes the catastrophic consequences when something goes wrong.
A screen grab from Brenda Longfellow’s interactive documentary Offshore
The presentation and lecture will take place in the Mirkopoulos Theatre, 004 Accolade East Building, Keele Campus. A reception will follow in the CIBC Lobby.
Offshore is the latest production in a storied career. Longfellow’s work has won a slew of prestigious awards, including: the Audience Award for Best Experimental Film for Dead Ducks at the Santa Cruz Film Festival (2011); a Bronze Remi Award for Weather Report at the Houston Film Festival (2008); Best Cultural Documentary for Tina in Mexico at the Havana International Film Festival (2002); a Canadian Genie for Shadowmaker/ Gwendolyn MacEwen, Poet (1998); and the Grand Prix at Oberhausen for Our Marilyn (1988). Other films include Gerda (1992), A Balkan Journey (1996) and Carpe Diem (2010).
She has also published articles on documentary, feminist film theory and Canadian cinema in Public, CineTracts, Screen and the Journal of Canadian Film Studies. She is a co-editor (with Scott MacKenzie and Tom Waugh) of the anthology The Perils of Pedagogy: The Works of John Greyson (2013) and Gendering the Nation: Canadian Women Filmmakers (1992).
All are welcome to attend.
Join a carpool during National Carpool Week, Feb. 5 to 9
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February 5 to 9 is National Carpool Week.
Are you interested in carpooling but unable to find a carpool partner?
The Smart Commute North Toronto, Vaughan (Smart Commute NTV) Program at York University can help you find a carpool partner.
Smart Commute NTV provides one-on-one support to help you find a carpool match through the Smart Commute Tool, which is the the program’s ride-matching website. The tool can help you to find a carpool partner from a specific campus or from other workplaces nearby. It takes into account individual schedules, locations and needs.
Carpooling can reduce commuting stress while saving time and money. Sign up by Feb. 7 to get started.
Do you already participate in a carpool? If so, visit the Smart Commute NTV website to log your trips. You can enter a contest to win a $500 VIA Rail Travel Voucher. Learn more about the contest here.
Join a carpool during National Carpool Week, Feb. 5 to 9
Share
February 5 to 9 is National Carpool Week.
Are you interested in carpooling but unable to find a carpool partner?
The Smart Commute North Toronto, Vaughan (Smart Commute NTV) Program at York University can help you find a carpool partner.
Smart Commute NTV provides one-on-one support to help you find a carpool match through the Smart Commute Tool, which is the the program’s ride-matching website. The tool can help you to find a carpool partner from a specific campus or from other workplaces nearby. It takes into account individual schedules, locations and needs.
Carpooling can reduce commuting stress while saving time and money. Sign up by Feb. 7 to get started.
Do you already participate in a carpool? If so, visit the Smart Commute NTV website to log your trips. You can enter a contest to win a $500 VIA Rail Travel Voucher. Learn more about the contest here.
A reminder to unplug! Turn off computers and appliances before leaving for the holiday break
Share
York community members are reminded to switch off and unplug before leaving for the holiday break. It is also a good time to remind others in your area about the importance of shutting down computers, lights, small office or kitchen appliances and other personal electronics before leaving the office.
This simple gesture can yield tremendous results, given that staff and faculty operate more than 8,000 computers, and together the Keele and Glendon campuses have more than 140,000 internal lights.
The ability to shut down certain electrical devices will vary depending on departmental requirements.
ving for the Canada Day long weekend. It is also a good time to remind others in your area about the importance of shutting down computers, lights, small office or kitchen appliances and other personal electronics before leaving the office.
How does an institution like York University become one of Canada’s Greenest Employers for the sixth consecutive time? By reducing annual electrical consumption by 34,730,786 kWh, saving $5M in utilities every year, and recycling 3,705,780 kilograms of waste, for starters.
