Saving energy
These photos celebrate some of our energy saving initiatives at BCIT. The energy saved in one year by the initiatives pictured in this exhibit is 954,000 ekWh. The equivalent renewable energy would take 4,770 solar panels to generate which would cost approximately $3,141,000.
Tackling demand vs. changing supply
Climate change is an imminent problem, and energy use, which contributes to greenhouse gas and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, plays a big role.
While media trumpets state-of-the art energy generation technologies, like solar panels, as solutions to reducing our emissions, these only address the supply side of the problem. This may green our energy, but it doesn’t reduce our energy consumption. It is in the demand side—energy use reduction—that we can also make an impact.
By implementing these less-touted energy efficiency and behavioural changes, in the next 20 years, we will have offset more CO2 in the world than all new wind, solar, and alternative generation methods combined. Globally, this represents about 40 percent of the total greenhouse gas reduction potential.
From very ordinary freezer curtains that prevent cold air loss, to solar canopies that redirect sunlight to light buildings, there are both simple, low cost solutions, as well as innovative technologies emerging that are helping us reduce energy consumption here at BCIT.
Initiatives
A look at our assumptions & calculations
For details on on how we arrived at the energy savings behind each of these initiatives, download our assumptions and calculations worksheet [PDF].