HomeMy WebLinkAboutOPS 04-25Report to
Executive Committee
Report Number: OPS 04-25
Date: March 3, 2025
From: Brian Duffield
Director, Operations
Subject: 2024 - 2029 Corporate Energy Management Plan
- File: A-1440
Recommendation:
1. That Report OPS 04-25 regarding the 2024 - 2029 Corporate Energy Management Plan
(CEMP), prepared by IndEco Strategic Consulting Inc., be endorsed;
2. That recommendations from the 2024 - 2029 CEMP be considered, along with other
municipal priorities, through future annual municipal plans and budget processes;
3. That staff annually report back to Council on the progress of the implementation of the
CEMP and the energy management program; and,
4. That the appropriate officials of the City of Pickering be authorized to take the necessary
actions as indicated in this report.
Executive Summary: The purpose of this report is to meet the City’s regulatory
requirements for a five-year update to the CEMP as required by Ontario Regulation 25/23. The
2024 - 2029 CEMP provides a roadmap for planning and decision-marking for the next phase
of the City of Pickering’s Corporate Energy Management Program. The CEMP builds on the
previous plan, provides a framework for tangible strategies and actions, and aligns with
relevant endorsed plans and studies. City staff across departments collaborated to provide
insights and help shape the goals and objectives for energy management through to the year
2029.
Newly introduced CEMP Focus Areas will transition towards a more prescriptive and strategic
approach in the plan, to better align with the City’s 2024-2028 Corporate Strategic Plan.
Collaboration will continue as the CEMP Focus Areas are refined over the next five years.
Ontario Regulation 25/23 requires that the City prepare an energy plan every five years and
annually reports on energy use and greenhouse gas emissions to the province.
The CEMP is a living document that aligns with the City’s Environmental Stewardship &
Resiliency strategic priority, including frameworks to demonstrate environmental leadership
and innovation, as well as building environmental and infrastructure resilience through
proactive climate change mitigation and adaptation measures.
OPS 04-25 March 3, 2025
Subject: 2024 to 2029 Corporate Energy Management Plan Page 2
Relationship to the Pickering Strategic Plan: The recommendations in this report respond
to the Pickering Strategic Plan Priority of Lead & Advocate Environmental Stewardship,
Innovation & Resiliency.
Financial Implications: There are no direct financial implications from endorsing the CEMP.
Any costs from recommended actions would be considered through subsequent budget
submissions.
Discussion: The purpose of this report is to meet the City’s regulatory requirements for a
five-year update to the CEMP as required by Ontario Regulation 25/23. Municipal governments
play a critical role in addressing climate change by investing in infrastructure and programs
that build more resilient communities. The City’s energy management practices help to reduce
energy use and operational costs, and demonstrate a commitment to long-term climate action,
resilient development and environmental sustainability.
A. Overview of the 2019 - 2024 Results:
Over the period of 2018 to 2023, corporate building energy use decreased by approximately 1
percent and greenhouse gas emissions increased by approximately 19 percent. The increase
in emissions was due to corporate facilities-related natural gas usage increasing by 11 percent
and increased use of natural gas plants by the electrical utility to produce electricity.
Energy use and greenhouse gas emissions were analyzed and provided the following insights:
• 5 of the City’s major facilities produce 84 percent of its overall greenhouse gas
emissions. These are the Chestnut Hill Developments Recreation Complex, Don Beer
Arena, Civic Complex, Operations Centre, and Dunbarton Indoor Pool.
o Providing summer ice at Don Beer Arena increased its annual greenhouse gas
emissions by over 50 percent. Operating summer ice at Chestnut Hill
Developments Recreation Complex’ O’Brien ice pad may be more energy
efficient due to its newer equipment.
65 percent of corporate emissions were due to facilities, and the remaining 35 percent was due
to corporate fleet vehicles.
Various energy conservation measures were implemented during this period, resulting in
cumulative savings of 19,865 gigajoules of energy to 2024, which is equivalent to removing
10,455 cars off the road.
B. Development of the 2024 - 2029 Plan:
The City retained the services of IndEco Strategic Consulting Inc. to facilitate the development
of the updated CEMP, including stakeholder engagement. IndEco Strategic Consulting Inc.
also prepared the City of Pickering’s 2014 - 2019 CEMP. The CEMP covers related
plans/standards, helps track the current state of progress, denotes challenges and
opportunities, recommends targets and goals, identifies financial considerations, and serves as
OPS 04-25 March 3, 2025
Subject: 2024 to 2029 Corporate Energy Management Plan Page 3
a mechanism to strategic discussion by maintaining Focus Areas with actions for further
consultation, development and implementation.
The CEMP and its Focus Areas form a “living document” and will be used to guide broader
decision-making processes for energy management and greenhouse gas emission reduction
initiatives. Note that the referenced Focus Areas are presented as summary information on the
topics described below and in the 2024 CEMP but will also be expanded upon over the 5-year
action window of the plan as more trend information and research data becomes available.
These new Focus Areas mark a transition to a more prescriptive, data-driven approach to
strategic long-term planning for energy use, to help inform other decision-making processes.
Previous CEMP documents focused primarily on more abstract, high-level objectives. As the
City’s awareness and knowledge base of related issues continues to mature, the CEMP must
likewise transition towards more precise, achievable and measurable goals. Each of the newly
introduced Focus Areas is a means by which to achieve this for distinct topic areas, each
relating to energy management.
By declaring a climate emergency at its meeting on December 16, 2019 (Resolution #182/19),
the City of Pickering committed to energy conservation and greenhouse gas reduction as a
critical component of its operations. Leveraging best practices and technology, the City can
continue to effectively integrate energy management and greenhouse gas reduction into its
operations.
Analysis of existing energy reduction opportunities shows that many of the readily available
cost-effective energy-saving measures have already been implemented. Further reduction may
require more complex, costly, or intrusive actions. Many of the City’s facilities are also nearing
the end of their serviceable life, making further energy reduction measures economically
unfeasible. In 2019, the City endorsed Durham Region’s draft Community Energy Plan in
principle (Resolution #44/19). Under the Community Energy Plan, Durham Region’s targets
are reductions from 2007 levels of 5 percent by 2015, 20 percent by 2020 and 80 percent by
2050. To further energy and greenhouse gas emission reductions, five key Focus Areas are
included in the CEMP, highlighting focus areas for the duration of the plan. Refinement and
implementation of the topics addressed by these Focus Areas will facilitate future energy and
greenhouse gas emission reduction decisions and actions.
C. Focus Area 1 – Analytics:
Availability of current energy use and greenhouse gas emission data remains limited and will
continue to be improved, including streamlining and optimizing tools for its collection. This
Focus Area will consider the current state of data, available resources, future state and
process improvement measures. Improving data availability and quality will promote more
rigorous analysis and improve decision-making processes.
OPS 04-25 March 3, 2025
Subject: 2024 to 2029 Corporate Energy Management Plan Page 4
D. Focus Area 2 – Carbon Tracking:
Carbon tracking, sometimes referred to as carbon budgeting, is a tool to monitor greenhouse
gas emissions patterns and trends, with the goal of facilitating emission reduction. Carbon
tracking is available in varying degrees of complexity, and the future model under this Focus
Area will be created in consultation with relevant City staff and stakeholders.
E. Focus Area 3 – Corporate Building Standard:
The City has adopted standards such as LEED® Silver and its equivalents, as well as
developing its own Integrated Sustainable Design Standards, but these respective standards
have limitations for high performing corporate buildings. The CEMP recommends development
of a Corporate Building Standard specific to City facilities to provide a tailored approach
towards high performing corporate buildings. It will be built on the following design principles:
• ensuring specific spatial programming, psychological needs and user comfort of building
occupants and visitors are addressed, including accessibility, equity and diversity
considerations;
• designing building systems, materials, and technologies to be mutually supportive;
• meeting environmental performance targets in a financially sustainable manner; and,
• making use of streamlined systems that are designed for long operational life and lower
maintenance costs and designing buildings to achieve an efficient form factor.
The Corporate Building Standard will consider setting performance criteria for City facilities,
including energy modeling requirements to monitor and control building design, life cycle
costing requirements, and resiliency planning, as well as ensuring their coordination with other
key design criteria.
F. Focus Area 4 – Carbon Reduction Plan:
The Carbon Reduction Plan shows current and projected greenhouse gas emissions based on
future potential options. Changes can result from the addition, modification, or removal of
facilities capital assets, including new and upgraded buildings, operational changes, possibly
extending to change of use. It also provides an overview of available methodologies to lower
energy use and greenhouse gas emissions, informing staff recommendations for consideration
as part of future capital budget planning.
G. Focus Area 5 – Fleet Decarbonization:
In 2023, 35 percent of the City’s greenhouse gas emissions resulted from fleet vehicle fossil
fuel consumption. Similar to corporate buildings, reductions in greenhouse gas emissions for
fleet vehicles will inevitably be required. This Focus Area will consider available market
solutions and processes to reduce fleet greenhouse gas emissions and electric vehicle
charging stations.
OPS 04-25 March 3, 2025
Subject: 2024 to 2029 Corporate Energy Management Plan Page 5
To ensure the requirements of the CEMP and its Focus Areas will be attainable, future
consultation with stakeholder departments will be undertaken and their feedback incorporated
into revised Focus Areas. As part of the staff recommendation, authorization is being
requested to allow the Director, Operations to update and approve the Focus Areas of the
CEMP to accommodate for future energy and greenhouse gas emission reduction decisions
and actions based on corporate priorities, available incentives, and financial and staff
resources. When Focus Areas are updated and approved, they will be included in the annual
report back to Council along with the results of CEMP implementation and overall state of the
City’s CEMP.
Attachment:
1. 2024 - 2029 Corporate Energy Management Plan
Prepared By: Approved/Endorsed By:
Original Signed By: Original Signed By:
Brian Duffield Stan Karwowski
Director, Operations Director, Finance & Treasurer
Original Signed By:
Robin Thornton, CEM, CMVP, LEED® AP BD+C
Supervisor, Energy Management
Original Signed By:
Dennis Yip, P.Eng., PMP®, CEM, LEED® AP
Manager, Facilities Capital Projects
OPS 04-25 March 3, 2025
Subject: 2024 to 2029 Corporate Energy Management Plan Page 6
Original Signed By:
Vince Plouffe, OAA, MRAIC
Division Head, Operations Services
BD:dy
Recommended for the consideration
of Pickering City Council
Original Signed By:
Marisa Carpino, M.A.
Chief Administrative Officer
2024-2029
Corporate Energy Management Plan City of Pickering
www.pickering.ca
Attachment 1 to Report OPS 04-25
MESSAGE FROM OUR
MAYOR
As we look forward to another year of exciting
growth and opportunity in the City of
Pickering, I’m pleased to share our 2024-2029
Corporate Energy Management Plan (CEMP),
a key initiative that will help us continue to
lead in sustainability and climate action.
In recent years, it has become increasingly
clear that climate change is no longer a distant concern. From wildfires, heatwaves, to
the recent floodings across Ontario, the impacts are being felt. Our residents,
businesses, and stakeholders are increasingly concerned, and together, we’re
committed to addressing these concerns through real, actionable steps.
Sustainability and energy management have always been at the heart of our planning
and decision-making in Pickering. The CEMP builds on our community's past
successes, providing a roadmap for the next phase of energy management, one that
evolves alongside advancing technologies, policies, and ongoing growth.
From the installation of electric vehicle charging stations and high-efficiency modulating
condensing boilers to the creation of the new Pickering Heritage and Community Centre
— our first net-zero carbon facility — and other forward-thinking projects, we are taking
significant strides toward a resilient, low-carbon future.
Through this updated plan, we are reaffirming our commitment to a sustainable future,
ensuring that our energy management practices are aligned with our long-term goals for
environmental stewardship, economic growth, and the well-being of our residents.
I invite you to explore the 2024-2029 Corporate Energy Management Plan, where we
outline our bold and ambitious strategy to reduce energy consumption, lower
greenhouse gas emissions, and chart a course for a greener future.
Together, we can continue to build a City that not only thrives today but also ensures a
healthier, more sustainable tomorrow for all who call Pickering home.
Yours Truly,
Kevin Ashe
Mayor, City of Pickering
MESSAGE FROM OUR CAO
It is with immense pride and excitement that
I introduce the City of Pickering’s Corporate
Energy Management Plan. This initiative
represents a key milestone in our
commitment to a more sustainable and
environmentally responsible future—one
that ensures the well-being of our
community today and for generations to
come.
In December 2023, Pickering Council endorsed the City’s first Corporate Strategic Plan.
Among its key priorities, Priority 4 stands out with the ambitious goal of leading
environmental innovation and resilience. The Corporate Energy Management Plan is a
vital component of this commitment, as it not only defines our energy conservation
strategy for the years ahead, but also serves as a roadmap for reinforcing our long-term
dedication to environmental sustainability and climate action.
Our mission is clear—to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions while fostering
the vibrant growth of our city. We forecast a steady reduction in carbon emissions from
our municipal buildings between 2018 and 2050, illustrating our commitment to
achieving this goal. By optimizing energy use across our operations, we are driving
operational efficiency, reducing costs, and most importantly, protecting our planet by
curbing greenhouse gas emissions.
This plan is the product of exceptional collaboration, ingenuity, hard work, and passion. I
extend my deepest appreciation to our dedicated staff, whose commitment and vision
have been instrumental in shaping this initiative. Their efforts, alongside the support of
our Council and community, will be crucial in realizing our ambitious, but achievable
goals.
Let us seize this opportunity to lead by example and create a legacy of sustainability for
future generations. Together, we are building a greener, more resilient Pickering.
Sincerely,
Marisa Carpino
Chief Administrative Officer
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
CITY OF PICKERING
Marisa Carpino Chief Administrative Officer
Brian Duffield Director, Operations
Laura Gibbs Director, Community Services
Kyle Bentley Director, City Development & Chief Building Official
Stan Karwowski Director, Finance & Treasurer
Jackie Flowers CEO/Director of Public Library
Stephen Boyd Fire Chief
Mark Guinto Division Head, Public Affairs & Corporate
Communications
Vince Plouffe Division Head, Operations Services
Chantal Whitaker Manager, Sustainability & Strategic Environmental
Initiatives
Dennis Yip Manager, Facilities Capital Projects
Kevin Hayes Manager, Facilities Maintenance
Marcos Moreira Supervisor, Mechanical Systems
Robin Thornton Supervisor, Energy Management
INDECO
David Heeney CEO and Founder
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Executive Summary
SECTION 1
Introduction ................................................................................................................... 1
SECTION 2
Current State ................................................................................................................. 9
SECTION 3
Challenges and Opportunities ................................................................................... 16
SECTION 4
Targets and Goals ....................................................................................................... 18
Financial Considerations ............................................................................................ 19
Strategies and Actions ............................................................................................... 20
SECTION 5
FOCUS AREA 1: Analytics ......................................................................................... 21
SECTION 6
FOCUS AREA 2: Carbon Tracking ............................................................................. 23
SECTION 7
FOCUS AREA 3: Corporate Building Standard ........................................................ 26
SECTION 8
FOCUS AREA 4: Carbon Reduction Plan .................................................................. 33
SECTION 9
FOCUS AREA 5: Fleet Decarbonization .................................................................... 41
SECTION 10
Recommendations ...................................................................................................... 43
SECTION 11
Conclusion ................................................................................................................... 44
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The City of Pickering forecasts a steady reduction in carbon emissions from its
municipal buildings between 2024 and 2050. However, the City’s population is also
increasing, requiring additional capacity and new facilities. Despite conservation efforts,
system improvements and replacement of older facilities with new net-zero emissions
facilities, total carbon emissions from the Corporate facilities portfolio are increasing in
the near term.
Building Portfolio GHG Emissions Trend vs Business-As-Usual and Net-Zero by 2045 (t CO2eq)
Though the City’s current emissions trend is significantly improved over conventional
“business as usual” building operation, it does not achieve the Paris Agreement target of
net zero emissions by 2050, nor the regional target of net zero by 2045. Near-term
additional interventions will be required within existing high-emitter facilities to set the
emissions trend on a steeper downward trajectory.
Major milestones and assumptions for the achievement of the City’s current emissions
trend are illustrated in the following graph, including the assumed retirement of facilities
near end of life, and future construction focused on delivery of zero carbon building
(ZCB) facilities.
Building Portfolio GHG Emissions Trend (t CO2eq) – All New Builds Zero Combustion Scenario
Proposed actions over the 2024-2029 CEMP timeframe have been divided into five
action groups, which are titled as separate focus areas to enable further independent
refinement. The framework for each Focus Area is provided.
Focus Area 1: Analytics
Achieving energy and emissions reductions will require that data on energy use and
equipment maintenance be assembled, analyzed and reported to a greater degree than
is currently available.
Eliminating roadblocks to data acquisition will enable the development of reporting tools
to demonstrate how actual energy consumption and GHG emission compares against
planned targets, progress of planned and completed carbon reduction measures, and
performance of carbon reduction measures.
Focus Area 2: Carbon Tracking and Accounting
To help ensure emissions targets are met, the City will develop and implement carbon
tracking. Staff and Council will be empowered to make climate-informed decisions using
a carbon surplus/deficit metric which quantifies carbon emissions impacts specific to a
proposed initiative.
Key implementation steps include:
• Establishing annual carbon emissions targets
• Integrating those limits into existing decision-making processes, including asset
management plans
• Assessing the climate impact of proposed initiatives
• Tracking and reporting, along with reporting on energy usage.
Focus Area 3: Corporate Building Standard
The Corporate Building Standard is intended to become the City’s standard for energy
and emissions performance, as well as establishing broader corporate building
construction requirements specific to City of Pickering facilities.
The Standard introduces a list of objective energy and emissions performance
standards for City buildings tailored to their specific end-use. This will clearly
communicate performance expectations and objectives to design consultants for new
builds and provide accountability for existing buildings.
Focus Area 4: Carbon Reduction Plan
Achieving emissions targets or meeting the design standards requires specific
technological and operational implementation. The City is planning initiatives in four
main areas:
• Efficiency measures that reduce current energy use
• Fuel Switching – primarily the adoption of electric heat pumps
• Implementation of renewable energy technologies
• Development of new facilities and major retrofits to existing buildings.
Focus Area 5: Fleet Decarbonization
In addition to buildings, fleet emissions represent 35% of the City’s total corporate
emissions. Further refinement of this focus area will consider the available market
solutions to reduce fleet green house gas emissions, challenges of medium- and heavy-
duty vehicle electrification in a City that still has significant semi-rural area, and present
the successes to date with light-duty vehicle electrification.
Light-duty EVs in fleet configurations are reaching market maturity and could be
deployed where appropriate. Analysis of vehicle telematics data will be explored to
assist with identifying the most suitable EV deployments. Renewable diesel (RD) has
65% lower emissions than petroleum diesel and leverages capital investments into
existing medium-duty fleet equipment. Unfortunately, it will not be produced locally for
several years. Sourcing and collaboration opportunities for RD import will be
investigated.
Overall progress toward the goals set out in this Plan will be reported to Council on an
annual basis.
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INTRODUCTION
THE CLIMATE CRISIS
Climate change is a pressing global issue with far-reaching impacts on the environment,
human health, and socioeconomic systems. This section examines the latest findings
from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) on climate change
impacts and risks at the global level, as well as implications for Canada, Ontario, and
the City of Pickering specifically. Drawing on IPCC reports and local climate action
plans, it provides an overview of observed and projected climate impacts,
vulnerabilities, and adaptation strategies across different scales.
Human activities have caused global warming, with the planet's surface temperature
reaching 1.1°C above pre-industrial levels in 2011-2020. The IPCC's 2023 Synthesis
Report1 warns of severe consequences even if warming temporarily exceeds 1.5°C,
including:
• Increased frequency and intensity of extreme weather events like heatwaves,
droughts, and floods
• Mass mortalities of species such as trees and corals
• Acute food and water insecurity for millions, particularly in vulnerable regions like
Africa, Asia, and the Arctic
• Heightened risks to infrastructure, coastal settlements, and human health
More recent analyses concluded that stringent reductions in the current decade are
critical for planetary stability.2
Warming temperatures, altered precipitation patterns, and more frequent extreme
weather events are projected to significantly impact Canada and Ontario's ecosystems,
agriculture, and public health. The IPCC's 2023 report highlights increased risks of
1 IPCC, “Climate Change 2023: Synthesis Report. Contribution of Working Groups I, II and III to the Sixth
Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change” (Geneva, Switzerland: IPCC,
2023), doi: 10.59327/IPCC/AR6-9789291691647.
2 Tessa Möller et al., “Achieving Net Zero Greenhouse Gas Emissions Critical to Limit Climate Tipping
Risks,” Nature Communications 15, no. 1 (August 1, 2024): 6192, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-
49863-0.
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heatwaves, wildfires, and heavy precipitation across North America. These changes
pose threats to:
• Agricultural productivity due to shifts in growing seasons and increased
drought/flood risks
• Public health, especially for vulnerable populations like the elderly
• Infrastructure resilience, including transportation and energy systems
• Natural ecosystems and biodiversity
Ontario's climate is expected to become warmer and more variable, straining existing
systems and requiring proactive adaptation measures to enhance resilience across
sectors. Pickering is not immune to these (and other) impacts.3
Climate change disproportionately affects certain populations, exacerbating existing
health disparities and vulnerabilities. Socially vulnerable groups, including low-income
communities, certain racial and ethnic minorities, children, older adults, and those with
chronic medical conditions face heightened health risks from climate impacts. These
populations often have greater exposure to climate hazards, increased sensitivity to
health threats, and reduced adaptive capacity due to social, economic, and political
factors.
Key climate-related health risks for vulnerable populations include heat-related
illnesses, respiratory problems from air pollution and allergens, water and food-borne
diseases, and mental health impacts. For instance, low-income urban residents are
more susceptible to extreme heat due to the urban heat island effect and limited access
to air conditioning. Economically marginalized communities and immigrant groups may
lack resources or may face language barriers to prepare for and recover from extreme
weather events. Children and pregnant women are particularly sensitive to air pollution
and extreme temperatures.
3 Ontario Climate Consortium, Durham Region, and Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA),
“Climate Change Impacts in Durham Region” (TRCA, n.d.),
https://www.durham.ca/en/resources/ClimateChangeInfographic-DurhamRegion-FA.pdf; Durham Region,
“Towards Resilience: Durham Region Climate Adaptation Plan” (Whitby, ON: Durham Region, 2016),
https://www.durham.ca/en/living-here/resources/Documents/EnvironmentalStability/DCCAP_Print.pdf.
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GLOBAL AND NATIONAL TARGETS
To address these challenges, targets have been set at the global, national and local
levels.
The Paris Agreement
The Paris Agreement4 and subsequent global climate efforts have established several
key greenhouse gas targets for the international community:
1. Limit global temperature rise to well below 2°C, preferably 1.5°C, above
pre-industrial levels
2. Reduce global greenhouse gas emissions by 43% by 2030 compared to
2019 levels
3. Achieve net-zero emissions by 2050
Canada’s National Target
To meet these goals, countries have submitted their own national targets, known as
Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). Canada's national target, as part of its
NDC, is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 40-45% below 2005 levels by 2030
and net-zero by 2050.5
RELATED REGIONAL AND MUNICIPAL PLANS AND
INITIATIVES
Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe, 2020
The Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe is a provincial plan that the City of
Pickering leverages. Pickering City Centre has been identified as an “Urban Growth
Centre” in the Province of Ontario’s Places to Grow Plan. The Growth Plan for the
Greater Golden Horseshoe requires municipalities to develop policies in their official
plans to identify actions that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and address climate
change adaptation goals. Towards this end, municipalities are encouraged to develop
greenhouse gas inventories, establish municipal interim and long-term greenhouse gas
emission reduction targets, and identify opportunities for energy efficiency within
municipally owned buildings.
4 United Nations, “The Paris Agreement | UNFCCC,” 2000, https://unfccc.int/process-and-meetings/the-
paris-agreement.
5 Environment and Climate Change Canada, “2030 Emissions Reduction Plan: Canada’s next Steps for
Clean Air and a Strong Economy” (Gatineau, QC: ECCC, 2022),
https://publications.gc.ca/collections/collection_2022/eccc/En4-460-2022-eng.pdf.
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Durham Region Corporate Climate Change Action Plan, 2021
Durham Region has set a target for its facilities of achieving net-zero emissions by
2045.6 This goal is more ambitious than the global 2050 target and demonstrates
Durham's commitment to climate action. The Plan identifies five-year GHG reduction
targets in alignment with the net zero trajectory for 2025 and 2030:
• 2025: 20% below 2019 levels
• 2030: 40% below 2019 levels
• 2045: 100% below 2019 levels
City of Pickering Corporate Strategic Plan, 2023
The City’s Corporate Strategic Plan 2024-2028, endorsed by Council in December
2023, identifies a vision, goals, and key actions to be achieved over this term of Council
and beyond. Six specific priorities of equal importance are identified to move the city
forward as a connected, world class city. Priority 4 is most relevant to this discussion:
Priority 4: Lead & Advocate for Environmental Stewardship, Innovation &
Resiliency seeks to build environmental and infrastructure resilience through
proactive climate change mitigation and adaptation measures. Take action and
work with partners on climate change mitigation and adaptation measures.7
Integrated Sustainable Design Standards, 2022
In September 2022, the City of Pickering adopted new Integrated Sustainable Design
Standards (ISDS) for all new development in the city, replacing the 2007 Sustainable
Development Guidelines. The Integrated Sustainable Design Standards (ISDS) are
intended to support Pickering’s goal of reducing community greenhouse gas emissions
and encourage the construction of sustainable and climate-resilient buildings and
neighbourhoods.
The new standards consist of two tiers of performance criteria. Tier 1 elements are
required for all new developments arising from Site Plan and Subdivision applications
deemed complete on or after January 1, 2023. Tier 1 elements of the Mid- to High-Rise
Residential & Non-Residential checklist also apply to new municipal buildings. The
checklist measure ER2 Building Energy Performance and Emissions requires new
buildings to be designed and constructed to meet or exceed Energy Performance
Emissions’ Total Energy Use Intensity (TEUI), Thermal Energy Demand Intensity (TEDI)
6 Durham Region, “Durham Region Corporate Climate Change Action Plan” (Whitby, ON, 2021),
https://www.durham.ca/en/resources/CAO-Office/Durham-Region-Corporate-Climate-Action-Plan.pdf.
7 City of Pickering, “Corporate Strategic Plan: 2024-2028” (Pickering, ON: City of Pickering, 2023),
https://www.pickering.ca/en/city-hall/resources/Corporate-Strategic-Plan-Dec12.pdf.
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and GHG Emission Intensity (GHGI) targets.8 However, those targets are geared to
commercial and residential buildings and are not specific to municipal building
archetypes.
The City’s Official Plan, 2022
Prior to 2023, the City of Pickering Official Plan included a policy stating that all new
municipal buildings and facilities should strive to achieve a minimum of LEED Silver
certification or alternative equivalent.9 In November, 2023 the City initiated Amendment
50 to the Official Plan (Official Plan Amendment Application OPA 23-005/P 10) which
establishes the ISDS or LEED Silver or alternative equivalent as the standard for
municipal development.
City of Pickering Declaration of Climate Emergency, 2019
The City of Pickering declared a climate emergency in December 2019, acknowledging
the urgent need for climate action.11 While the declaration itself doesn't set specific
emission reduction targets, it signals a commitment to accelerate efforts to mitigate and
adapt to climate change. Pickering has been a leader in promoting sustainability and
has continued to promote climate change adaptation and mitigation through the building
of resilient, healthy and sustainable communities.12
Durham Community Energy Plan, 2019
In 2019, City of Pickering endorsed the Low Carbon Pathway scenario in the draft
Durham Region Community Energy Plan in principle, which targets reducing GHG from
2007 levels of 5% by 2015, 20% by 2020 and 80% by 2050.
City of Pickering Measuring Sustainability Report, 2017
This report describes the City’s journey to becoming more sustainable by collecting and
tracking data on sustainability progress. In 2010, the City first published the Measuring
Sustainability Report, later updated in 2012 and 2017, to set a baseline and outline
indicators of sustainability in five categories, including: a healthy environment, healthy
8 City of Pickering, “Pickering Integrated Sustainable Design Standards: Mid to High-Rise -- Residential &
Non-Residential Checklist” (Pickering, ON: City of Pickering, September 2022),
https://www.pickering.ca/en/living/resources/Appendix-II---ISDS-Checklist-Mid-to-High-Rise-ResNon-
Res_ACC2.pdf.
9 City of Pickering, Corporate Initiatives, Pickering Official Plan, Edition 9, Section 14.3e (Pickering, ON:
City of Pickering, 2022)
10 City of Pickering. By-law No. 8054/23. Being a by-law to adopt Amendment 50 to the Official Plan for
the City of Pickering (OPA 23-005/P). Enacted 2023-11 -23.
11 “Council Meeting Minutes,” 2019.,
https://corporate.pickering.ca/weblink/1/edoc/223668/December%2016,%202019.pdf.
12 City of Pickering, “Pickering Official Plan Review” (Pickering, ON: City of Pickering, May 2024),
https://www.pickering.ca/en/city-hall/officialplanreview.aspx.
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economy, healthy society, responsible development, and responsible consumption. The
report identified the following indicators as most relevant to quantifying energy and
emissions objectives: energy consumed and GHG emitted by municipal operations per
capita based on the number of residents in the community, energy consumed and GHG
emitted by community per resident, GHG emissions by sector per capita, number of
solar panels permits issued by the City, and daily municipal water consumption and
wastewater discharged per capita. The use of per capita indicators presents challenges
in a city with rapid population growth, as total GHG emissions may continue to increase
in proportion with the population. The City is currently updating its Measuring
Sustainability Report.
The City Centre Urban Design Guidelines, 2017
The City Centre Urban Design Guidelines is a set of guidelines that encourage the use
of high-quality and energy-efficient materials and sustainable development practices to
optimize energy efficiency of new private and public buildings within the City Centre.
The Guidelines act as a starting point for conceptualizing the long-term growth of the
City. Within the Guidelines, the City promotes sustainability to include the use of
recycled, high-performance, and low impact materials that contribute to energy
efficiency and on-site stormwater management. The City encourages sustainable
development practices such as optimizing energy efficiency of buildings, Leadership in
Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification or alternative equivalent for new
private and public buildings, providing vehicle charging stations, and low impact
development practices (i.e., the use of grey water systems).
The Seaton Sustainable Place-Making Guidelines, 2011
In 2011, the City of Pickering adopted the Seaton Sustainable Placemaking Guidelines
to help create a walkable, transit-supportive community with an active street life,
including neighbourhood shops, social facilities and parks. All future neighbourhood
plans must meet the minimum standards set out in the guidelines in order to move
forward with development.
About 50 per cent of Seaton will remain green, through planned parks, trails, village
squares and preservation of open space.
Sustainable neighbourhood planning strives to achieve long-term socially,
environmentally and economically healthy communities. The Seaton Sustainable Place-
Making Guidelines created for Seaton focused on:
• compact mixed use community structure
• pedestrian-scaled neighbourhoods
• transit-supportive neighbourhoods
• linked open space system
• natural and cultural heritage preservation
7
• significant employment areas
• pedestrian and bicycle routes
• minimized impacts to natural features and stream crossings
8
SCOPE AND PURPOSE OF THE CORPORATE ENERGY
MANAGEMENT PLAN
This plan has been developed for the following reasons:
• To reaffirm the Corporate commitment to efficient energy use and
greenhouse gas emissions reductions
• To review progress on reducing energy use and emissions over the last
five years
• To identify priorities for action in coming years
• To meet the requirements of Ontario Regulation 25/23 for Energy
Reporting and Conservation and Demand Management Plans
The primary focus of the CEMP is Corporate facilities. These account for the majority of
the City’s energy use and emissions and are the focus of Regulation 25/23. There have
also been various Council Directives issued in the past pertaining to municipal building
design and construction standards. The CEMP and its Focus Areas will be the single
document that provides direction for municipal building design and construction and will
supersede past Directives pertaining to this matter.
The next most significant use of energy in the City is fleet vehicles. The CEMP will
address fleet emissions reporting and reduction goals. The fleet plan to achieve these
goals will be the focus of a separate initiative.
A third use of energy is for streetlighting. In 2018, all City-owned streetlights were
converted to energy efficient Light Emitting Diode (LED) lamps, which reduced their
energy consumption and energy cost by over 50%.
9
2
CURRENT STATE
ENERGY USE AND EMISSIONS PROFILE
Overall energy consumption by the City of Pickering in gigajoules per annum is shown
on Table 1. Most consumption is for buildings, totalling approximately 78% in 2023.
Overall energy consumption in buildings is roughly the same as in 2018, though
electricity use is down by 7% and natural gas use is up by 10%. Energy use in
buildings, and the breakdown by energy source is presented graphically in Figure 1.
The impact of the shutdowns for COVID in 2020 and 2021 is particularly evident. There
are also two buildings that are still using fuel oil for heating. Total use is so small that it
doesn’t appear on the chart, though the quantity is shown: 293 GJ in 2023, or 0.4% of
total building energy use.
Table 1 Overall energy use 2018-2023 (GJ/a)
Although overall energy use was down slightly (about 1%) in 2023 relative to 2018,
2023 was a much milder year, with 13% fewer heating degree days, and 42% fewer
cooling degree days.13
13 Unfortunately, only annual data are available on usage. These do not permit adjusting
for weather, though weather is a major determinant of use, particularly for natural gas,
which is primarily used for heating, and to some extent electricity, which is used for
cooling (air conditioning).
Energy type 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
Electricity, Buildings 35,060 34,101 25,482 20,465 26,423 31,680
Natural Gas, Buildings 40,814 39,290 27,431 21,509 43,072 43,812
Heating Fuel Oil, Buildings 372 352 399 434 328 293
Diesel, Fleet N/A N/A 15,420 15,566 16,204 15,571
Gasoline. Fleet N/A N/A 4,240 5,121 5,645 5,796
Total 76,247 73,742 72,972 63,095 91,672 97,153
10
Figure 1 Total energy use in buildings by source (GJ/a)
CHANGES IN ENERGY USE OF INDIVIDUAL FACILITIES
Energy use within individual buildings was much more variable than overall energy use,
as shown on Table 2. Energy use was up significantly at Don Beer Arena. Arenas with
ice rinks have heavy energy demands, and usage is sensitive to the number of hours
and months the arena is in use. The operation of summer ice dramatically increases an
ice rink’s energy consumption, particularly in an older facility with a poor thermal
envelope.
Usage is also up significantly at the new Operations Centre, in correspondence with a
significant increase in conditioned space over the old Operations Centre. The
Dunbarton Pool and the East Shore Community Centre and Seniors Centre used less
energy in 2023 than in 2018.
Table 2 shows the energy use intensity (EUI) for facilities organized by categories. EUI
adjusts for the size of a building by reporting energy use per unit area, in this case per
square metre of floor space. The categories are broad, and differences in usage within
building types may reflect differences in the building’s program or may point to where
savings might be realized. For example, within the fire stations category, Fire Station #5
is using much more energy per square metre of floor area than are the other two
stations, though it includes a significant building addition which hosted Information
Technology staff. Fire Station #5 is slated to be replaced in the near future.
11
Table 2 Energy Use Intensity and changes over time
Programming
Programming decisions can have a tremendous impact on the building portfolio’s
emissions. During 2023, the extension of the ice season into late spring and the
operation of summer ice at Don Beer Arena increased its annual GHG emissions by
over 50%. In 2024, Don Beer Arena was closed for the summer, and summer ice was
offered instead at CHDRC’s O’Brien ice pad. Though the energy and GHG impact of
summer ice operations on CHDRC remain to be seen, there are significant benefits to
operating summer ice there rather than at Don Beer Arena. CHDRC is still 20 years
from the end of its life, enabling investments into alternatives to gas-fired equipment
whose asset value will still be fully realized. Further, CHDRC benefits from co-location
of the arena (heat rejecter) and the pool (heat consumer), enabling heat recovery
methods to reduce the need for gas combustion. An emissions budget should be
considered as part of the programming decision process.
Facility type Facility
Floor area
(m2)
2018 EUI
(kwh/m2/a)
2023 EUI
(kWh/m2/a)Change
Fire Station Fire Station # 2 739 321 261 -19%
Fire Station # 5 1,241 396 389 -2%
Fire Station # 6 848 251 225 -10%
Ice/Curling Rink Don Beer Arena 8,752 302 497 64%
Indoor Arena Recreation Complex 21,379 396 334 -16%
Library Greenwood Library 161 76 69 -9%
Whitevale Library 84 199 171 -14%
Museum PMV Conservation Building 555 51 218 331%
PMV NE/Post Misc Building Use 584 8 20 153%
PMV Puterbaugh Schoolhouse 45 150 - -100%
PMV Redman House 260 364 277 -24%
PMV Robert A Miller 291 189 138 -27%
Office Civic Complex (City Hall)12,812 285 239 -16%
Operations Centre 6,599 181 364 101%
Pickering Animal Services 253 358 300 -16%
Other - Recreation Dunbarton Pool 1,931 698 392 -44%
Social/Meeting Hall Brougham Hall 223 302 255 -16%
Centennial Park Club House 144 270 255 -5%
Dr. Nelson F. Tomlinson CC & Fire Stn 4 & Library 1,689 405 328 -19%
East Shore CC & Senior's Centre 2,672 253 173 -32%
George Ashe Library & Community Centre 1,597 486 409 -16%
Green River CC 298 135 145 7%
Greenwood CC 780 203 188 -7%
Mount Zion CC 200 241 221 -8%
West Shore CC 697 158 160 1%
Whitevale CC 197 165 101 -39%
Buildings with significant reductions in EUI Buildings with significant increases in EUI
PMV Puterbaugh Schoolhouse Don Beer Arena
PMV Redman House PMV Conservation Building
PMV Robert A Miller PMV NE/Post Misc Building Use
Dunbarton Pool Operations Centre
East Shore CC & Senior's Centre
Whitevale CC
12
CHANGES IN OVERALL EMISSIONS
Table 3 shows overall emissions of greenhouse gases generated by the Corporation.
Fossil fuel use generates three primary greenhouse gases: carbon dioxide (CO2),
methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O). Methane and nitrous oxide contribute much
more to climate change on a unit basis (e.g., per gram emitted). For presentation,
quantities of methane and nitrous oxide may be multiplied by an adjustment factor
(Global Warming Potential) to give carbon dioxide equivalents (CO2eq).
Table 3 Total corporate emissions (tonnes CO2eq)
Most of the City’s emissions (65%) are associated with energy use in buildings. Figure 2
shows the changes in emissions from City buildings by fuel source from 2018 to 2023.
Total emissions are up by 19% since 2018, even though overall energy use was down
by about 1%. This is the result of two factors: the increased onsite consumption of
natural gas, and an increase in the Ontario electricity grid’s emissions factor.
Figure 2 Emission of greenhouse gases from buildings 2018-2023 (tonnes CO2eq)
Although total electricity consumption in 2023 was 10% lower than in 2018, greenhouse
gas emissions from electricity generation are almost double what they were in 2018.
This is determined by the greenhouse gas emissions factor for Ontario grid electricity.
A large portion of Ontario’s electricity is produced from low- or zero-carbon sources
such as nuclear, hydro, wind and solar. Natural gas-fired electricity generators are used
for trim and peak demand periods to respond quickly to short-term changes in demand.
Increasing overall demand for electricity and the temporary removal of some nuclear-
Energy type 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
Electricity, Buildings 292 275 234 205 279 590
Natural Gas, Buildings 2,026 1,951 1,362 1,068 2,138 2,175
Heating Fuel Oil, Buildings 28 26 30 33 25 22
Diesel, Fleet 1,100 1,100 1,081 1,091 1,136 1,092
Gasoline. Fleet 350 350 293 354 391 401
Total 3,797 3,702 3,000 2,751 3,969 4,280
Note: Diesel and gasoline in 2018 and 2019 are estimated
13
powered generation from service for refurbishment is projected to increase the
proportion of gas-fired generation for baseload power, thus increasing emissions.
Drawing on data from the Independent Electricity System Operator, The Atmospheric
Fund estimates that the grid emissions factor will increase significantly over the coming
years. The annual average emissions factor for electricity in Ontario varied from 18
g/kWh in 2017 to 67 g/kWh in 2023.14 The average emissions factor for electricity is
projected to increase to as high as 145 g/kWh over the next 5 years before eventually
declining to near-zero. A comparison of historical and projected emission factors by
energy source, before accounting for equipment efficiency at point of use, is illustrated
in Figure 3. 15,16
Despite a near-term increase in grid emissions factor, electricity generation remains a
much lower source of emissions than fossil fuel combustion. Further, in thermal (heating
and cooling applications), the high efficiency of heat pumps over combustion technology
favours fuel switching from natural gas to electricity. This is further discussed in Focus
Area 4: Carbon Reduction Plan – Fuel Switching and Electrification.
Though most electricity used by the City is purchased from the Ontario grid, an
increasing component will be produced by the City’s solar photovoltaic (PV) systems,
which do not release carbon.17
Figure 3 GHG emission factors by input fuel type (grams CO2eq per kWh)
14 The Atmospheric Fund (TAF), “Ontario Electricity Emissions Factors and Guidelines.” (Toronto: TAF,
June 2024), https://taf.ca/custom/uploads/2024/06/TAF-Ontario-Emissions-Factors-2024.pdf.
15 Environment and Climate Change Canada, “National Inventory Report, 1990–2022: Greenhouse Gas
Sources and Sinks in Canada” (Gatineau, QC, 2024), https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-
change/services/climate-change/greenhouse-gas-emissions/inventory.html.
16 The Atmospheric Fund (TAF), “Ontario Electricity Emissions Factors and Guidelines”
17 There may be carbon emissions associated with the manufacturing of the panels, but those emissions
are considered Scope 3 emissions. Scope 3 emissions, whether associated with electric equipment,
upstream oil and gas, or embedded in materials and equipment, will be further considered in the future.
14
EMISSIONS OF INDIVIDUAL FACILITIES
Table 4 shows the facilities with the highest greenhouse gas emissions in 2023. These
same facilities, in the same order, are the facilities with the highest energy use and
should be prioritized for conservation measures.
Table 4 Facilities with the highest greenhouse gas emissions in 2023 (tonnes CO2eq)
Since building emissions are primarily due to onsite fossil fuel combustion, conservation
efforts should focus on measures which reduce natural gas use, first through reduction
in demand (e.g. exhaust air heat recovery, process heat recovery, envelope thermal
performance), followed by fuel switching to lower emitting alternatives (electric heat
pumps).
INITIATIVES IMPLEMENTED
Table 5 Energy Conservation Measures Implemented Over Previous CEMP Period (2019-2023)
CURRENT AND PROPOSED MEASURES
Table 6 Energy Conservation Measures Planned During the Current CEMP Period (2024-2028)
2023 (t CO2eq)
Recreation Complex 881
Don Beer Arena 583
Civic Complex (City Hall)398
Operations Centre 346
Dunbarton Pool 135
George Ashe Library & Community Centre 86
Dr. Nelson F. Tomlinson CC & Fire Stn 4 & Library 83
Fire Station # 5 68
East Shore CC & Senior's Centre 59
Fire Station # 2 27
Facility Action Year Estimated
Cost
Energy savings
(GJ/year)
CHD Recreation Complex
Replaced mid-efficiency space heating and Domestic Hot Water boilers
with high-efficiency modulating condensing boilers
2019 280,000$
3,082.30
George Ashe Library & Community Centre
Replaced single-speed gas-fired rooftop heating/AC unit with modulating
variable-speed unit
2021 150,000$
120.80
CHD Recreation Complex Tennis court lighting upgraded to LED 2021 185,000$ 138.00
East Shore Community Centre Upgraded gymnasium lighting from probe-start metal halide to LED 2022 14,400$ 7.00
Civic Complex
Replaced mid-efficiency space heating boilers with high-efficiency
modulating condensing boilers
2023 400,000$
3,406.80
George Ashe Library & Community Centre
Replaced mid-efficiency space heating boiler with high-efficiency
modulating condensing boiler
2019 45,000$
40.30
George Ashe Library & Community Centre Upgraded library lighting from fluorescent to LED 2019 73,760$ 6.50
Bay Ridges Kinsmen Park
Upgraded SE and SW baseball field lighting from metal halide to LED
with remote lighting control system
2022 575,000$
7.90
Dunmore Tennis Court Upgraded exterior tennis court lighting poles from metal halide to LED 2023 78,950$ 6.40
Facility Action Year Estimated
Cost
Energy savings
(GJ/year)
Fire Hall #2 Replace gas furnace/AC system with hybrid heat pump/gas furnace 2025 $ 20,000 409.60
East Shore Community Centre Replace two gas-fired rooftop units with hybrid heat pump/gas units 2025 $ 280,000 241.60
George Ashe Library & Community Centre Replace two gas-fired rooftop units with hybrid heat pump/gas units with
air side heat recovery
2025 $ 430,000 568.60
PMV Conservation Building Install 48 kWAC rooftop solar array and battery energy storage system
(BESS)
2026 $ 254,000 262.10
PMV Puterbaugh Schoolhouse Replace oil-fired boiler with air-to-water heat pump 2026 $ 50,000 55.20
15
STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT WORKSHOP
The City engaged key stakeholders to obtain feedback on their respective departmental
environmental stewardship goals and plans. Each stakeholder involved represents a
diverse area of operations. Surveys were conducted and feedback obtained to gather
key insights. The purpose of the surveys was to document departmental goals,
opportunities and risks that pertain to environmental stewardship, energy and
emissions. This documentation further strengthens the collaborative effort for improved
environmental stewardship at the City.
The Operations Department, within which responsibility for Energy Management
resides, will continue to consult regularly with key stakeholders to plan and implement
opportunities for reduced energy use and emissions. This reinforces the City’s priority to
lead environmental innovation and resilience as a world class city.
16
3
CHALLENGES AND
OPPORTUNITIES
A GROWING POPULATION
The City of Pickering faces the challenge of a growing population, which increases
energy demand and emissions. The City’s population is expected to increase by about
20% in the next five years and will more than double by 2051.18 As the city expands,
more facilities and infrastructure are required, leading to higher energy use. This growth
can counteract the benefits of energy efficiency measures, making it difficult to achieve
overall reductions in energy use and emissions. It underscores the need for new and
replacement facilities to be energy efficient and to be near-zero CO2 emissions.
ATTACHMENT TO THE STATUS QUO
A significant barrier to emissions reduction is the attachment to the status quo. Council,
staff and residents may be resistant to changes in their environment, whether it involves
new technologies, altered workflows, or changes in public spaces. This resistance can
stem from a comfort with existing routines, a lack of understanding of the benefits of
new measures, a fear of the unknown, or pressures of other pressing commitments.
Overcoming this challenge requires effective communication, education, and
engagement strategies to help staff and residents understand the importance of energy
efficiency and emissions reductions, and to further foster a culture of sustainability
within the city.
EXHAUSTION OF LOW-HANGING FRUITS
The City has already implemented many of the most straightforward and cost-effective
energy-saving measures, such as upgrading to LED lighting. Further, these measures
most often result in electricity savings, which have the lowest emissions impact. As
these "low-hanging fruits" are exhausted, the remaining opportunities for energy and
emissions reduction often involve more complex, costly, or disruptive actions. This
includes comprehensive retrofits, adoption of advanced technologies, or significant
18 Watson & Associates Economists Ltd., “Durham Region Growth Management Study - Phase 2: Area
Municipal Growth Allocations and Land Needs, 2051,” 2022, https://www.durham.ca/en/doing-
business/resources/Documents/PlanningandDevelopment/Envision-Durham/Growth-Allocations-
Report.pdf.
17
changes to operational processes. The diminishing returns on investment for these
more challenging measures can make it difficult for the City to justify the expense and
effort, particularly if the financial payback period is long or the building’s remaining life is
short.
AGED BUILDING STOCK
Aged building stock presents a unique challenge for the City. Many of the City’s
buildings are nearing the end of their useful life 19, making deep retrofits potentially
inappropriate or economically unfeasible. These older buildings may have outdated
infrastructure that is not compatible with modern energy-efficient technologies, or they
may require extensive renovations that are not cost-effective given their remaining
lifespan or that would require extended closure of the facility. In such cases, the City
must weigh the benefits of retrofitting against the potential costs and disruptions and
may need to consider alternative solutions such as new construction or temporary
measures to improve energy efficiency in the short term.
EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES
On the opportunity side, there are new technologies for both buildings and equipment
that can significantly reduce energy use and greenhouse gas emissions. These include:
• More energy efficient building design
• Heat pumps to maintain thermal comfort
• Solar photovoltaic systems to generate electricity
• Electric vehicles
• Alternative or renewable vehicle fuels
The City will be adopting these technologies in coming years. The rate at which they
can be adopted depends in part on the maturity and availability of the technology,
turnover rate of existing stock and the availability of financial resources.
19 City of Pickering Facilities Renewal Study, January, 2024.
18
4
TARGETS AND GOALS
The City has adopted targets based on the international and national targets for
greenhouse gas emissions, and the previously-described commitments the City has
already made:
• The City’s Declaration of a Climate Emergency
• The Corporate Strategic Plan
• The City’s work on Integrated Sustainable Development Standards
• The City’s Official Plan
2030 TARGETS
A reduction of greenhouse gas emissions of 30% by 2030 is recommended.
Unfortunately, with the increasing Ontario electricity grid emissions factor, this may not
be practical. Consequently, the CEMP is not setting a general emissions target, but
rather fuel-specific targets. The targets relative to 2019 that have been set are as
follows:
Figure 4 2030 targets (relative to 2019)
With the goal of electrification, much of the reduction in natural gas that is targeted will
result in an increase in the demand for electricity, so the target is to limit the increase
rather than to realize a reduction. With the achievement of that target, solar generation
will strive to displace 10% of the City’s grid electricity use.
City of Pickering’s 2050 target
By 2050, in keeping with its environmental commitments, the City should aim to reduce
all fossil fuel use by 95%. However, the current trajectory will not show reductions to
that degree. Achieving such a target will require some combination of:
• New technology, such as higher-capacity and affordable heat pumps,
implementation of district thermal energy using waste process heat from
nearby industry, or less expensive, lighter and modular solar photovoltaic
systems
19
• Battery and thermal energy storage
• Further development of net-zero building technologies
• Accelerated deep retrofits or replacement of facilities, or replacing less
efficient equipment
• Greater availability and affordability of electric vehicles for light-duty
applications, and renewable diesel for medium-duty applications
• Disposal of energy-inefficient buildings at end of life
Reducing emissions by that much will also require that grid electricity become
significantly cleaner beyond 2030, as currently projected.
Although there are reasons to be optimistic about these being realized, meeting these
goals will still likely require increased commitment of City resources.
FINANCIAL
CONSIDERATIONS
FUNDING SOURCES
Within a municipality, it is common for maintenance and capital improvements to
compete with other budget priorities, including energy projects. In many cases, the
measures are aligned but require early and on-going engagement to determine how
best to integrate. Close collaboration with all City departments will need to continue to
integrate capital projects with carbon reduction, if reductions are to be achieved.
There may be external funding programs to help with implementation of these projects.
City staff will continue to explore available programs, including:
• Enbridge – Savings by Design:
https://www.enbridgegas.com/ontario/business-industrial/incentives-
conservation/programs-and-incentives/new-construction/savings-by-
design
• IESO – Save On Energy: https://saveonenergy.ca
• FCM – Federation of Canadian Municipalities grants and loans:
https://fcm.ca/en/funding
• Transport Canada – Incentives for Medium- and Heavy-Duty Zero-
Emission Vehicles: https://tc.canada.ca/en/road-transportation/innovative-
technologies/zero-emission-vehicles/incentives-medium-heavy-duty-zero-
emission-vehicles
• Ontario Trillium Foundation – Capital Grants: https://otf.ca/our-
grants/community-investments-grants/capital-grant
Examples of aligning external funding programs to environmental stewardship projects
include the Federal Government’s investment of $16.5 million towards the new net-zero
20
Pickering Heritage Community Centre and $516,560 towards the Redman House
Program Centre Green Retrofit project20.
PROJECT EVALUATION
Collaboration will continue with City departments to review upcoming projects and
associated carbon reduction possibilities. A formalized Governance Framework should
be implemented to streamline the project evaluation and funding process, prior to
submission for budget consideration
STRATEGIES AND
ACTIONS
Proposed actions in the 2024 to 2029 timeframe fall into five primary groups, which are
titled as separate focus areas to enable further independent refinement. The framework
for each Focus Area is provided.
• Focus Area 1: Analytics
• Focus Area 2: Carbon Tracking and Accounting
• Focus Area 3: Corporate Building Standard
• Focus Area 4: Carbon Reduction Plan
• Focus Area 5: Fleet Decarbonization
20 City of Pickering, “New green community infrastructure coming to Pickering” (Pickering, ON: City of
Pickering, 2022), https://www.canada.ca/en/housing-infrastructure-communities/news/2022/08/new-
green-community-infrastructure-coming-to-pickering.html
21
5
FOCUS AREA 1:ANALYTICS
Achieving reductions will require that data on energy use and equipment maintenance
be assembled, analyzed and reported to a greater degree than is currently available.
At present, information on energy use is extracted from utility bills by the Finance
department and provided to the Operations department for reporting to the Ministry of
Energy and Electrification (MEE). MEE requires that data on energy use by source, type
and facility be uploaded to Portfolio Manager, an online database developed by the
United States Environmental Protection Agency and adapted for Canadian conditions
and use by Natural Resources Canada.
Historically, MEE required only reporting of annual data, though Portfolio Manager can
accommodate entering data according to the billing frequency (e.g. monthly or bi-
monthly). For more rigorous analysis, including correcting data for weather conditions, a
higher resolution of data is required. In the case of electricity, hourly usage data by
facility are available on-line from Elexicon. Monthly gas bills, with usage data, are
available on-line from Enbridge. Operational staff will be given access to these accounts
so that usage data can be downloaded and analyzed. This higher-resolution data will
enable better understanding of patterns of energy use, the relationship to weather, and
to help identify changes over time. Historically, there have been challenges in compiling
such data while still meeting the needs of the Finance department for paper bills, for
example. It may become necessary to engage a third-party who can access these data
directly and provide some analysis of them.
In some cases, even higher resolution will be required. For example, it may be desirable
to sub-meter particular parts of facilities or specific pieces of equipment. Needs will be
determined on a case-by-case basis.
Tools such as dashboards or reporting would then be developed and utilized to analyze
the higher resolution data. This can streamline the monitoring and controlling of a
building’s performance by alerting City staff when performance has deviated from its
intended targets. City staff can then implement appropriate corrective action to remedy
the deviation, such as education/awareness, training/refreshers, recommissioning,
maintenance, and so forth. To have a comprehensive view, the reporting tools should
also consider historical utility rates and future trends, including the impact of the Federal
Carbon Pricing. The reporting tools can also show how actual energy consumption and
GHG emission compares against planned targets, progress of planned and completed
carbon reduction measures, and performance of carbon reduction measures.
22
Information on equipment maintenance and health is currently recorded manually.
Maintenance and lower value equipment replacement expenditures are addressed by
Facilities Maintenance directly from operating budgets, while capital projects are
handled by Facilities Capital Projects. This can result in discontinuity, with Facilities
Maintenance investing in expedient solutions to maintain availability of services, and
Facilities Capital Projects’ desire to integrate equipment performance improvements or
design upgrades into asset replacement plans. A Computerized Maintenance
Management System (CMMS) is recommended to assist both the maintenance team
with tracking assigned and completed tasks in a timely and cost-effective manner, and
the Facilities Capital Projects team with monitoring asset health and making informed
decisions about asset replacement.
These roadmaps and details will be further developed in future refinements of Focus
Area 1.
Overall usage, and progress toward the goals set out in this plan will be reported to
Council on an annual basis.
23
6
FOCUS AREA 2: CARBON
TRACKING
To help ensure targets are met, the City will implement carbon tracking. Key
implementation steps include:
• Establishing annual carbon emissions targets
• Integrating those limits into existing decision-making processes, including
asset management plans 21
• Assessing the climate impact of proposed initiatives
• Tracking and reporting, along with the reporting on energy usage
Carbon tracking is used by a growing number of cities. Oslo was the first city to adopt
carbon tracking in 2017. The first Canadian city to adopt carbon tracking was
Edmonton. The method is used or being developed in Montreal, Toronto, Whitby,
Durham Region, Calgary, Canmore and Halifax.22
Carbon tracking for municipalities is an emerging tool to monitor and reduce
greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Specific details will be further developed, but the
following presents a typical framework:23, 24
Figure 5 Steps in the implementation of municipal carbon tracking
21 Federation of Canadian Municipalities, “Building Sustainable and Resilient Communities with Asset
Management: An Introduction for Municipal Leaders” (Ottawa, ON: FCM, 2018),
https://fcm.ca/sites/default/files/documents/resources/case-studies/building-sustainable-resilient-
communities-with-asset-management-mamp.pdf.
22 Yuill Herbert, Ann Dale, and Chris Stashok, “Canadian Cities: Climate Change Action and Plans,”
Buildings and Cities 3, no. 1 (2022): 854–73, https:// doi.org/10.5334/bc.251.
23 James Nowlan, “Carbon Accountability: Institutionalizing Governance, a Carbon Budget and an Offset
Credits Policy” (Toronto: City of Toronto, 2023),Sall.
24 City of Edmonton, “2023-2026 Carbon Budget,” Council Report (Edmonton: City of Edmonton, 2022).
Set targets Allocate
resources
Integrate
with
financial
processes
Assess
projects Set priorities Monitor and
report Adjust Continually
improve
24
1. Setting targets:
The municipality establishes a total carbon allocation based on its long-term emission
reduction goals. This allocation represents the maximum amount of GHG emissions
allowed over a specific period, usually aligned with the City's climate goals (e.g., net-
zero by 2040 or 2050).
2. Allocation and planning:
The total allocation is divided into smaller annual or multi-year emission limits. These
act as checkpoints to ensure the municipality stays on track to meet its overall targets.
3. Integration with budgeting processes:
The carbon target is integrated into the municipality's existing budgeting and decision-
making processes. This allows climate impacts to be considered alongside other factors
like economic and social considerations when making investment decisions.
4. Project assessment:
All proposed projects, programs, and initiatives undergo a GHG impact assessment.
This can be done through:
• Qualitative assessments for projects in early planning stages
• Detailed quantification of GHG emissions where possible
• Use of standardized tools like GHG calculators for typical municipal
projects25
5. Prioritization and decision-making:
The carbon impacts of various proposals are used to inform budget allocation decisions,
helping prioritize low-carbon initiatives.
6. Monitoring and reporting:
The municipality tracks actual emissions against the carbon target, typically on an
annual basis. This involves:
• Maintaining a GHG inventory
• Comparing actual emissions to the target
• Identifying surpluses or deficits
25 Town of Canmore, “Climate Emergency Action Plan: Carbon Budget Report” (Canmore, AB: Town of
Canmore, 2024), https://www.canmore.ca/public/download/files/247349.
25
7. Accountability and adjustment:
Regular reporting keeps Council and the public informed of progress. If emissions are
projected to exceed the target, it triggers the need for remedial actions or adjustments
to stay on track.
8. Continuous improvement:
As carbon tracking is a new field, municipalities refine their processes over time,
improving data collection, quantification methods, and integration with existing systems.
By implementing carbon tracking, municipalities can:
• Create a structured approach to achieving climate targets
• Enhance transparency and accountability in climate action
• Integrate climate considerations into municipal decisions
• Provide a clear framework for monitoring and reporting progress
26
7
FOCUS AREA 3:
CORPORATE BUILDING
STANDARD
In 2013, the City of Pickering Council approved and adopted a Canada Green Building
Council Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Silver (CaGBC LEED-NC
Silver) standard, or equivalent performance, for all new construction of City buildings.
While the LEED Silver standard has been successful in addressing a range of
environmental performance areas, it now lags the more ambitious targets that many
cities and provinces have set, particularly with respect to energy and emissions.
Experience has shown that the relative performance path (i.e. “x% better than Code”)
identified in the CaGBC LEED Optimize Energy Performance credit often does not
result in better performing buildings. An absolute performance compliance path is
preferred. The City will develop performance criteria for municipal buildings.
The City has been a leader in developing its Integrated Sustainable Design Standards
for new developments.26 These set out a broad range of standards for sustainable
development addressing energy, land use and nature, water, waste, transportation,
education, accessibility and safety, primarily targeting private developments.
Targeted performance levels for energy use, thermal energy use and greenhouse gas
emissions are included in two tiers, as summarized in Table 7. Energy Use Intensity
(EUI) is the total amount of energy used by a facility, converted to equivalent units (kWh
or GJ), divided by the facility’s area. The result is typically expressed in kWh/m2 or
GJ/m2.
Although overall energy use is important, a key consideration is the proportion of fossil
fuel consumed, which largely determines a facility’s greenhouse gas intensity (GHGI),
expressed in grams, kilograms or tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent per unit area
(CO2eq/m2).
26 City of Pickering, “Building Green - User Guide. Pickering Integrated Sustainable Design Standards”
(Pickering, ON: City of Pickering, August 2022), https://www.pickering.ca/en/living/resources/Attachment-
1---ISDS-User-Guide_revisedversion-LD-Formatting_ACC.pdf.
27
Much of the energy use in buildings is for heating and cooling requirements. The
subcomponent of total energy use for heating and cooling is the thermal energy demand
intensity (TEDI). EUI, TEDI and GHGI are often used to compare building performance
against their peers within building categories. As the table indicates, these standards
apply to residential and commercial new developments but direct applicability to existing
and new building stock is difficult due to differences in building use.
Table 7 City of Pickering’s Integrated Sustainable Design Standards for energy (kWh/m2/a) and
greenhouse gas emissions (kg CO2eq/m2/a)
Few municipalities have developed such criteria. One exception is the City of
Mississauga which developed the criteria set out in Table 8.27
Other jurisdictions such as the City of Toronto have introduced absolute performance
targets. However, only a very small range of building archetypes has been defined, and
those archetypes do not correspond with typical municipal building types. The City of
Mississauga’s Corporate Green Building Standard–introduced in 2019 includes
ambitious, tiered, absolute performance targets for municipal building types, including
fire halls, arenas, swimming pools, and libraries. Although mechanical systems
technology has progressed significantly since those Corporate Green Building Standard
targets were developed, they serve as a useful starting point to inform the development
of the City of Pickering Corporate Building Standard for current and future city facilities.
Table 8 Mississauga's Corporate Design Standards
27 City of Mississauga, “The City of Mississauga’s Corporate Green Building Standard: Program Manual”
(Mississauga, ON: City of Mississauga, 2019), https://www.mississauga.ca/publication/corporate-green-
building-standard/.
Tier 1
EUI
Tier 2
EUI
Tier 1
TEDI
Tier 2
TEDI
Tier 1
GHGI
Tier 2
GHGI
Multi-unit Residential >= 4 storeys 135 100 50 30 15 10
Multi-unit Residential < 4 storeys 130 100 40 25 15 10
Commercial Office 130 100 30 22 15 8
Commercial Retail 120 90 40 25 10 5
Mixed Use Buildings Calculated using an area weighted average of other building types
28
Although less comprehensive than the Mississauga table, some governments have set
standards for the greenhouse gas intensity (GHGI), essentially requiring buildings to be
net zero. For example, Toronto requires all new buildings and additions greater than one
hundred square metres that are part of the Corporate Real Estate portfolio to be net
zero emissions.28 Toronto has also set a total EUI of 100 kWh/m2/a and a TEDI of 30
kWh/m2/a. It is not clear how this can or will be applied to more intensive building types,
like swimming pools or ice rinks, though there is work on net zero pools,29 and arenas
with ice pads.30
To monitor and control building performance, energy management processes will be
included through the iterative design process. Energy modelling conducted throughout
the design process informs the building design and the feasibility/viability of energy
management measures over a life cycle basis, considering both costing capital
requirements and operating requirements. Energy modeling reports, construction cost
estimates, life cycle cost analysis, and life cycle analysis throughout the design and
construction phases are tools that can be employed to manage building performance
throughout the project delivery phases.
Complicating Factors for Energy Use Intensity and emissions intensity metrics
These metrics must be considered within their context. Facilities may vary significantly
in their operating hours or their seasonal usage. For example, arenas operating 12
months per year will clearly consume much more energy than arenas which are closed
28 https://www.toronto.ca/city-government/planning-development/official-plan-guidelines/toronto-green-
standard/toronto-green-standard-version-4/city-agency-corporation-division-owned-facilities-version-
4/buildings-energy-emissions-resilience/
29 Federation of Canadian Municipalities, “Getting to Net-Zero in Community Centres with Indoor Pools:
Chinguacousy Wellness Centre in Brampton, Ontario” (Ottawa: FCM, 2024),
https://media.fcm.ca/documents/programs/gmf/getting-to-net-zero-in-community-centres-with-indoor-
pools.pdf.
30 Federation of Canadian Municipalities, “Taking Your Indoor Ice Rink to Net Zero” (Ottawa: FCM, 2022),
https://media.fcm.ca/documents/programs/gmf/getting-to-net-zero-in-community-centres-with-indoor-
pools.pdf.
Level 1 Level 2 Level 3
EUI TEDI GHGI EUI TEDI GHGI EUI TEDI GHGI
Office building 110 55 15 90 35 10 60 15 5
Fire Hall 195 75 11 80 60 5 60 30 5
Library 140 50 15 110 40 10 60 25 5
Rec Centre 160 45 20 140 35 15 70 15 5
Transit Station 230 100 25 180 50 15 150 15 10
Transit Repair Station 300 120 38 280 100 15 130 20 10
Ice Rink 380 46 335 38 200 17
Swimming Pool 3700 560 2700 3500 1800 90
Note:EUI in kWh/m2/a
TEDI in kWh/m2/a
GHGI in kg CO2eq/m2/a
Building Archetype
29
during the summer. Standalone facilities will consume more energy than co-located
facilities. For example, swimming pools require a large amount of heat energy, whereas
arenas must dispose of a large amount of heat energy. When co-located, these two
end-uses can significantly reduce their overall EUI. Also, multi-use facilities will have
less exposed envelope area (due to shared walls and gross-up space), which will
significantly lower energy use for space conditioning.
Given the above, the application of a weighted average of end-use EUI and GHGI
budgets to a mixed-use facility may result in an overall excessive energy and carbon
limit, while standalone facilities may find it arduous to meet the prescriptive targets. As
stated, there can be significant variations in occupancy hours or facility utilizations.
Since the City defines how its buildings are used, it would be appropriate to develop
consistent assumptions to be used by design consultants to inform the modelling
process to determine new building energy and emissions performance.
The Corporate Building Standard is intended to become the City’s standard for
corporate facilities, particularly for energy and emissions performance.
Table 9 New construction EUI/GHGI limit by building archetype (SI units)
Table 10 New construction EUI/GHGI limit by building archetype, (I-P units)
The interim targets in Table 9 and Table 10 were generated over 5 years ago. Given
advancements in building and systems design as well as the City’s leadership role, new
municipal buildings should target Level 2 performance as a minimum. The GHGI
allowance is relatively high to allow for increases in grid emissions factor, not for gas-
fired equipment. Design teams should target all-electric designs.
Level 1 Level 2 Level 3
Building Archetype EUI
(kWh/m2)
GHGI
(kg CO2e/m2)
EUI
(kWh/m2)
GHGI
(kg CO2e/m2)
EUI
(kWh/m2)
GHGI
(kg CO2e/m2)
Office 110 15 90 10 60 5
Firehall 105 11 80 5 60 5
Library 140 15 110 10 60 5
Rec Centre 160 20 140 15 70 5
Transit Station 230 25 180 15 150 10
Transit Repair Station 300 38 280 35 130 10
Ice Rink 380 46 335 38 200 17
Swimming Pool 3700 560 2700 350 1800 90
Level 1 Level 2 Level 3
Building Archetype EUI
(kWh/ft2)
GHGI
(kg CO2e/ft2)
EUI
(kWh/ft2)
GHGI
(kg CO2e/ft2)
EUI
(kWh/ft2)
GHGI
(kg CO2e/ft2)
Office 10 1 8 1 6 0
Firehall 10 1 7 0 6 0
Library 13 1 10 1 6 0
Rec Centre 15 2 13 1 7 0
Transit Station 21 2 17 1 14 1
Transit Repair Station 28 4 26 3 12 1
Ice Rink 35 4 31 4 19 2
Swimming Pool 344 52 251 33 167 8
30
To assist with achieving absolute performance targets, design teams should strive to
achieve the following key design principles:
1. Ensure specific spatial programming and psychological needs of building
occupants and visitors are addressed. This means ensuring that buildings
achieve higher levels of environmental performance while maintaining user
comfort as well as the core function, aesthetic, and health of the building or
facility.
2. Design building systems, materials, and technologies to be mutually
supportive. This represents the need to ensure that design and cost efficiencies
are harnessed wherever possible. An example is the colocation of swimming pool
and ice arena facilities. Waste heat from one process should be harvested and
reused for as many other processes as possible (desiccant dehumidification
recharging, refrigerant dehumidification reheat, pool heating, DHW pre-heating,
arena spectator warming, arena resurfacing slush pit, exterior snow melt) before
being rejected outside the thermal envelope. For this to be effective, equipment
must be in proximity to each other to improve the business case for heat
recovery.
3. Meet environmental performance targets in a financially sustainable
manner. While cost premiums can be a factor in higher environmental
performance buildings, design teams should seek to minimize added costs
wherever possible by taking an integrated approach to design. Regardless, a
‘business-as-usual’ design should no longer be an option against which low
carbon design is compared for costing.
4. Make use of “simple” systems that are designed for long operational life
and lower maintenance costs. This means design teams should focus on well-
known technologies, low carbon footprint materials, and passive design
strategies as much as possible to reduce the need for expensive maintenance
and challenges to daily operations. Enduring passive components such as
building envelope which are not feasible to upgrade later should be prioritized.
Building envelope components’ effective thermal performance should meet or
exceed the prescriptive requirements for fenestration, roofs, opaque wall, floor
and roof assemblies of the most current version of the National Energy Code of
Canada for Buildings. Active mechanical and electrical systems should not be
used to offset poor envelope thermal performance or inefficient building form
factor.
Design the building to achieve an efficient form factor of 3 or less. ‘Heat Loss
Form Factor’ is measured as the ratio of thermal envelope surface area to the
treated floor area (TFA). In other words, the ratio of surface area that can lose
heat (the thermal envelope) to the floor area that gets heated (TFA). Form Factor
is essentially the building’s surface to volume ratio.
31
The Heat Loss Form Factor is a useful measure of the compactness of a
building. It is easier to be energy efficient with a more compact building whereas
the less compact a building, requires more insulation for the building to be energy
efficient.
32
Resiliency Planning
Climate change mitigation and adaptation, sustainability and resilience will also be key
considerations in future Corporate Building Standards. Resiliency includes factors such
as future weather patterns, climate change, pandemic responses, electrical back up
power, and distributed energy resources. Electrical back up power can consider
redundant backup electricity generators sized together to maintain full facility operation,
including load management, soft-start and equipment staging systems if necessary to
reduce generator sizes.
Energy modeling in the design process can assist with resiliency planning through
hourly simulation generated by industry-accepted simulation programs such as Carrier
HAP, eQuest, EnergyPlus, DesignBuilder or IESVE, using the Toronto-Buttonville
716390 CWEC 2020 weather file as a baseline. Since municipal buildings are long-life
assets, energy simulations, analysis and reporting should include results from
corresponding Pacific Climate Impacts Consortium future-shifted 2050s and 2080s
weather files. Hourly simulation should be complemented by RETScreen, bin- or hourly-
data hand calculations, PVWatts, and Ground Loop Design, LoopLink Pro or equivalent
as required. Life-cycle costing should include analysis for sizing heating and cooling
energy distribution systems for this future-shifted weather and provision of space and
infrastructure for future addition of plant equipment if necessary.
33
8
FOCUS AREA 4: CARBON
REDUCTION PLAN
Achieving targets or meeting the design standards comes down to specific technological
and operational implementation. The City is planning initiatives in four main areas:
• Efficiency measures that reduce current energy use
• Fuel Switching – primarily the adoption of electric heat pumps
• Implementation of renewable energy technologies
• Development of new facilities and major retrofits
These areas overlap and are considered distinct solely for discussion purposes. Within
this discussion, efficiency measures and electrification apply primarily to existing
facilities, though they will be incorporated into new facilities as well. Renewable
technologies, in particular photovoltaic systems, may be integrated into existing or new
buildings, or operate on a stand-alone basis. On-site energy storage may be required
where options are limited by the condition of local grid infrastructure.
Efficiency measures
Many efficiency measures have already been adopted by the City, including replacing
older incandescent and fluorescent lights with LEDs, and installing motion detectors to
reduce energy use in unoccupied rooms.
Measures that are planned to be adopted include the following, particularly when
equipment is at the end of life, the facility is considering a major renovation, or in new
construction.
Rooftop HVAC Units and Small Furnace/ACs
• Install air-to-air energy recovery ventilators
• Replace gas-fired rooftop units with hybrid heat pump units
• Where possible, purchase semi-custom units with higher insulation levels
rather than packaged units
Air and Ground Source Heat Pumps
Air-source and ground-source heat pump options or a hybrid solution should be
evaluated. This includes modelling using hourly ground loop and energy modelling
software as appropriate. Onsite fuel combustion should only be considered for heating
backup (during heat pump equipment failure, extreme cold weather, or grid power
outages) and for backup electrical power generators.
34
Boilers for Hydronic Heating Loops
• Where boilers must be used, install modulating condensing boilers which
can operate at lower water temperatures
• Reduce supply water temperatures to 55 C (130 F) or lower wherever
possible to enable a condensing boiler to operate at higher efficiency, and
to provide an opportunity for displacement of heating load using an air-to-
water heat pump
• Where major renovations are being performed, select new heat emitters to
operate at 49 ºC (120 ºF) or lower average water temperature at design
conditions
• Where a facility might have simultaneous low-temperature heat rejection
from cooling or refrigeration and high-temperature heat generation from a
boiler, install a heat recovery chiller to recover and boost the quality of
heat from heat source to heat sink
• Install an air-to-water heat pump in series with existing boiler loop
between return water and boiler
• If the facility has a chilled water loop, size air-to-water heat pump
according to cooling load to share the same electrical infrastructure
Domestic Hot Water
• Install low-flow fixtures or flow restrictors in existing systems to reduce
domestic hot water flows to 1.9 lpm or less for a lavatory or 5.7 lpm or less
for a shower
• Before rejecting any waste heat outdoors, examine opportunities to pre-
heat domestic cold water inlet for domestic hot water systems
• Install a heat recovery chiller to recover and boost the quality of heat
• Where no waste heat sources exist or have been exhausted, install CO2-
based air-to-water heat pumps which are capable of extracting heat from
cold outdoor air to generate high temperature water
Computers and other equipment
New computer and other equipment procurement should give precedence to equipment
with the Energy Star certification.
Planned measures
Measures that the City plans to implement are shown on Table 11 . Other measures may
be adopted as opportunities arise.
Table 11 Planned efficiency measures
Facility Action Year Estimated
Cost
Energy savings
(GJ/year)
Fire Hall #2 Replace gas furnace/AC system with hybrid heat pump/gas furnace 2025 $ 20,000 409.60
East Shore Community Centre Replace two gas-fired rooftop units with hybrid heat pump/gas units 2025 $ 280,000 241.60
George Ashe Library & Community Centre Replace two gas-fired rooftop units with hybrid heat pump/gas units with
air side heat recovery
2025 $ 430,000 568.60
PMV Conservation Building Install 48 kWAC rooftop solar array and battery energy storage system
(BESS)
2026 $ 254,000 262.10
PMV Puterbaugh Schoolhouse Replace oil-fired boiler with air-to-water heat pump 2026 $ 50,000 55.20
35
Building Envelope
Major renovations and new facilities also present opportunities for improved building
envelope performance. Such performance should include envelope effective thermal
characteristics that meet or exceed the prescriptive requirements for fenestration, doors,
opaque wall, floor and roof assemblies of the National Energy Code of Canada for
Buildings, 2020.
Active Integrated Energy Recovery Systems
These include but are not limited to heat rejection from exhaust air, arena compressors,
pool dehumidification, chillers for reuse in arena desiccant dehumidification, pool air
heat/reheat, pool water heating, DHW and ice-resurfacer water pre-heating, outdoor air
preheating, snow melt, and other suitable uses before being rejected outside the facility.
An energy recovery ventilator installed on a heating, ventilating and air conditioning unit
typically reduces annual heating energy consumption by 40-50% and significantly
increases the number of hours per year when heating requirements can be met with an
air-source heat pump.
Fuel Switching and Electrification
Where the electricity is being used for heating and cooling, the most efficient technology
available is heat pumps. These may be ground-source heat pumps, that extract heat
from pipes embedded in the ground, or air-source heat pumps. Of the two options, air-
source heat pumps typically require 60% lower initial capital investment than ground-
source systems but operate at 20-30% lower average annual efficiency.
During especially cold periods when air-source heat pumps are supplemented by
electric resistance heating with a Coefficient of Performance of 1, there may be limited
environmental gain to electrification, while requiring significant upsizing of building
electrical capacity.31 In the near term, a hybrid solution should be considered in which
heat pumps transition dynamically to natural gas backup once outdoor air temperatures
and heat pump COPs drop below a calculated threshold. When combined with an
energy recovery ventilator, a hybrid system can satisfy well over 80% of annual heating
hours using the electric heat pump.
Combustion of fossil fuel is an energy conversion process in which the fuel’s chemical
energy is converted to heat. This process is always less than 100% efficient. Gas-fired
rooftop units and mid-efficiency boilers operate at an efficiency of approximately 80%.
The highest efficiency furnaces and boilers available may operate as high as 98%
efficiency under ideal circumstances, though 90% is a more typical average. This
means that 80% to 90% of the energy in the fuel becomes heat and the other 10% to
20% escapes up the chimney and elsewhere. As a result, the emissions from the
combustion of fuel for heating must be divided by an energy conversion factor of 0.8 to
31 Coefficient of Performance (COP) is a measure of the efficiency of the equipment. It essentially
measures useful energy (heating or cooling) produced per unit of energy input (typically electricity).
36
0.9, resulting in effective emissions of 199-203 g/kWh for natural gas, and 301 to 338
g/kWh for fuel oil.
Direct conversion of electricity to heat is a near-100% efficient process. However, heat
pump technology does not directly convert electricity to heat. Rather, electricity is used
to drive a compressor motor which allows the system to absorb heat from one area
(outdoor air or the ground) and move or pump that heat to another area (building
interior). For every unit of electrical energy the compressor motor consumes, an
average of 3 times that amount of energy is moved for an air-source heat pump, and 4
times for a ground-source heat pump. As a result, the effective emissions from an
electrically-powered air-source heat pump for heating must be divided by an energy
conversion factor of 3, resulting in effective emissions of about 23 g/kWh if the electricity
is sourced from today’s grid. The net emissions associated with delivered heat energy is
illustrated in Figure 6. Further, unlike fossil fuel, it is possible to generate the required
electricity to drive a heat pump from onsite or offsite zero-emissions sources (e.g.
rooftop solar), resulting in effective emissions of 0 g/kWh.
Figure 6 GHG emissions per delivered unit of heat energy
A challenge often raised with the proposed installation of air-source heat pumps is their
reduced ability to extract heat from the outdoor air as the air temperature decreases.
Simultaneously with the outdoor air temperature decreasing, the building’s heat loss
(and therefore the heat load on the heat pump) is increasing. Figure 7 illustrates a
building’s heating requirement at its maximum at the lowest outdoor air temperature,
with an air source heat pump (ASHP) at its minimum capacity and lowest Coefficient of
Performance (COP).32 The point where the two lines cross is known as the Balance
Temperature, which is typically in the range of -7C to -1C. Above this temperature, a
facility’s entire heating requirement can be satisfied by a heat pump.
32 Daniel Overbey, “Gauging the Seasonal Efficiency of Air-Source Heat Pumps,” Building Enclosure,
February 23, 2015, https://www.buildingenclosureonline.com/blogs/14-the-be-blog/post/85012-gauging-
the-seasonal-efficiency-of-air-source-heat-pumps.
37
Figure 7 Air-source heat pump balance temperature
A historical analysis of local climate underscores the potential of air source heat pumps.
Table 12 sorts the 2015-2020 historical hourly temperatures recorded at Oshawa airport
into “bins” of temperature ranges.
Table 12 Historical heating hours by outdoor air temperature range
Table 12 illustrates that of the average 4,910 heating hours per year, 45% are between
2 C and 15 C, well within the capabilities of a hybrid rooftop HVAC unit. With the
addition of air-to-air heat recovery, the temperature range within reach of a heat pump
can be extended; over 85% of annual heating hours occur at outdoor air temperatures
between -7C and 15C, with an average COP greater than 3.
Temperature range
(C)
Hours per year
during heating
season
Percent of heating
season
Heat pump
Coefficient of
Performance
-27 to -25 4 0.08%1.82
-25 to -20 41 0.84%2.03
-20 to -15 104 2.12%2.31
-15 to -7 556 11.32%2.15
-7 to +2 2,333 41.34%2.89
+2 to +7 1244 25.34%3.11
+7 to +12 693 14.11%3.32
+12 to +15 239 4.87%3.56
Total 4,910 100.00%2.94
Notes: weather data from Oshawa airport, nominal 40-ton air-to-water heat pump
38
Planned implementations
Pickering currently plans to install heat pumps at three existing facilities within the
timeframe of this plan. These are listed on Table 13.
Table 13 Planned electrification measures
Renewable energy implementation
The City has made plans to significantly increase the amount of electricity supplied by
solar systems. Planned installations are shown on Table 14. In the past the City’s ability
to install PV systems was constrained by the grid’s distribution system, but there may
now be additional capacity.
These four facilities are expected to generate approximately 700,000 kWh/a once
implemented, based on the feasibility studies Pickering has undertaken. That amount of
electricity is approximately 10% of the anticipated electricity required at that time.
Table 14 Planned solar installations
Future renewable implementation planning should include for analysis of solar energy
potential and provision for an onsite islanded photovoltaic system that includes a battery
energy storage system (BESS) for full self-consumption of generated electricity and
UPS-speed seamless switchover from- and to-grid. This includes analysis of appropriate
loads to be serviced by the system, consideration of structural capacity of roof, rooftop
mechanical equipment or other encumbrances on the roof, electrical room spatial
requirements and cooling for transformers, inverters, transfer switch and BESS.
District Energy
The City of Pickering is continuously exploring partnership opportunities to develop
district energy. Municipalities are increasingly using district heating and cooling for
operations related to municipal buildings, multi-purpose facilities, and arenas. In
Ontario, several municipalities such as Guelph, Markham, Toronto, and Windsor have
district energy systems for their buildings.
Typically, district heating energy use will be dominated by space heating, with the
balance being used for domestic hot water heating and process loads. The majority of
Facility Action Time
East Shore CC & Senior's Centre Replace gas-fired rooftop units with hybrid heat
pump/gas units.
2025
George Ashe Library & Community Centre Replace gas-fired rooftop units with hybrid heat
pump/gas units.
2025
PMV Puterbaugh Schoolhouse Relocate building and install heat pump 2026
Facility Action Time
PMV Conservation Building Install 73 kW rooftop solar PV 2025
Operations Centre Install 454 kW rooftop solar PV 2027
Pickering Heritage and Community Centre Install 91 kW rooftop solar PV (new facility)2026
Seaton Recreation Complex and Library Install 91 kW rooftop solar PV (new facility)2029
39
district cooling energy is used for space cooling, with the balance being used for
process cooling, such as in data centres.
District energy can provide cost-effective heating, cooling, and/or electricity using local
energy sources. It can also reduce peak power demand, GHG emissions, and provide
backup power during emergencies resulting in increased community resiliency and
energy cost savings.
Water Conservation
Water conservation can have a significant impact on municipal energy use. Despite
improvements in household water conservation, Canada remains one of the largest per
capita users of fresh water in the world. Reducing water consumption and associated
wastewater means less energy consumed for pumping and treatment.
Domestic Hot Water (DHW), used primarily for handwashing and showering, also
requires large heat energy input. Due to the elevated temperatures and volume of hot
water required, DHW is typically heated using natural gas combustion.
Low-flow fixtures should be installed wherever possible, particularly for high-use shower
facilities such as pool change rooms.
Water conservation measures will continue to be developed and implemented.
New facilities and major retrofits
Several City facilities are within or beyond the last third of their expected lifecycles.
Deep retrofits to these facilities are difficult to justify, as neither the financial nor the
embodied-carbon investments will be offset by operational savings before the facility is
inevitably decommissioned. For new builds the opportunity exists to build fully electric
facilities whose operational carbon emissions can approach zero. Despite near-term
increases in electricity grid emissions, the amplifying benefit of electrical heat pump
efficiency and the potential for onsite electricity generation from renewable sources
mitigate the grid emissions. On the other hand, further construction of new conventional
gas-heated buildings would significantly hamper the City’s carbon reduction efforts for
many years.
Old buildings approaching end of life should be replaced with new net-zero carbon
buildings. Potential candidates are shown on Table 15. The new Pickering Heritage &
Community Centre is currently under construction and will be a net-zero facility.
Table 15 End-of-life buildings eligible to be decommissioned and replaced with new buildings
Old facility New facility Time
Don Beer Arena Seaton Recreation Complex & Library 2030
Fire Station # 5 Building to be replaced with new facility 2027
Greenwood CC Pickering Heritage & Community Centre 2027
Greenwood Library Pickering Heritage & Community Centre 2027
Mount Zion CC Pickering Heritage & Community Centre 2027
40
IMPACT OF ALL PLANNED MEASURES OVER TIME
The impact of all planned measures on overall greenhouse gas emissions is shown on
Figure 8. The figure illustrates the increase in emissions associated with the opening of
the new Operations Centre and Fire Hall #1, and conversely the substantial emissions
benefits achieved during the future potential decommissioning of older conventional
facilities such as Don Beer Arena and CHDRC when newer facilities come online.
Figure 8 Impact of proposed measures on greenhouse gas emissions (t CO2eq)
The figure indicates a rapid increase in Corporate building portfolio emissions this
decade, followed by a long-term decline. The decline is predicated on all new facilities
being zero operational carbon (i.e., no new fossil fuel HVAC equipment added to the
corporate portfolio) in concert with a predicted decline in grid emissions factor after
2033. Despite this projected decline, a comparison of 2018 to 2033 emissions shows
minimal absolute change to Corporate building portfolio emissions.
Further emission reductions will require additional measures to retrofit existing building
assets to reduce natural gas consumption. That would require focusing on the buildings
with the highest greenhouse gas emissions. These are shown on Table 4, above.
Recognizing that the environmental landscape will continue to evolve, future
refinements of this focus area will include processes for regular review and updates,
such as adjusting targets based on new technologies or changing circumstances, and
incorporating lessons learned from implemented projects.
41
9
FOCUS AREA 5: FLEET
DECARBONIZATION
In 2023, 35% of the City’s GHG emissions came from its fleet vehicle fossil fuel
consumption. Decarbonization of fleet operations will require separate intensive study.
Light-duty vehicles can be electric, though adjustments are likely required to current
operational procedures to accommodate periodic stops for recharging. During peak
periods, some City fleet vehicles are in operation 16-23 hours per day. The city will
consider detailed study of available telematics data to assist with identifying the most
appropriate candidate vehicles for electrification. Telematics devices retrieve data
generated by the vehicle, like GPS position and speed. The key will be to study current
means and methods to recognize natural pause periods when staff can be performing
other duties while vehicles are charging.
Medium-duty vehicles and equipment, which are typically diesel-fueled, may potentially
operate on renewable diesel fuel. Renewable diesel (RD) has 65% lower emissions
than petroleum diesel. Since RD is a drop-in replacement requiring no technical
modifications to the equipment, it leverages existing capital investments. However, it will
not be produced and available locally for several years. Importing RD from the United
States is possible via rail tanker. The City will consider the feasibility of partnering with
the Region of Durham and other lower-tier municipalities to achieve sufficient volume for
import.
Further refinement of this Focus Area will consider the available market solutions to
reduce fleet green house gas emissions, challenges of medium- and heavy-duty vehicle
electrification in a City that still has significant semi-rural area, and present the
successes to date with light-duty vehicle electrification for building inspectors and
electrification of landscaping trim-crew equipment.
Right-sizing vehicles
The concept of right-sizing vehicles refers to ensuring that a vehicle’s size and power
are selected appropriately to the vehicle’s primary end-use, and not for infrequent
events. This is often referred to as the 80/20 rule. However, the City currently operates
a lean fleet, where few vehicles are limited to a single end-use, such that vehicles are
often interchanged between staff or refitted to different uses depending on the season.
This is cost-effective and efficient but can be a hindrance to the purchase of small short-
range and lower-cost EVs dedicated to light-duty passenger use, for example.
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Fleet EV Availability
EVs are still higher-cost vehicles, due primarily to their battery packs. To improve the
profitability of EV offerings, vehicle manufacturers have targeted early adopters willing
and able to pay for high trim levels. The City purchases mainly base-model fleet
vehicles, which are only recently being offered as EVs in Canada. With the narrowing of
the purchase cost difference between an Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) vehicle and
an EV vehicle, the City will continue to evaluate appropriate EV use cases.
EV Charging
Electric Vehicle Charging stations were recently installed at the Operations Centre and
Chestnut Hill Developments Recreation Complex. Usage has been monitored and
findings will be presented in a forthcoming summary (Electric Vehicle Charging Pilot
Study). Financial viability and usage findings will be included.
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RECOMMENDATIONS
It is recommended that:
• Methods be explored to improve access to granular energy and emissions
data in a format which is conducive to data analysis
• Carbon tracking and GHG surplus/deficit metrics be developed and
attached to capital project and programming proposals
• The City adopt and refine the Tier 2 Energy Use Intensity and Greenhouse
Gas Intensity targets for new construction as defined in Focus Area 3:
Corporate Building Standard
• A framework be developed for identification and prioritization of emissions-
reduction capital projects and operational adjustments
• Fleet analytics be used to identify light-duty vehicles suitable for EVs
• Opportunities be explored for sourcing renewable diesel fuel, including
collaborative efforts to achieve sufficient volume to justify fuel import
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CONCLUSION
The CEMP and its focus areas will act as a living document to enable the City’s energy
management goals, foster a culture of conservation, leverage best practices and
technology, and learn from the projects undertaken throughout the 2019 to 2024 CEMP.
The City of Pickering is committed to environmental stewardship as a critical component
of its operations. By leveraging best practices and technology, the City will continue to
effectively integrate energy management into its operations. The City’s energy
management strategy guides the implementation of this Plan, with a three-pronged
approach consisting of the following elements:
1. Improving energy efficiency in the existing municipal building portfolio
2. Incorporating energy efficient technology and controls within the design
and construction of new facilities
3. Investing in renewable and alternative energy sources to reduce energy
consumption, GHG emissions and to improve community resilience
There are opportunities for further energy conservation through recommissioning of the
City’s existing buildings and incorporating conservation and sustainability into new
building designs.
Energy management relies upon members of Council and staff, at all levels,
understanding their role and playing a part in achieving the goals of the Plan.
Engagement will continue to play an integral part during the implementation period of
the CEMP.
Through this proactive approach, the City of Pickering will actively practice its culture of
conservation, continuous improvement, commitment to energy efficiency and will reduce
emissions.