Energy and Mines Ministers’ Conference

In 2007, the Council of Energy Ministers (CEM) released Moving Forward on Energy Efficiency in Canada: A Foundation for Action and asked federal, provincial and territorial jurisdictions to continue working through the Assistant Deputy Ministers’ Steering Committee on Energy Efficiency to improve energy efficiency across Canada. 

The new tools will be available for interested CEM jurisdictions to adopt for their own use through their own programs and measures as they see fit. The committee and its working groups developed tools and programs to improve the energy efficiency of trucks, industry, buildings and communities.

This level of cross-jurisdictional cooperation on energy efficiency initiatives is unprecedented.  With federal, provincial and territorial jurisdictions working together to develop these energy efficiency tools and initiatives, the end result will be more effective program delivery across Canada.  This collaborative approach avoids duplication, reduces administrative costs, and allows lessons learned and best practices to be shared to the benefit of all. 

Smart Trucks
Trucking represents the fastest growing energy demand in Canada. Even though a range of fuel-saving aerodynamic devices are currently available at relatively low cost across Canada, the trucking industry has indicated that these devices are not being more widely used because truck owners and operators lack awareness and information about their benefits and costs.

On the Road to a Fuel Efficient Truck: A Guide for Purchasing Aerodynamics for Heavy-Duty Tractors and Trailers identifies key aerodynamic devices that can be added to heavy-duty trucks to increase fuel efficiency.  The Guide gives truck owners and operators the information they need to select, install, maintain and drive with key aerodynamic devices, as well as instructions on calculating resulting fuel savings and return on investment.
 
Smart Industry
An Energy Management Information Systems (EMIS) Audit and Implementation Plan Manual and Tool has been developed to make energy use more visible, encourage better tracking, and promote energy management investment by industry. It will be delivered by interested jurisdictions to industrial energy users and includes an Energy Management Information Systems Audit to identify the opportunities and costs of energy saving investments, as well as an Implementation Plan for preparing a technical and financial business case for implementing an EMIS.  This manual and tool will support the introduction of an international standard on energy use, currently under development for 2010 by 27 countries, including Canada.

Smart Buildings
Two initiatives will help commercial and institutional building owners and managers benchmark similar buildings and operate them at peak efficiency. The first is the development of a Canadian energy benchmarking database that enables building owners and operators to measure and compare the energy use in their buildings with other buildings of a similar type across Canada.  Actions resulting from building benchmarking and labelling are estimated to save between 3 and 5 per cent of energy use.

Most buildings, including those that are already highly efficient, can generate energy savings between 5 and 15 percent when actions are taken to ensure operation at peak efficiency.  The benefits and application of these processes, called commissioning (for new buildings) and recommissioning (for existing buildings) may be communicated to the building industry through distribution of the second tool, a Recommissioning Guide for Building Owners and Managers and two training courses.

Smart Communities
Conventionally, energy use choices are made at the individual level by homeowners, building operators, car drivers, and other energy users.  However, when the supply and use of energy are considered at the community level, known as integrated community energy solutions, significant opportunities for savings can be identified. For example, energy performance is increased when energy waste from one facility is used by another and when energy planning capitalizes on the synergies between different sectors of the economy. Early estimates by the organization, Quality Urban Energy Systems of Tomorrow, peg energy savings at 40 to 50 per cent over the long term when compared to conventional practices.

However, aligning energy supply and distribution, buildings, transportation, land use and other elements is a significant undertaking.  To provide jurisdictions with options to improve energy efficiency at the community level, Integrated Community Energy Solutions: A Roadmap for Action has been developed.  The Roadmap focuses on the role Council of Energy Ministers jurisdictions can play, in concert with other organizations, to promote a better understanding of the benefits of integrated energy planning and implementation.  Interested jurisdictions can select measures from the Roadmap for implementation as they see fit and further collaborative actions may be developed.

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