Energy wastage identification

Operational Excellence

The university is dedicated to transforming administrative and operational practices to be more sustainable: reducing our use of carbon and energy with the goal of being a carbon-free campus, reducing waste and committing to environmentally responsible procurement.

Developing time-bound metrics that benchmark our progress across all strategic drivers is a priority and a responsibility shared by all McMaster leaders. The progress included here is a sample, with select waste management metrics, including total waste, waste diversion rate, and GHG emissions on campus. Ongoing efforts and initiatives will build on this foundation every reporting year.

McMaster aims to reduce its utility consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions aligned with the targets outlined in the Net-Zero Carbon Roadmap (Net Zero Roadmap).

The aim of the study was to:

• Establish McMaster’s baseline energy use and carbon emissions of the buildings within scope and vehicle fleet
• Evaluate the current emissions and energy usage
• Identify methods of carbon reduction
• Illustrate potential pathways of carbon reduction which integrate and sequence the various recommendations
• Identify a detailed carbon reduction target and recommended path.

A move from using natural gas to electricity as the main source of energy on campus would help with the transition to a low-carbon campus. The Energy Management Plan outlines how completed, ongoing, and future projects highlighted in this report will help us move towards our 2030 target, addressing the complex financial and regulatory systems we currently operate in.

Since 2019, McMaster has completed several energy projects, which includes the following: 

• Strobic Fan Upgrades: The project replaced old pneumatic dampers to DDC electronic at NRB and ABB for the high plume fans, resulting in savings of 22,000 kWh and 22.6 tonnes of CO2e. 

• Fish Tank Water System Retrofit: The fish tank research room at Life Sciences Building utilized potable water which drained to the sewage system. By implementing an updated filtration system, and adding recirculation modes, the annual water consumption was reduced by 41,000 m3 resulting in annual savings of $134,000.  

• Steam Traps Replacement: The steam distribution system at McMaster relies on stream traps to ensure proper steam distribution. Leaking traps are a major cause of energy loss due to the loss of condensate water. This project replaced old and leaky steam traps for better efficiency and energy savings. This project was completed in 2022 and it saved 99 tonnes of CO2e and $14,000 of annual gas savings.  

• Metering Upgrades: This project upgraded old meters and installed new meters for all utility services (electricity, chilled water, steam) for 90% of the buildings on campus. This will enhance monitoring and tracking of utility services, facilitating measurement and verification plans for energy projects going forward. The project was completed in 2023 with a project budget of $1,798,500.  

• Thermal Imaging Study – Campus Services Building: With advancements in aerial thermography (thermal scanning drones) combined with Artificial Intelligence algorithms, a pilot project utilized aerial thermography to perform a scan of the Campus Services Building (CSB) to help analyze the building façade. This technology pinpointed problematic envelope issues to quantify energy loss and indicated areas of leakages, responsible for an estimated energy loss of 313 MWh per year. An energy loss of up to 85 MWh per year can be prevented through building envelope measures. 

Ongoing projects (page 25) include: 

• LSB Greenhouse Geothermal Heat Pump System 

• Electric Boilers & Peak Shaving Generators 

• Demand Control Ventilation – Physics Wing 

• CSB and ADL Heat Pump Conversions 

• Cooling Tower Replacement 

• Recommissioning of the existing buildings 

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• Energy Management Dashboard:  

• • Real-time & historical data (municipal, domestic water, electricity); includes an app to engage the community with sustainable practices 

• • Facilities Services is implementing an Energy Resource Management Systems solution to  

• • • Record energy use (including energy waste identification) 

• • • Measure and report on low carbon energy used across campus 

• • • Identify efficiency opportunities 

• • • Collect utility bill data 

• • • Engage the community in learning and active action around energy management 

• • The system is expected to be implemented by summer 2025. 

As part of the Sustainability policy, the University is committed to minimizing the amount of waste generated on campus. To advance this goal, the University has the following objectives:

• conduct an annual waste audit to measure the amount of waste sent to landfill and recycled;
• publish waste audit data and related waste reduction work plan;
• plan and coordinate campus initiatives to reduce consumption of all materials, with a focus on plastics and single-use items destined for landfill;
• develop a campus-wide composting program that supports our waste management practices;
• where possible, purchase reusable products and attempt to extend the lifecycle of goods where appropriate;
• explore the use of digital information storage strategies that reduce or remove the need to use paper;
• ensure responsible management of hazardous waste (from all campus activities, including research, teaching and operations);
• ensure that products purchased at the University may be recycled by our waste management provider and ensure that recycling is widely available on campus; and
• develop and implement effective programs and practices that support the above objectives

Campus Plan 

The Campus Plan Steering Committee comprised a broad range of university leaders, faculty members, administrators, staff and student representatives. The role of the Steering Committee was to provide direction to the team in all aspects of the Campus Plan.  

A series of meetings, including an in-person design charette, were held with the Steering Committee throughout the duration of the Campus Plan stages.  

At the culmination of each stage of the Campus Plan process, a program of more formal presentations and discussions have been held with senior leadership groups across the university, providing the opportunity for review and comment in advance of the project moving forward to the next phase of its development. 

Energy and Sustainability Working Group (page 127) 

A series of meetings were held with the Energy and Sustainability working group from April through September 2022. Thematic meetings addressed the concepts of a strategy for sustainable buildings, the campus energy strategy, climate resilience and adaptation and benchmarks. The discussions were predominantly relying on the university’s Net Zero Carbon Roadmap and the university’s Sustainability Strategy 2022- 2026 for overall direction. The working group expressed support for the following initiatives: 

• Implement a low-carbon central energy infrastructure – many solutions are found in the Net Zero Carbon Roadmap, which are in development. These include a zoned campus geothermal thermal system, small modular reactor to generate electricity combined with an ice harvesting thermal loop, photo-voltaic array power generation and the limited use of peak-shaver units. 

• Implement a strategy for sustainable buildings – Mitigate climate change through efficient passive measures – use energy use intensity targets to reduce loads. 

• Adapt existing and new buildings for their resiliency and passive survivability; Thrive by creating and improving buildings to support human health and wellness  

• Prioritize passive measures to reduce energy use intensity and lower carbon emissions. 

• Increase resiliency on campus – design for future climate conditions. 

• Build healthy environments – monitor carbon dioxide in buildings and modulate ventilation rates, increase thermal comfort, daylighting, acoustic comfort and biophilia and locate amenities close to people spaces. 

• Implement building automation systems (BAS) and SMART building systems.  

• Develop building performance standards with guidance on using rating systems. 

Divestment Policy

Responsible Investing

In 2023/24, McMaster attained a significant milestone by achieving its 2030 goal of reducing the Investment Pool’s weighted average carbon intensity (WACI) by more than 75% six years earlier than originally targeted. Approved by the University’s Board of Governors, this achievement was driven by revisions to the University’s investment strategies, including transitioning the US Equities portfolio to a low-carbon investment strategy.

Each asset pool has a policy and procedure set by an oversight committee. The governance model including performance, strategies to address risks and opportunities, and climate-related metrics and targets are reported annually following the Task Force Recommendations for Climate-Related Financial Disclosures (“TCFD”), endorsed by Government of Canada. “The University seeks to support a positive societal impact that aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and, as such, will work to measure, track, and reduce carbon intensity across investments while increasing green revenues and holdings in sustainable, renewable, green, and other clean technologies.” (page 3)

• Environmental considerations (page 4)
  • How a company evaluates its operational impact and stewardship on physical natural resources and wild animal life, as well as the exposure of that company to the risks created by climate change. These factors include a company’s impact on climate change, including greenhouse gas emissions, biodiversity loss, deforestation, changing land use, air, water, natural resource depletion, waste management, along with impacts on animal habitat, and ocean acidification, as well as physical and transition risks to commercial operations.
• Permitted Investments (page 10)
  • The Fund Manager will promote alignment to widely accepted global standards relating to ESG, such as meeting the Paris Agreement targets. The Fund Manager shall exercise opportunities to divest itself from any company that fails to demonstrate, within a reasonable timeline, a transition plan with science-based metrics and targets aligned with UN-supported directions.
• Selection Requirements (page 13)
  • Demonstrate commitment to incorporate material ESG factors into its investment and stewardship activities
• Reporting Requirements (page 15)
  • Explain how climate-related opportunities are assessed at the pooled or segregated fund level, with explanation covering resource efficiency, energy source, products and services, new markets, and resilience, as defined by TCFD.

McMaster’s approach to divesting and decarbonizing our investments is three-pronged:

• Reduce investments in carbon-emitting companies: Continue to accelerate divestments in any fossil fuel holding company that fails to address carbon reduction milestones.
• Invest responsibly: McMaster’s investment managers regularly evaluate our investments to ensure McMaster’s investing policy is aligned with our environmental, social and governance (ESG) considerations and international standards, including the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, and the Paris Agreement’s net zero targets.
• Work in partnership to keep companies accountable: McMaster is part of the University Network for Investor Engagement, an advocacy and engagement group focused on increased company climate commitments. Through this and other groups, McMaster is using its voice to advocate for companies to reduce their carbon footprint.

Sustainable Procurement

McMaster’s Department of Strategic Procurement works closely with suppliers, students, faculty, and staff to ensure what we buy and how we buy aligns with our sustainability commitments.

Sustainable procurement involves evaluating products and services with the goal of providing the best value and ensuring that products and services purchased are as sustainable as possible, with the lowest environmental impact and most positive social change.

Local community education programmes and outreach for energy efficiency

McMaster actively promotes educational programmes for the local community to learn about the importance of energy efficiency, carbon footprint, and clean energy technology. 

Celebrating Nuclear Science Week at McMaster

International Nuclear Science Week is a time to celebrate nuclear research, education and impact. Activities include networking with nuclear industry leaders and grads, participating in hands-on educational nuclear science activities, touring the facility, and learning about the impact of the nuclear sector on the environment, society, and economy.

Community Energy Transition Workshop unites nationwide partners and researchers for dialogue on energy security in northern and remote communities

As Canada and First Nations look to a future of achieving safe, reliable and zero-emission energy, collaboration with residents from northern and remote communities is key to exploring viable and long-lasting solutions. The need to build relationships and mutual understanding inspired a two-day Community Energy Transition Workshop at McMaster University. McMaster and its co-host, First Nations Power Authority (FNPA), welcomed 50 attendees from Indigenous communities, government labs and academia across Canada.

Workshop guests had the opportunity to tour campus facilities, including Professor Jim Cotton’s ICE Harvest Lab where energy systems synergize to provide stable electricity, heating and cooling, and the McMaster Nuclear Reactor, Canada’s most powerful research reactor and the country’s primary neutron source.

McMaster Energy Week

McMaster Energy Week is Canada’s first student-led initiative that focuses on empowering university students to take control of their energy future. In their mission statement, the first priority is engagement “Awareness campaigns on social media for energy innovation and current energy challenges alongside interactive events throughout McMaster’s campus. Events including research poster showcases, energy lab tours, a speaker series, and more”. See the recap of their event series here.

McMaster Children and Youth University – EcoCar Workshop

Through providing students with interactive training, industry presentations and hours of real-world hands-on experience, the McMaster EcoCAR team helps build the next generation of engineers to address the future of mobility. The event is open to all, free of cost.

Canadian Nuclear Society Seminars at McMaster

The Canadian Nuclear Society (CNS) Golden Horsehsoe Branch is hosting educational technical seminars on the McMaster Main Campus. CNS is an organization interested in the education and dissemination of information in all areas of nuclear science and technology in Canada.

Center for Climate Change

The Center for Climate Change regularly hosts speaker series, academic seminars, and conferences on early warning and prevention of climate change impacts as well as on actions global citizens can take to mitigate the current widespread effects of greenhouse gas emissions. All members of the local community are able to register and attend, free of cost. Below are some of the notable mentions related to education on energy efficiency, and clean energy:

• Climate Change and Our Buildings – How do we de-carbonize them?
• Canada’s 2030 Greenhouse Gas Emission Target is Unachievable: What should Civil Society do about it?
• PEACH – A Climate Initiative for the Health Care Sector

100% renewable energy pledge

McMaster and 16 other leading Canadian universities, including the University of Toronto, McGill, and the University of British Columbia, have pledged to work together on sustainable investment. Commitments include aligning McMaster’s investing policies with the United Nations Principles of Responsible Investment (UN-PRI).

Beyond investing, McMaster is committed to reducing its carbon footprint and investing in further sustainable solutions on campus as well. For instance, McMaster’s Net Zero Carbon Roadmap (scroll down to Sustainability Strategy, Sustainability Reports and Net Zero Carbon Roadmap) was developed as a pathway to achieve net zero carbon emissions and McMaster’s university-wide Sustainability Strategy aims to engage students, faculty and staff in transforming our campus into a living laboratory for sustainability.

McMaster University is a national leader in investment decarbonization 

McMaster has reached its investment decarbonization goal six years ahead of schedule. 

The university has reduced the carbon footprint of its investments by close to 79 per cent. That is well ahead of the university’s goal of a 75 per cent reduction by 2030. 

The milestone was reached through a strategic rebalancing of the university’s investment pool portfolio over the past six years. 

McMaster has divested from higher-carbon holdings, which has resulted in a decrease in its holdings in the Carbon Underground 200 (CU200) to 1.6 per cent from 2.7 per cent last year.   

In another proactive move, McMaster has invested $10 million in a global fund which only invests in infrastructure such as wind and solar projects. This investment will grow to $30 million over the coming years. 

McMaster’s approach to divesting and decarbonizing its investments in carbon-emitting companies is three-pronged:  

• Reduce investments in carbon-emitting companies:?Continue to accelerate divestments in any fossil fuel holding company that fails to address the university’s carbon reduction milestones.  

• Invest responsibly:?McMaster’s investment managers regularly evaluate our investments to ensure they are aligned with our?environmental, social and governance?(ESG) considerations and international standards, including the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, and the Paris Agreement’s net zero targets.  

• Work in partnership to keep companies accountable:?McMaster is using its voice to advocate for companies to reduce their carbon footprint. The university is part of the University Network for Investor Engagement, an advocacy and engagement group focused on increasing company climate commitments, and the Shareholder Association for Research and Education, which helps steward responsible investing.   

As a signatory to the United Nations Principles for Responsible Investment (UNPRI) since 2021, McMaster is committed to ensuring that environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues are integrated in its investment decision-making process. 

Ask a McMaster expert: Net zero carbon campus 

To have net zero carbon emissions on campus, the equivalent amount of carbon released into the atmosphere to create energy used on campus must either be captured and repurposed or stored in the ground or captured in our trees. 

McMaster is installing two new electric boilers, reducing carbon emissions on campus by 23 per cent. 

The new electric boilers will be operated as demand responsive electrification of heating, which beneficially electrifies heating with carbon-free electricity during low demand, but avoids adding to grid-wide peak demand, keeping electricity costs lower for both campus and all provincial ratepayers. 

New electric boilers will reduce campus carbon emissions 23 per cent 

Reducing overall campus emissions 75 per cent by 2030 is a major part of the university’s Net Zero Carbon Roadmap.?From renewable energy initiatives to smart buildings, McMaster is investing in and working toward a greener future, says McMaster President David Farrar. 

The Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Canada is funding just over $2 million for the boilers, part of an investment of approximately $9 million for Ontario universities to undertake critical infrastructure improvements that directly tackle carbon emissions. 

The funding is part of the federal government’s new Decarbonization Incentive Program, which supports projects that will use commercially available and/or proven low-carbon technologies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. 

The remaining funding for the boilers is coming from the money McMaster will save on electricity by using peak shaver generators. 

These are generators that are expected to run no more than 100 hours a year, starting in 2024. They represent up to 2 per cent of McMaster’s total carbon emissions. 

Peak shaver generators will only provide energy to campus on the hottest days of summer when the provincial electrical system is nearing peak capacity. 

Significant noise mitigation measures have been put in place that meet all environmental and emission standards, and an additional noise audit will be conducted after testing is complete. 

The university’s Net Zero Carbon Roadmap also includes recommendations like geothermal heating and cooling, waste-water heat recovery and electrifying the fleet of service vehicles on campus. Renewable energy production using photovoltaic installations and carbon capture strategies are also potential future elements of the plan. 

The Roadmap is presently being updated to determine if a more aggressive timeline can be achieved and to confirm the best approach to accomplish net zero. 

Energy efficiency services for industry

Nuclear @ McMaster offers products and services that are available to academia and industry. This includes offerings from nine nuclear facilities positioned across multiple domains, including environment, health, and materials.

McMaster researchers and students are collaborating with local industry to improve energy efficiency. With support from 19 industry partners and 30 municipalities, researcher Jim Cotton’s Integrated Community Energy and Harvesting (ICE-Harvest) system captures waste heat from various parts of the community, like sports arenas and grocery stores, and transfers this energy to other buildings using a combination of technologies, such as thermal and electrical storage.

Industry partnerships power research in Energy Storage Lab

Gillian Goward, lead of McMaster’s Magnetic Resonance & Materials for Energy Storage Lab, and her team of postdocs, graduate and undergraduate students combine spectroscopic and electrochemical methods to understand the microscopic details that lead to the production of better battery and fuel cell technologies that power electric vehicles. From day one, Gillian’s enlisted the help of industry partners – from international corporations with global research and development centres to medium and smaller sized companies and start-ups.  Her roster of partners has included General Motors and Ballard Power Systems, GBatteries, Salient Energy, Li-Cycle and other research groups at McMaster. Together, they’ve worked on fuel cells, lithium ion and zinc ion batteries along with battery recycling plus other emerging technologies in the field of sustainable chemistry.

Sustainability and Energy Efficiency at McMaster Innovation Park

McMaster Innovation Park (MIP) embarked on its mission of nurturing research and innovation in 2005 with the purchase of the 37-acre CAMCO (Canadian Appliance Manufacturing Company) property on Longwood Road. MIP’s vision is to:

• Foster an innovation culture with state-of-the-art infrastructure.
• Demonstrate research excellence and build on current research and technological development in the emerging areas of Business Incubators, Accelerators and Clusters, Life Sciences, Advanced Materials and Manufacturing and Aerospace.
• Support the activity of world class research supporting competitive advantage, environment and community.
• Connect to industry with the information and research it needs to succeed.
• Lead in sustainable design and in so doing develop and transfer new technologies in energy conservation.

Nuclear Operations & Facilities welcomes new Director, Nuclear Commercial Products and Services

A key member of McMaster’s nuclear leadership team, Jimmink will lead efforts to enhance and expand commercial operations, products and services at NO&F.

As Director, Nuclear Commercial Products and Services, Jimmink will oversee the development and commercialization of NO&F’s nuclear products, including the safe, secure, and effective production and sale of commercial medical isotopes and laboratory services. Jimmink will also lead strategic planning for commercial operations at the University’s nuclear research facilities and develop and maintain strategic partnerships with suppliers and customers to ensure reliable supply of medical isotopes to patients.

Assistance to low carbon innovation

Sustainability and Energy Efficiency at McMaster Innovation Park

McMaster Innovation Park (MIP) embarked on its mission of nurturing research and innovation in 2005 with the purchase of the 37-acre CAMCO (Canadian Appliance Manufacturing Company) property on Longwood Road. MIP’s vision is to:

• Foster an innovation culture with state-of-the-art infrastructure.
• Demonstrate research excellence and build on current research and technological development in the emerging areas of Business Incubators, Accelerators and Clusters, Life Sciences, Advanced Materials and Manufacturing and Aerospace.
• Support the activity of world class research supporting competitive advantage, environment and community.
• Connect to industry with the information and research it needs to succeed.
• Lead in sustainable design and in so doing develop and transfer new technologies in energy conservation.

Three innovative McMaster startups awarded seed funding

Co-founded by mechanical engineering professor, James Cotton, and research lab manager at the McMaster Institute for Energy Studies, Jeffrey Girard, HARvEST aims to support decarbonization of the restaurant industry with their fuel-less, carbon-free hot water heating system. This company received $256,000 in seed funding from the McMaster Seed Fund Investments. As an engineering professor and director of one of the world’s leading academic research programs in transportation electrification and smart mobility, Ali Emadi is founder, president and CEO of Enedym Inc., a McMaster spin-off company that is powering a new paradigm in the electric motor industry through novel switched reluctance motor (SRM) drive technologies.

The Forge at McMaster University

The Forge is an entrepreneurial hub backed by McMaster University, catering to startups in the Hamilton, Greater Toronto, and Niagara Regions. Established in 2015, we actively engage with entrepreneurs, providing them comprehensive support in transforming their business concepts into thriving ventures. Regardless of industry, The Forge offers cohort-based programs to facilitate idea development, validation, and ultimately, sustainable growth. Our community of startups embodies resilience, creativity, and the drive to redefine the future. These companies exemplify the spirit of entrepreneurship that The Forge aims to cultivate, and we’re excited to be a part of their ongoing success. Relevant mentions include:

• AP Renewables
  • We developed SCADAScope technology that gives the owners of renewable energy assets, like wind and solar, the insight to have higher production and lower costs.
• HYGN Energy Inc.
  • Gas and diesel engines are being regulated out, and renewable power requires energy storage. HYGN has developed patent pending hydrogen production, storage, and electricity generation technology for decentralized solutions in both harsh and urban environments. This solution involves no toxic or rare earth materials, no extreme manufacturing processes, only produces water as exhaust, and is virtually entirely recyclable.

McMaster Seed Fund

McMaster University established the McMaster Seed Fund (MSF) in 2021 to support the development of research-intensive and innovative startups with the potential to deliver significant economic and societal benefits to Canada. The fund aims to maximize the impact of McMaster’s research by investing in new business ventures involving one or more members of the McMaster community. These ventures translate groundbreaking research or knowledge generated at the University or its affiliated hospitals into socio-economic benefits. The application requirements further specify that as part of the investment criteria, businesses must demonstrate “Alignment with McMaster’s strategic plan, e.g. fits with at least one United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, and demonstrable benefit to Canada.”