CENTRAL QUÉBEC SCHOOL BOARD
School Board Improves Energy Efficiency in 19 Facilities

The members of the Council of Commissioners of the Central Québec School Board (CQSB) recently announced the completion of its 18-month-long energy efficiency project. The wide-reaching initiative included nineteen (19) facilities situated in various areas of the province, ranging from the Mauricie administrative region to Northern Québec, including the National Capital and Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean.

Aerothermal heat pumps installed on the roof of Quebec High School 
Photo credit Énergère
 

"The Council of Commissioners has invested more than $6 million in this extensive energy saving project and have benefited from $1.2 million in grants from the Ministry of Education, Leisure and Sports (MELS), Hydro Québec and Énergir, formerly known as Gaz Métro," mentions Mr. Stephen Burke, Chairman of the CQSB's Council of Commissioners.

"Thanks to its expertise, Énergère has conceived and implemented 93 energy efficiency measures. We guarantee $411,000 in energy savings and anticipate $117,600 in yearly maintenance savings. Our team will monitor the project's performance until 2028, thus securing our client's investment," outlines Mr. Simon Fournier, Project Manager at Énergère.

"Throughout this project, we have modernized approximately 10,700 interior and exterior lighting fixtures to light-emitting diode (LED) technology and considerably upgraded our heating system control. Ten (10) facilities are now equipped with central control systems which can be remotely managed by the material resources team. Also, nine (9) boiler rooms were revamped, leading to a significant maintenance cost reduction. We are especially proud of Quebec High School's energy recovery and redistribution network. The building now uses renewable energy thanks to two (2) aerothermal units, a well-proven technology allowing continuous transfer of outside air energy into the heating network," indicates Mr. Burke.

On the environmental front, the project generates yearly energy savings of 5.3 million kWh, comparable to the power consumption of 265 households. The project also provides a reduction of 979 tons in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, equal to taking 303 cars off the road every year. All things considered, the CQSB will improve its energy performance by 40% and lower its GHG emissions by 43.5% annually.

In addition, a communications campaign will unfold in the nineteen (19) CQSB facilities between February and May 2018. This operation aims for increased awareness in students and staff members on the subject of energy efficiency by means of a poster campaign, an informative video and various contests.

"We are proud to have conducted this project, which will enhance user comfort and lower CQSB's environmental footprint," concludes Mr. Burke.

The nineteen (19) buildings transformed by the project are:

• Eight (8) Elementary Schools: Mauricie English Elementary School, Everest Elementary School, Holland Elementary School, Ste-Foy Elementary School, St. Vincent School, Valcartier Elementary School, Riverside Regional Elementary School and Portneuf Elementary School.
• Five (5) Combined Schools (Elementary and High Schools): La Tuque High School, Shawinigan High School, Dollard-des-Ormeaux School, MacLean Memorial School, A.S. Johnson Memorial High School/St. Patrick's Elementary School.
• Four (4) High Schools: Quebec High School, St. Patrick's High School, Riverside Regional High School and Three Rivers Academy.
• One (1) Adult and Vocational Education Centre: Eastern Québec Learning Centre
• One (1) Administrative Offices: Central Québec School Board