McGill has joined Hydro-Québec’s new province-wide initiative to champion responsible energy use in large buildings.
The University is one of 20 founding members of Hydro-Québec’s Alliance des bâtiments exemplaires (Alliance for Exemplary Buildings), which launched at the beginning of November.
The hydroelectricity provider said its goal is to create a movement that will accelerate Quebec’s transition to clean energy and reduce demands on the power grid, while educating the public about the role that major institutions and businesses can play in reducing the province’s overall energy footprint.
By joining the Alliance, members agree to optimize their energy practices through measures like turning off lights when not in use, limiting the amount of energy used for heating and cooling, and leveraging high-efficiency technologies.
Each Alliance member has chosen one building to showcase in a Hydro-Québec awareness campaign, which will run in television ads and on billboards throughout November and December. McGill’s McCall MacBain Arts Building will be featured alongside 1000 de la Gauchetière, Place des Arts, Place Ville Marie and other well-known locations in downtown Montreal and Quebec City.
The Alliance includes three other Quebec universities (Concordia University, Université de Montréal and Université Laval), as well as museums, banks, government bodies and companies that own large buildings – all chosen because they have already invested significantly in energy efficiency.
“McGill is proud to be joining a locally driven initiative with other Quebec organizations that have committed to leading] the way on energy efficiency,” said Fabrice Labeau, Vice-President of Administration and Finance. “It is important to hold each other accountable for the way we use resources, and I look forward to seeing the snowball effect as other organizations follow suit.”
McGill recognized for energy recovery technologies
As part of its awareness campaign, Hydro-Québec is highlighting McGill’s innovative work on smart energy grids, which allow for heat recovery and exchange between campus buildings. The McCall MacBain Arts Building is part of one such grid.
“If a building is producing heat or cooling that is not being used, it can be shared with other buildings,” explained Frédéric Samson, Director of Utilities and Energy Management at McGill. “By doing this, we’re reducing the energy that we need to inject in our grid by recycling what’s already available.”
As of 2024, the implementation of energy recovery systems in three sectors of McGill’s downtown campus had led to a 14-per-cent drop in steam consumption compared to 2017 levels. This is equivalent to removing about 2,400 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions annually.
“There’s still a lot of potential for improvement,” said Samson, explaining that his team is looking at extending smart energy grids to more buildings, replacing inefficient equipment and exploring the use of geothermal energy on campus.
“This is all part of our roadmap to fully de-carbonize our energy systems and achieve carbon neutrality by 2040,” said Sophie Bolduc, Interim Associate Vice-President of Facilities Management and Ancillary Services. “We’re grateful to Hydro-Québec for recognizing our ongoing work and for this opportunity to be part of a collective effort that will benefit the entire province.”