Earth Day is recognized annually on April 22. This year's theme, Our Power, Our Planet, invites everyone to unite behind renewable energy, to triple clean electricity by 2030. As people around the world celebrate the planet today and recommit to climate action, we pause to reflect on the ways the University of Waterloo is making advancements to improve energy literacy and conservation on campus.
Since its construction, solar panels have been a key feature of Environment 3 (EV3). When they were installed a decade ago, they produced 67,000 kW-hours per year, roughly the amount to power seven homes. It was one of several features that led to EV3 being recognized as the first LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Platinum certified building on an Ontario campus.
With support from a Canada Foundation for Innovation grant, additional solar panels and brand-new measurement equipment were installed this past year. It was part of a revitalization project that was overseen by Dr. Paul Parker and Dr. Ian Rowlands in the Faculty of Environment, and Dr. Costa Kapsis in the Faculty of Engineering. Now, this work is bringing fresh research opportunities to benefit both campus and community.
Enhancing energy literacy in our community
With the new measurement equipment up and running, Environment researchers and students are exploring how to use it to enhance energy literacy among EV3 occupants and visitors. A survey conducted by students in the course GEMCC 690: Climate Change Projects is gathering insights on what data might inspire sustainable behaviors. This work is not just theoretical-it's paving the way for a planned interactive display in EV3 or a web-based tool that could help building users learn about energy production and consumption patterns.
"Depending on the time of day, the Ontario power grid is more or less carbon intensive," explains Ian Rowlands, professor in the Faculty of Environment. "We are hoping an energy literacy project like this will help our building occupants and visitors think about their usage, like when they plug in their phone or laptop. If they are cognizant of those lower carbon times or solar production times, perhaps it will inform when they plug in."
