The University of Toronto student chapter of the Canadian/National Electrical Contractors Association (CECA/NECA) is preparing to once again compete in the annual ELECTI International’s Green Energy Challenge where last year they were one of three finalists and the only Canadian university participating in the final round in Boston. This year they are hoping to walk away with top honours.
The team, with winning ambitions, have identified the Waterfront Neighbourhood Community Centre located at Bathurst Street and Queens Quay to benefit from their green energy retrofit proposal. Partnering with the non-profit organization, which offers seniors services, youth leadership development opportunities and other community programming, the U of T CECA/NECA student chapter is hoping to bolster the Centre’s mission to create a safe and supportive environment for people of all ages in a green way.
“We have completed an in-depth energy audit of the Centre, analyzing lights, plug loads and many other energy consumption items,” said Mackenzie de Carle (CIV 1T7 + PEY). “Beyond a physical analysis, we have also surveyed and interviewed the staff and participants to understand how the building is being used. We want to ensure our proposal is comprehensive and will delivery the best green results for everyone.”
Reaching outside the Centre’s walls, the students teamed up with the After 4 Program teaching school-age children about sustainable buildings through experiments and designing their own green buildings. On Earth Day, the team took part in the Centre’s event providing public education on electricity bills and grants, as well as energy conservation and reduction strategies.
This year’s 2017 Green Energy Challenge will take place in Seattle from October 7th to 10th. The U of T team members include: Mackenzie de Carle (CIV 1T7 + PEY), Samson Tran (CIV 1T8), Zhenglin Liu (Mech 1T9), Sneha Adihiari (CIV 1T8), Nataliya Pekar (CIV 1T7 + PEY), Patrick Minardi (CIV 1T7 + PEY), Gordon Wong (CIV 1T8), Jonathan Shing (Mech 1T7), Rashad Brugmann (CIV 1T9) , Greg Peniuk (Eng Sci 1T6 + PEY), and Andy Ming (CIV 1T9).
The team thanks the ongoing supervision from Professor Brenda McCabe and the support of their sponsors: CECA, Alltrade, Graybar, Greater Toronto Electrical Contractors Association, Black & McDonald, and City of Toronto.