Water taps: The invisible cost that will run you dry
By: Margaux Berry As condo board president of 68 Abell St. condominium in Little Portugal, Toronto, I know a thing or two about building operations. You might be surprised that the biggest invisible cost is water. In 2019, the average...
Roll Call: Where are the early adopters?
We need more early adopters. Early adopters are the first customers to embrace a new product or technology before the majority of the population does. They are a generation of risk-takers that say with a resounding “yes!” that they believe...
Cool off on AC to cool down greenhouse gas emissions
It’s summer in the city and, if you listen carefully, you can hear the whir of air conditioning (AC) units running across the city. These machines help residential, high-rise dwellers stay cool in the summer — especially during pandemic lockdowns;...
Harvesting the “low hanging fruit” for sustainable solutions
Imagine having $50 billion dollars over 5 years to make Canada a more sustainable country. That’s what the Task Force for a Resilient Recovery is asking the government for with the goal to get Canadians back to work while also...
Igniting tenant participation in summer energy savings
Energy efficiency and cost savings are often top of mind for property managers, especially in summer when high temperatures drive tenants to more frequently adjust thermostats in order to stay cool and comfortable in their suites. Building-wide thermostat fluctuations can...
Tapping into hot water energy savings
Hot and cold water are at the top of the food chain when it comes to a homeowner’s hierarchy of needs. Of course, we need cold water for a host of day-to-day household operations like flushing toilets but hot water...
Living in the city with AC isn’t easy – but it can be
After the long, hard, cold hours of winter, Canadians relish the days when summer officially arrives. We tend to love everything about the season; accessing parks, convening with friends for summer libation and soaking up the heat almost of us...
A conversation can change the world
We first acknowledged climate change in the mid-to-late 1980s and since then politicians, governments, and other environmental champions have tried to identify the best ways to articulate the impact of this issue. Positively communicating about the climate can offer valuable...
Just Breathe: Air ventilation could be the key to a healthier home
Our home. Our abode. Our sanctuary. Wherever you call home, it should be a clean and healthy place to recharge for your own health and wellbeing. Considering we spend 90% of our time at home, our priority should be making...
The Anatomy of an HVAC System
If you looked at the anatomy of a building, and located the heating, cooling, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system, it would compare to that of human lungs. A network of channels wove throughout a building that delivers freshly ventilated...
