In circumstances of extreme weather – such as heat warnings in summer due to soaring temperatures – Facilities Services works hard to ensure the York community can continue to comfortably learn, teach, work and live on its campuses, while balancing the University’s commitment to sustainability and helping to alleviate pressure on Ontario’s electricity grid.
High temperatures generate increased demand on the provincial energy grid, leading to more energy use, higher emissions, inflated costs and strain on the grid.
To keep the lights on during these surges, known as critical peak hours, Ontario’s Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) relies on a program called the Industrial Conservation Initiative (ICI). The goal is simple: encourage large institutions and businesses to reduce demand on the public power grid when it matters most.
As a result, York implemented a peak demand management program in Summer 2023 to uphold its commitment to a sustainable energy system in Ontario. This program, implemented at universities across the province, means York will reduce its energy use for approximately five hours on peak demand days to reduce emissions, save costs and alleviate strain on the grid.
By participating in the program this summer, it is estimated the University can save nearly $5.6 million in energy costs and reduce energy use by approximately six megawatts on peak days – which is equivalent to powering between 5,000 and 6,000 homes.
“In Facilities Services, our energy management team is constantly analyzing the data to see how we can optimize our systems, work with the provincial grid instead of against it, and contribute to sustainability and cost savings goals through our operations,” says Anthony Barbisan, assistant vice-president of Facilities Services. "The concept of the peak demand management program is simple, but it has real impact that will continue to grow.”
During critical peak hours, Facilities Services leverages York’s cogeneration facility to produce electricity on site, reducing York's reliance on the public grid to nearly zero. Waste heat from the cogeneration plant is captured and routed to large steam-driven chillers that support continued cooling for classes, events and research activities using recycled energy instead of grid electricity.
To maintain comfort during peak events, Facilities Services proactively cools campus buildings ahead of forecasted temperature peaks to retain cooler air through critical hours. Using classroom and event booking data from the Office of the University Registrar, cooling is directed to occupied areas and reduced in unoccupied spaces. Priority is also given to areas requiring consistent cooling for equipment, technology and research activity.
To help keep indoor spaces cool across York's campuses, community members are asked to keep exterior doors, windows and blinds closed and turn off unused lights.
Community members experiencing temperatures above 26°C in an occupied area should contact the Work Control Centre by emailing facilities@yorku.ca or calling 416-736-2100 ext. 22401.