Communication Services

We’re taking action to reduce CNC’s carbon footprint and operating costs around energy, but we can’t do it alone. We believe greening CNC comes from the grassroots, and that means we need your help.

You’re empowered to save power and can help by:

Turning the lights off if you are the last person to leave a room.

Turning computers off if they are not being used.

Reducing paper, plastic and aluminum can usage when possible and recycling what you do use.

Joining CNC’s Green Team and sharing your ideas and enthusiasm for the environment. Email CNC communications manager Randall Heidt at heidtr@cnc.bc.ca

Here are some of the green things we’ve done:

The CNC Board of Governors has gone paperless with its agendas, which saves thousands of sheets of paper per year.

CNC’s IT department has completed numerous projects that reduce energy and paper consumption including: installing and training staff on the use of video conferencing and paperless management software; setting printer and photocopier defaults to double-sided; purchasing server virtualisation software; applying auto-sleep settings on printers, copiers and fax machines.

Turned off lights in areas with adequate natural light.

Closed underutilized computer labs and directed users to a central location in the library.

Reduced air conditioning, lighting and heating in areas that are not being utilized.

Turned off the water heater in the recreation area during slow times in order to save energy.

We’ve also commissioned a detailed feasibility study to identify and quantify energy conservation opportunities in upgrading the Prince George campus power plant that heats and cools the majority of buildings. We hope to implement some recommendations this year.

CNC will be submitting an application to BC Hydro to include the Brink Building in Hydro’s Continuous Optimisation Program that will facilitate managing energy use in that building.

The new buildings in Prince George and Quesnel are targeting LEED Gold certification.

A T12 to T8 fluorescent lighting retrofit was completed in March 2009 at the Prince George campus.

A lighting retrofit has been completed in the gymnasium, thanks in part to funding from B.C. Hydro.

A comprehensive lighting retrofit is being considered for the Main Campus buildings.

We continue to track our electricity and natural gas consumption on a monthly basis.

CNC will be focusing on the following key areas of greenhouse gas reduction over the next three years:

Continuing development of a long-term strategic energy management plan including prioritising and implementing energy conservation capital projects as funding allows;

Improving awareness and engagement of staff and students regarding energy and greenhouse gas reduction;

Aligning CNC policy with energy and greenhouse gas reduction plans.

If you’ve done something green at CNC, send us an email at heidtr@cnc.bc.ca and let us know what it is.