Smart buildings firm Johnson Controls is helping more than 125 school districts in Canada address deferred maintenance through future-ready infrastructure improvements.

The resulting school facilities are better equipped to help deliver safe, healthy, connected and sustainable learning experiences.

“Hundreds of schools across Canada are contending with an intimidating backlog of building updates that simply cannot wait,” said Maureen Blase, vice president at Johnson Controls. “Through creative funding and years of experience, our expert team makes it possible for school district leaders to make critical improvements right now so they can reap the benefits as soon as possible.”

Funding procurement methods such as OpenBlue Net Zero buildings-as-a-service, a turnkey portfolio with a full spectrum of sustainability offerings, as well as government relief funds, can finance facility updates without impacting already limited budgets.

Johnson Controls collaborated with school district leaders across Canadian provinces and territories to audit existing infrastructure, identify funding opportunities, align updates with net zero and healthy buildings goals, implement and integrate technology, and deliver long-term resiliency through ongoing optimisation and maintenance.

To reduce its infrastructure improvement backlog and standardise building systems, Johnson Controls collaborated with Canadian Rockies School under a performance contract. The division-wide updates will include lighting upgrades as well as air conditioning and heating improvements. For better management and more efficient maintenance, Johnson Controls will overhaul the buildings’ controls system to an upgraded building automation system (BAS) and install smart water metering for optimised energy and water consumption. The project is estimated to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 726 tons and save approximately $105,000 annually.

“Working with Johnson Controls has allowed us to address deferred maintenance while making sustainability a priority,” said Mike Guindon, secretary-treasurer at Canadian Rockies School. “And by engaging through a performance contract, we can make these critical updates without diverting from our budget.”

Lethbridge School partnered with Johnson Controls for improvements in five facilities, with upgrades that include LED lighting fixtures and heating and cooling equipment, all of which can reduce maintenance and energy costs. In addition to improving asset performance, the upgrades should enhance the learning environment so students and teachers can focus on their curriculum.

The two-phased project will be funded by energy and operational savings through a performance contract. The division is expected to generate approximately $224,600 in energy savings and reduce GHG emissions by 1056 tons annually. The healthier environment should aid in community wellness and job creation, and deliver a long-term economic impact of $12.4m for Lethbridge.

“We’ve seen how a comfortable learning environment helps students reach their full potential,” said Christine Lee, associate superintendent at Lethbridge School. “We’re excited to see how our investment in infrastructure supports academic achievement throughout the division, and we’re proud to support a greener community through sustainable upgrades to our facilities.”

With its buildings unoccupied in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, Medicine Hat Catholic Board of Education (MHCBE) seized the opportunity to address deferred maintenance while taking bold steps towards decarbonisation in its nine schools.

Through a performance contract with little capital required from MHCBE, Johnson Controls made $2.9m in improvements, including the implementation of LED lighting, heating and cooling replacements and an emergency lockdown system. Through the integration of an interoperable BAS, the schools are now connected within a single platform, enabling energy optimisation.

The project was completed in time for the 2021 autumn semester, and MHCBE is now on track to generate $86,700 in savings every year and reduce GHG emissions by 448 tons annually.

“After previously working with Johnson Controls within another jurisdiction, I wanted to bring that same success to MHCBE,” said Dwayne Zarichny, superintendent at MHCBE. “Operating under a performance contract allowed us to act quickly to take advantage of our unoccupied buildings to welcome our students back for the fall semester with modernised facilities. Johnson Controls creative funding options gave us the flexibility to accelerate updates and continue to put students first.”

To improve energy efficiency within five of its schools, Brandon School engaged with Johnson Controls under a performance contract to implement lighting retrofits. After performing a detailed audit of existing fixtures, Johnson Controls experts installed LED lighting in two phases.

The project is estimated to generate more than $50,000 in savings annually while reducing energy consumption by more than 876,000kWh per year. The energy conservation measures will make for a greener school division while freeing up capital that can be diverted to student learning and wellness.

“We have a responsibility to our students, faculty and the surrounding community to prioritise sustainability and wellness” said Caroline Cramer, director of facilities and transportation at Brandon School. “Partnering with Johnson Controls gave us the tools to help meet our energy efficiency goals while remaining cost-effective.”