Energy

Overview

McMaster University is committed to reducing its energy consumption, implementing conservation programs, and promoting energy efficiency.

The Office of Sustainability provides tools and information regarding best practices to promote energy conservation, and can assist in implementing energy conservation programs to engage staff, faculty and students to practice energy efficiency.

In 2005 McMaster became the first university in Ontario to develop and implement a sustainable building policy. This policy states that every new building on campus will have a minimum of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver Certification. The return on the LEED investment includes savings and efficiencies in utilities and other operating costs over the building’s lifespan.

Learn more about the Campus Renewal Partnership, an initiative conducted at McMaster between 2003 and 2005.

Buildings that have LEED Certification or Intended LEED Certification:

Les Prince Hall Building: LEED Certified
David Braley Athletic Centre: LEED Certified
Burke Science Building: LEED Silver Certified
Engineering Technology Building:
LEED Gold Certified
Ron Joyce Centre: LEED Gold Certified
C.E. Burke Science Building: LEED Silver Certified
Nuclear Research Building: LEED Gold Certified
The CANMET building at McMaster's Innovation Park: Targeted LEED Platinum Certification
Halton-McMaster Family Medecine Centre: Targeted LEED Silver Certification
McMaster Health Campus: Targeted LEED Silver Certification
Wilson Building for Studies in Humanities and Social Science: Targeted LEED Platinum Certification
Ivor Wynne Centre: Targeted LEED Silver Certification
McMaster Automotive Resource Centre: Targeted LEED Silver Certification

December 19, 2011

News and Events

Watch Video

Vending Machine Energy Use

In 2011, a group of managers taking part in McMaster’s Advanced Leadership and Management (CALM) course which is offered through McMaster's Centre for Continuing Education (CCE) defined an initiative to help save energy on campus.

The group identified a total of 53 Pepsi vending machines on main campus alone, which operate 24 hours each day, and consume enough energy to power over 13 homes (http://oee.nrcan.gc.ca/).

It was therefore determined that improving the operating efficiency of these machines could provide notable energy savings for McMaster and that this opportunity should be investigated further.

View the Full Report here.

2011 Residence-Wide Energy Challenge

March 1st-March 21st 2011

To help promote sustainable living practices and encourage energy conservation, McMaster's residence students took part in a friendly competition to determine which residence can reduce their energy consumption by the greatest amount. Learn More.

Climate Action

McMaster University has worked with Zero Footprint to complete a campus-wide Greenhouse Gas Inventory for the baseline year of 2007. This inventory provided the foundation for which to build McMaster's Climate Action Plan.