MANAGING ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND

RENEWABLE ENERGY PROJECTS

MODULE 1: AN INTRODUCTION TO SUSTAINABLE ENERGY
COURSE NOTES

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

MANAGING ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND RENEWABLE ENERGY PROJECTS 3

AN INTRODUCTION TO SUSTAINABLE ENERGY 5

SUSTAINABILITY 6

UNDERSTANDING OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH ENERGY 8

ESSENTIAL SKILLS FOR MANAGING SUSTAINABLE ENERGY PROJECTS 10

KNOWLEDGE CHECK: MODULE IN REVIEW 12

APPENDIX A: ANSWERS AND FEEDBACK

Pre-Course Quiz i

Knowledge Check: Module in Review ii

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MODULE 1: AN INTRODUCTION TO SUSTAINABLE ENERGY | COURSE NOTES

MANAGING ENERGY EFFICIENCY

AND RENEWABLE ENERGY PROJECTS
OVERVIEW
Welcome to ECO Canada’s Managing Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Projects
online training program. This program provides ideas about how to adopt and
promote sustainable energy practices in all your personal and professional activities.

Increasingly across Canada, many municipal and provincial governments are adopting
energy projects and programs that encourage efficiency and the use of renewable
resources. This work is small-scale, but helps to achieve sustainable economic,
societal, and environmental change with a global impact. The benefits of this work at
the local level also encourage individuals to implement sustainable energy practices
at home and in their daily lives.

Whether the motivation is to lower greenhouse gas emissions, save money, improve
health, or reduce the impact on our natural resources, we need to make significant
changes in how we use energy. Many larger governments establish teams and
experts to research, analyze, and implement energy projects. But where does one
begin? It starts with a desire to learn more, do more, and share knowledge about
energy-wise practices. Your desire to learn more led you to enroll in this training.

Before we get started, let’s see how much you know about energy production and
consumption. Don’t worry if you aren’t sure about the correct answer, you will learn
all about these energy production and consumption facts as we progress through the
program. You can find the correct answers to these questions in Appendix A.

1. Where was the term ‘Ecological 2. Ecological Footprints are measured

Footprint’ developed? in:
a. University of British Columbia a. GHG
b. University of California, Los Angeles b. CO2
c. Harvard c. GHA
d. University of Toronto d. tCO2e

3. How many kilowatt hours does the
average Canadian household use?
a. 5,255 kilowatt hours
b. 11,135 kilowatt hours
c. 16,785 kilowatt hours
d. 21,135 kilowatt hours
4. How much water does the average
Canadian use per day?
a. 512 litres of water
b. 130 litres of water
c. 329 litres of water
d. 252 litres of water

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MODULE 1: AN INTRODUCTION TO SUSTAINABLE ENERGY | COURSE NOTES

5. What percentage of Canada’s total 6. How many homes can 400 megawatts
energy supply comes from renewable of electricty power?
resources? a. 10,000
a. 50% b. 1,000
b. 26% c. 50,000
c. 12% d. 100,000
d. 17%

7. Canada is the second largest exporter of: 8. CEP stands for:

a. Wood pellets a. Canada Energy Policy
b. Natural gas b. Community Energy Plan
c. Electricity c. Canada Environmental Protection
d. Crude oil

The Managing Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Projects online training
program consists of four modules followed by a final evaluation. Throughout the
modules, energy efficiency and renewable energy project scenarios give you a chance
to practice your new knowledge and skills.

MODULE 1 MODULE 2
• Estalish a context for sustainability • Define common energy industry
• Understand your relationship with terms
energy • Identify best retrofits for homes and
• Learn essential skills needed to buildings
manage energy efficiency and • Practice calculating cost and
renewable energy projects enviromental savings

MODULE 3 MODULE 4
• Define different types of renewable • Describe steps to implement a
energy sustainable energy project
• Identify their implementation • Define purpose and benefits of a
requirements Community Energy Plan

When you finish the four modules and successfully complete the final evaluation,
you will receive your certificate in managing energy efficiency and renewable energy
projects. But this training gives you more than just a certificate; it gives you practical
solutions for implementing energy efficiency and renewable energy projects in your
own life and in your community.

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MODULE 1: AN INTRODUCTION TO SUSTAINABLE ENERGY | COURSE NOTES

MODULE 1 LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Module 1, An Introduction to Sustainability, is about understanding the concept of
sustainability as it relates to energy. This knowledge is the first step to help shift the
way we think about, use, and consume energy and manage energy projects. Module
1 gives you the tools you need to:

• Identify the shared resources that we all use every day

• Establish a context for sustainability and energy
• Examine your relationship with and consumption of energy
• Identify essential skills for managing energy efficiency and renewable energy
projects

Are you ready to get started on the first module?

AN INTRODUCTION TO SUSTAINABLE
ENERGY

OUR SHARED HOME

We use some of the Earth’s land and resources every day. The
western worldview divides land into two categories: productive
and unproductive. Unproductive land refers to land that does
not provide benefit in terms of profit. For example, poor soil
cannot grow crops and mountains do not offer a suitable
option for development in western terms. When we think of
Earth, we often envision a vast amount of productive land and
water. But is that really the case? Let’s take a closer look.

WESTERN WORLDVIEW DID YOU KNOW?

In general terms, a view that typically
does not focus on traditional knowledge and tends
to be concerned with science. It concentrates on
compartmentalized knowledge and then focuses to
understand the larger picture.
Many traditional Indigenous teachings about
the earth emphasize the connection between all
things andhow things possess a spirit. They view the
land, water, and mountains as sacred and alive, not
segmented and productive.

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Water makes up three quarters of Earth, and land comprises one quarter. Within
this one quarter of land, only one third, or nine percent of Earth, contains productive
land able to support plants, animals, and human life. Unproductive land covered with
roads and buildings, lacking water, or containing poor soil make up the remaining
two thirds, or 19 percent of Earth’s land. This unproductive land constantly increases
and takes over the usable productive land as Earth’s growing population paves and
constructs roads, buildings, and dwellings.

Now let’s look at our water. Only four percent of Earth contains freshwater suitable
for consumption. Unproductive water makes up the rest. In total, only 13 percent of
Earth’s land and water produce all our food, goods, and energy as well as store our
waste. We must place a priority on learning how to responsibly take care of these
limited natural resources, as we depend on them for all of our needs.

SUSTAINABILITY
What is Sustainability?

Let’s define sustainability as it pertains to this course to create a common definition.

Sustainability refers to an interconnected and nested framework that balances
economic, social, and environmental systems. In this framework, our basic needs
for food, clean water, fresh air, healthy soil, and energy, depend entirely on our
environment. In practice, this means the collapse of a cod fishery in Newfoundland, or
the degradation of soil health on farmland in the Prairies, poses an economic, societal,
and environmental problem.

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In this nested framework, sustainability balances the intergenerational economic

needs of people and their communities within the context of the environment. This
balance is achieved by meeting the needs of the present without comprising the
needs of future generations.

Sustainability and Energy

ENERGY
The power resulting from the utilization of physical or chemical resources.

So how does energy fit into the nested framework of sustainability? Energy is an
essential resource, directly impacting our basic needs, our communities, and our
environment. For most of human existence, sun, wind, and water were our main
energy resources, but in the late 18th century, we began burning coal to power the
Industrial Revolution. Since then, we have learned to extract other fossil fuels and
create nuclear power to meet the world’s demand for energy. Today we maintain the
same critical need for energy; however, we also understand that we must use energy
more efficiently and obtain it from renewable resources to meet our long-term energy
needs. If we take the concepts of sustainability and apply them to energy, two tiers
of action emerge:
EFFICIENCY RENEWABILITY
Using less energy to Using energy derived
preform the same task, from resources that do
ultimately eliminating not deplete or can be
waste. replenished.

Implementing both energy efficiency and renewable energy projects provides the best
outcome when it comes to ensuring the sustainable use of our shared resources. But
before we can understand the alternative strategies for sustainable energy outlined
in this course, let’s examine our current relationship with energy consumption.

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UNDERSTANDING OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH ENERGY

The Food-Water-Energy Nexus
We might think that eating a meal, taking a shower, and driving to work are three
distinct actions with no connection to one another. However, if we look at the
resources used in each of these situations — food, water, and energy — we begin to
see a closer relationship between them. For example, the ingredients of your food
use water to grow and fuel to transport, your shower uses energy to both treat and
heat the water, and your car likely uses gasoline, which requires water when the
fossil fuels are initially extracted for crude oil.

Food, water, and energy systems maintain a deep interconnection and dependency
on one another. The food-water-energy nexus provides a way of showing that when
we use energy, it impacts our food and water and vice versa. When thinking about
sustainability in any one of these areas — food, water or energy — we need to
consider the effects on all three.

FOOD-WATER-ENERGY NEXUS
An approach to consider the interactions between water, food, and energy, and that the three sectors are
inextricably linked. Action in one sector often affects the other two.

ENERGY AND WATER WATER AND FOOD FOOD AND ENERGY

Extracting certain fossil Growing and producing Certrain crops, such as

fuels from the ground can
require massive amounts
of water. The renewable
resource of hydropower
also requires large
quantities of water. If we
look at the relationship
between energy and
water inversely, we can
see that it take a great
deal of energy to treat
and transport water for
domestic, agricultural, and
industrial purposes.
specialty crops,
commodity crops,
and feed for animals,
requires large amounts
of water for survival.
Harvesting food from
land creates water
runoff paths that affect
ground water quality
and the availability of
water.
corn, soy, and canola are
used to create energy in
biodiesel. In return, food
production also requires
energy. This includes
fuel for manufacturing
of synthetic fertilizers
and pesticides, operating
farm equipment, and
transporting products
from farm to plate.

The food-water-energy nexus increases our awareness that almost every activity we
do or item we consume uses natural resources to produce. So just how much of
these resources does the world use? Let’s find out.

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ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT GLOBAL HECTARES

A resource accounting tool that measures how much A common unit that encompasses the average
productive land and water is required to produce the productive land and sea area in the world in a given year.
goods consumed and assimilate the waste generated (Source: Global Footprint Network)
by human activity. (Source: World Wildlife Federation)

Ecological Footprints
Our Ecological Footprint measures how much water and land we need to produce
the food, energy, water, and goods we consume. It also measures how much water
and land we need to absorb the waste we generate. Each person, household, city, or
country has an Ecological Footprint, because we all use Earth’s resources to survive.

Global hectares (gha) provide the unit of measurement for Ecological Footprint scores.
For example, if your Footprint score is 6.7 gha it means you need 6.7 global hectares
of land and water to produce the resources you consume and absorb the waste
you create. If the world’s population lived the way Canadians do, with an average
Ecological Footprint of approximately 7 gha, it would require 4.7 Earths to provide
enough natural resources and absorb our waste. Knowing your Ecological Footprint
increases your awareness about your personal energy consumption and how it
aligns with the needs of the community and environment in the nested sustainability
framework.

RUSSIA
CANADA 5.2 GHA
7.7 GHA
FRANCE
USA 4.4 GHA
CHINA
8.1 GHA 3.6 GHA
INDIA
1.2 GHA PHILLIPINES
NIGERIA 1.3 GHA
1.2 GHA
MADAGASCAR
.9 GHA AUSTRAILIA
ARGENTINA 6.6 GHA
3.4 GHA

Keep your Ecological Footprint in mind as you progress through the modules in this
program to help identify how to reduce your footprint by making more sustainable
choices. Think back to our small slice of productive land and water on Earth. We all
play a role in ensuring sustainable energy consumption.

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DID YOU KNOW? ECO TIP

The Ecological Footprint was developed by Dr. William To learn more about the size of your Ecological
Rees and Mathis Wackernagel at the University of British Footprint and how to reduce it, look for an online
Columbia. Ecological Footprint Calculator resource.

ESSENTIAL SKILLS FOR MANAGING SUSTAINABLE

ENERGY PROJECTS
The Decision to Make a Difference

You don’t need to be a leader, executive, or part of council to make sustainable

change in energy use and consumption. To start, you simply need an understanding
of sustainability, energy, and the desire to engage with others to implement change.
Some reasons for wanting to learn about and implement sustainable energy projects
include the desire to:

• Decrease the size of your Ecological • Share ideas and findings with your
Footprint and promote balance within community
the nested sustainability framework • Find employment in the renewable
• Create a higher quality of life with energy sector
cleaner air and water • Lower dependency on non-renewable
• Save money energy resources

Once you’ve made a decision to make a difference, what are the essential skills that
will get you there?

Essential Skills

Whether you want to make

your home more energy
efficient or implement a
renewable energy project for
your community, it helps to
develop some essential skills
to ensure the success of your
task or project. These skills
include:

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Communication — Clear communication helps others understand what you need

from them and what you require them to do. For larger projects that require technical
communication, the ability to communicate information and messages clearly to
your reader often makes the difference between the failure and success of a project.
In community-scale projects, communication skills become critical for successful
community engagement.

Project Management — No matter how small or big a project, understanding the

steps and flow from start to finish help you strategically plan to stay on time and
on budget. We provide a brief introduction to the project management life cycle in
Module 4 of this program.

Relationship Building — As you move forward in your role as a sustainable energy

steward, try offering others your help and guidance and let them help you too.
Benefits of building good relationships includes shared advice and insight, increased
trust with community members and stakeholders, better opportunities to understand
a community’s needs, easier conflict resolution, and good vendor support.

Critical Thinking — Implementing either small or large-scale energy efficiency or

renewable energy projects requires you to search, find, collect, analyze, interpret,
and evaluate information. Critical thinking skills allow you to make the right decisions
to meet your project’s goals.

If you want to level up your skills in any of these areas, look for other training options
on ECO Canada’s website.

This is the end of Module 1. Let’s test your knowledge on the material we just covered.

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MODULE 1: AN INTRODUCTION TO SUSTAINABLE ENERGY | COURSE NOTES

KNOWLEDGE CHECK: MODULE IN REVIEW

Please check Appendix A for answers and feedback.

What combined percentage of Earth’s land and water is productive?

a. 9 percent
b. 13 percent
c. 19 percent
d. 46 percent

2. Which sentence best describes the nested sustainability framework?

a. The environment depends on the needs of the community and economy.

b. Economic and community activity depend on the environment.
c. Economic and community needs take priority over the environment.

3. Label the following examples to the correct relationship on the food-water-energy

nexus: Water and Energy, Water and Food, or Food and Energy.

1. Using water for oil and natural gas fracking.

2. Irrigation for a winery.
3. Growing a garden in your yard.
4. Growing a soy crop for biodiesel.
5. Accessing treated, drinkable water in your home.
6. Manufacturing fertilizer for wheat crops.

4. Which of the following skills benefit the implementation of any size of energy
efficiency or renewable energy project? Identify all that apply.

a. Project management
b. Critical thinking
c. Marketing
d. Relationship building
e. Communication

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 Appendix A
Managing Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Projects
Module 1: An Introduction to Sustainable Energy
Answers and Feedback

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MODULE 1: AN INTRODUCTION TO SUSTAINABLE ENERGY | COURSE NOTES

PRE-COURSE QUIZ

1. Where was the term ‘Ecological 5. What percentage of Canada’s energy

Footprint’ developed? supply comes from renewable resources?
a. University of British Columbia a. 50%
b. University of California, Los Angeles b. 26%
c. Harvard c. 12%
d. University of Toronto d. 17%

2. Ecological Footprints are measured in: 6. How many homes can 400 megawatts
a. GHG of electricity power?
b. CO2 a. 10,000
c. GHA b. 1,000
d. tCO2e c. 50,000
d. 100,000
3. How many kilowatt hours does the
average Canadian household use? 7. Canada is the second largest exporter of:
a. 5,255 kilowatt hours a. Wood pellets
b. 11,135 kilowatt hours b. Natural gas
c. 16,785 kilowatt hours c. Electricity
d. 21,135 kilowatt hours d. Crude oil

4. How much water does the average 8. CEP stands for:

Canadian use per day? a. Canada Energy Policy
a. 512 litres of water b. Community Energy Plan
b. 130 litres of water c. Canada Environmental Protection
c. 329 litres of water
d. 252 litres of water

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MODULE 1: AN INTRODUCTION TO SUSTAINABLE ENERGY | COURSE NOTES

KNOWLEDGE CHECK: MODULE IN REVIEW

1. What combined percentage of Earth’s land and water is productive?

a. 9 percent
b. 13 percent
c. 19 percent
d. 46 percent

2. Which sentence best describes the nested sustainability framework?

a. The environment depends on the needs of the community and economy.

b. Economic and community activity depend on the environment.
c. Economic and community needs take priority over the environment.

3. Label the following examples to the correct relationship on the food-water-energy

nexus: Water and Energy, Water and Food, or Food and Energy.

1. Using water for oil and natural gas fracking. Water and Energy
2. Irrigation for a winery. Water and Food
3. Growing a garden in your yard. Water and Food
4. Growing a soy crop for biodiesel. Food and Energy
5. Accessing treated, drinkable water in your home. Water and Energy
6. Manufacturing fertilizer for wheat crops. Food and Energy

4. Which of the following skills benefit the implementation of any size of energy
efficiency or renewable energy project? Identify all that apply.

a. Project management
b. Critical thinking
c. Marketing
d. Relationship building
e. Communication

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