A pilot project aimed at reducing energy consumption on BC Ferries vessels has been deemed a success and may be used on newly built vessels and existing vessels where possible.
The corporation released the results of the project showing a reduction in energy consumption on the Queen of Oak Bay, by the equivalent of 30 sailings from Horseshoe Bay to Departure Bay.
The process began in 2013 with an audit to assess electrical energy usage, and in 2015, the corporation partnered in the development and demonstration of an energy optimization software tool.
The software was used to collect and manage electricity data for more than 20 areas on board the ship and provided generator metrics as well.
Vessel saw a reduction in fuel consumption, cost, and associated carbon emissions, as well as improved asset life, and reduced maintenance costs.
The consumption reductions are being monitored in the new software and are on target for a reduction of more than 272 tonnes of CO2 emissions, which is equivalent to removing approximately 57 passenger vehicles per year.
Some of the tweaks made to the Queen of Oak Bay include:
- Installation of variable delivery pumps to improve the efficiency of steering hydraulics, resulting in an estimated savings of 38,000 kWh per year;
- Variable Frequency Drives (VFDs) to improve control of accommodation fans, which is estimated to save approximately 200,000 kWh annually;
- Replacement of car deck lighting with more efficient LEDs, likely to save over 115,000 kWh per year; and
- Additional projects including air conditioning plant upgrades and solar film coating for windows.
“BC Ferries is committed to safeguarding the environment, as well as finding new ways to improve the sustainability of our operations,” said Mark Wilson, BC Ferries’ Vice President of Engineering. “Thanks to the Transport Canada-sponsored initiative and deployment of the new energy software, not only can we actively measure energy usage, we can also put control variables in place across the system to ensure savings. We’ve implemented a number of successful energy reduction initiatives over the last couple of years and will continue to do so where possible.”
