Energy efficiency - City initiatives
Traffic signals
Megawatt challenge
City operations
Traffic Signals
Burlington's Computerized Traffic Signal System
The majority of Burlington's 113 signalized intersections are controlled from City Hall by a computerized traffic control system providing staff the ability to monitor, co-ordinate, and communicate with the traffic signals. Benefits of a computerized traffic control system include a reduction in the number of overall stops, savings in overall travel time, savings in fuel consumption, less vehicle emissions, and reduction of rear end collisions.
Analyses done to estimate yearly fuel savings show that motorists are saving over $750,000 a year on fuel alone with the signal system in operation.
LED Traffic and Pedestrian Signals
The City of Burlington has installed long lasting, energy efficient light emitting diode (LED) traffic and/or pedestrian signals at approximately 40 of the 113 signalized intersections. LEDs produce highly visible light under all driving conditions and consume 80-90% less energy than incandescent signals, reducing equivalent CO2 emissions. While LEDs are still more expensive to buy than incandescent lights, they use only about nine to 25 watts, compared with 60 to 150 watts for incandescents. Since traffic signals operate 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, the opportunity for savings is large. Maintenance costs are also reduced because LEDs generally last five to eight years, compared to just one or two years for incandescent light signals.
Megawatt Challenge
The City of Burlington is one of many municipalities within the GTA participating in the Mayors' Megawatt Challenge. This program brings municipalities together to improve energy efficiency and environmental management in their own buildings. Through the Mayors’ Megawatt Challenge, municipalities also demonstrate leadership, inspiring other organizations and individuals to take action towards healthier, more sustainable communities. For more information, please refer to the Mayor's Megawatt Challenge website.
City Operations
The City continues to improve efficiency in its operations, reducing waste and emissions. Examples include:
- Retrofitting lighting in City Hall and in the public areas of Elafoot Hall(Kilbride), Rotary, Mainway, Centennial and Mountainside. The exit signs have also been changed to LED technology in each of those buildings and some exterior lights have been modified as well.
- An energy management system is in place for all indoor pools. The system shuts down at 10pm and starts back up at 5am. There’s an emergency mode if necessary to override the system.
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Turf machinery are mostly diesel tractor-drawn vehicles. Biodiesel is used in such equipment between May and September reducing emissions.
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To minimize the amount of paper used by the City, three departments are participating in a pilot project of document scanning and imaging. Documents are increasingly distributed electronically or made available online.
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Waste concrete and waste asphalt, generated from roadway and multi-use pathway maintenance, are collected by local companies for reuse. Approximately 25 tonnes of asphalt is re-used annually. Hot mixing is not done on smog days.
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When new playgrounds are installed or maintained, metal is recycled, screening is reused in parking lots and paths, pea gravel is topped up, and sand and soil are brought back to the operations centre.
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5000 flats of flowers are used annually. Plastic trays are returned to the grower for reuse.
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A filter crusher is used for vehicle maintenance operations increasing the efficiency for draining oil to 98-99%. The oil is then recycled and the metal parts from the filter are sent to the scrap yard.
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Phosphorus use is now 1/3 of what it used to be. Research continues on organic fertilizers and costs are starting to decrease. Service levels for fertilization depend on the turf type and use.
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Computerized controllers are on spreading equipment to effectively control application rates of salt and sand. GPS further monitor salt usage. Additionally supervisor and patrol vehicles are equipped with infrared thermometers to ensure that the road temperature, not ambient temperature, determine spreading rates. If the road temperature is warm, products do not need to be applied as falling snow would melt on contact.