By Michael MacMillan
Canadians are heavily indebted to their country's geography. Just as sheer size destined Canada to become a world leader in the telecommunications industry, an abundance of natural resources has also given this country a competitive edge in the international pulp and paper, mining, and agriculture markets.
Less appreciated, however, are the benefits of Canada's harsh climate. Long winters and extreme cold have made Canadians experts in maximizing building heating efficiency. As a result, Canada has become renowned for its work in energy management techniques.
And one Canadian in particular is working to maintain that reputation.
Bill Boskwick is president of WB Consulting Inc., a Winnipeg-based firm specializing in building science and demand-side management. He is also a military reserve officer who, as part of CanadaÕs peacekeeping efforts, was stationed in Croatia as a European Community monitoring official.
Boskwick traveled extensively throughout the ravaged country during his nine month tour of duty, witnessing first-hand the damage inflicted by the Serbian occupation. Croatia's infrastructure paid a terrible price. Bullets, mortar, and neglect destroyed nearly one-third of its buildings. Although a grim experience, it provided Boskwick with valuable lessons about life in the Balkan country.
"That's what gave me a lot of my background knowledge, things to do with infrastructure, politics, economics, those types of issues," he explained.
He decided to put this knowledge to good use. Last spring he wrote a paper for a conference sponsored by the University of Zagreb. The conference, entitled "Power Installations and Reconstruction After the War", gathered experts in the field of electric infrastructure technology. Drawing on his military experience and civilian engineering expertise, he advised Croatians to rebuild with energy conservation in mind.
At that time, Croatia's Energy Institute (EI) -- a government agency -- was working with the University to find a solution to the country's energy efficiency problems. Unfortunately, while the EI abounded in theory, it remained short on technical know-how. Boskwick, recognizing a need for his services, submitted a proposal on behalf of WB Consulting which the EI accepted.
"Canada is famous for demand-side management measures," said Damir Pesut, engineer and Section Head with the Energy Institute, "and there was an opportunity through our contacts with Mr. Boskwick to come up with a project regarding energy management and buildings."
So with funding and assistance from Canada's foreign aid body, the Canadian International Development Association (CIDA), Boskwick started a one year project last October. The goal: to develop a national energy and building standard for Croatia.
No one knows better than Boskwick the scope of the problem facing the EI. Even before a single shot was fired, Croatia suffered from an energy consumption problem. Builders did not emphasize heating efficiency. Most buildings were constructed in the fifties and sixties, and made with concrete. Unlike steel, used in most Western buildings, concrete acts as an external conductor. Because of this, heating concrete buildings is much more costly than steel-based structures.
Then there is the matter of power generation. Zagreb, a city of nearly 1.3 million, depends on a fragile system of central heating. Two cogeneration plants pump steam and hot water to most of the cityÕs homes and businesses. Keeping track of how much energy is used is difficult, since few buildings are metered, and even fewer have thermostat controls. Residents who lack the means to control heat coming into their homes simply open a window when temperatures inside become unbearable.
With no examples of energy efficient technology, Croatians have come to accept a high level of energy use. This presents yet another obstacle for the EI. Changes in technology usually require similar changes in thinking. Canadians take for granted municipal bodies that routinely oversee zoning laws, construction codes and building blueprints. In Croatia, however, this type of analysis is rare. A whole generation of designers, planners, and politicians need to be educated about the benefits of energy management.
"That's like a secondary duty for their municipal engineering people, they don't have a nationally organized entity for these examinations," Boskwick explained.
Considering the scope of the problem, the EI's plan seems surprisingly simple. Initially, a building will be selected for intense study, and a detailed audit and inspection of the building envelope, the habits of its occupants, and its present rate of energy consumption will be conducted. After the data is collected, the EI will carry out improvements to its heating and electrical efficiency. A second round of testing will then determine the success of these improvements.
Ultimately, the EI hopes the field study will produce an accurate set of data showing the effects these changes will have on energy use. This data would then be used to calculate the amount of energy savings that could be achieved in other buildings across Croatia.
"The savings could be significant," said Dr. Vladimir Mukolicic, Director of Science at the University of Zagreb. "New energy management standards will be applied to new buildings and will establish acceptable-use levels for lighting systems, air quality and heating, ventilation and air conditioning."
By using the study as a base, Boskwick and the EI will formulate a national building and management standard. Thus designers, builders, and government officials can finally work together.
"The long-range goals are to incorporate the energy management philosophy into every activity connected with energy efficiency," added Mukolicic.
Pesut said Boskwick's knack for organizing demand-side management on a national level is just what the EI needed. As an academic, he appreciates the difference between drawing up a plan, and actually seeing it through.
"Designing thermal insulation is a simple thing. How to reach it is not," he said.
And his countrymen need all the assistance they can get. Cash-strapped Croatia faces years of hard work to reach even pre-war standards. The damage sustained during the war also wreaked havoc on the nation's economy. Boskwick recalled what happened to one factory in an area of the country once occupied by Serbian forces. Prior to the invasion, he said, the plant employed nearly 20 000 workers. When he visited what remained of the facility as part of his EC monitoring duties, that number had dropped to six.
"The building was just cratered shells," he added.
For now, Boskwick is busy enough in Croatia, but says he is interested in developing a similar project with the Bosnian government, although nothing official has been arranged.
He also has a long-term vision for Croatia. Eventually, he would like to see a Canadian-style efficient energy system become second nature for Croatians, one which would include everything from lighting to indoor air quality .
"We may also be looking at applying our technology to their power transmission and power generation system," he said.
And Pesut says taking advantage of Canadian expertise means his agency can accomplish their mission sooner than they expected.
"The Energy Institute was established for these reasons; we are learning a lot from the Canadian government"