Energy Engineer

Staff - Non Union

Job Category
M&P - AAPS

Job Title
Energy Engineer

Department
UBCO | Energy Team | Energy Systems (Colin Richardson)

Posting End Date
April 1, 2024

Note: Applications will be accepted until 11:59 PM on the day prior to the Posting End Date above.

Job End Date

At UBC, we believe that attracting and sustaining a diverse workforce is key to the successful pursuit of excellence in research, innovation, and learning for all faculty, staff and students. Our commitment to employment equity helps achieve inclusion and fairness, brings rich diversity to UBC as a workplace, and creates the necessary conditions for a rewarding career. 

Overview

The Energy Team oversees overall energy management at the UBC Okanagan Campus, working within a mandate of fiscal efficiency, operational excellence, environmental sustainability and innovative demonstrations.

Job Summary

The Energy Engineer is responsible for implementing strategic direction involving energy management opportunities, developing and promoting energy conservation programs and strategies, and managing and reporting on campus energy use trends, with a focus to transform the way that energy is managed on the Okanagan campus so that the University is able to meet its future energy demands while positioning UBC as a leader in sustainable energy management. This is done via:

• Expertise: Providing expert advice and support for energy conservation and implementation, including land use plans, climate planning and green building planning;

• Collaboration: Coordinating with various departments on campus to implement sustainable energy solutions;

• Research: Exploring, researching, and evaluating emerging trends and innovative strategies for sustainable energy management, and evaluating their potential viability at UBC.

The Energy Engineer will be responsible for identifying energy management trends, strategies and opportunities for the UBC Okanagan campus.

The position explores, develops and promotes FortisBC energy efficiency and conservation programs by providing technical input, managing program applications, providing required data and reporting results both internally and to FortisBC. 

The Energy Engineer will be accountable for managing energy use, developing energy efficiency and GHG reduction measures, strategies and policies.

This position works with engineers, architects, technicians, students, faculty and administrative staff to provide enhanced building operation and comfort, reduce energy costs, and develop creative solutions to the problems of building owners and occupants.

Organizational Status:

This position reports to the Associate Director, Energy Team within Campus Operations and Risk Management (CORM) portfolio. This position requires extensive collaboration with Facilities Management, Campus Planning, Infrastructure Development, and UBC Properties Trust, as well as other UBC departments. The Energy Engineer establishes and maintains relationships with FortisBC on energy conservation programs and initiatives.

Work Performed

Develops plans, strategies, and targets for energy conservation on the Okanagan campus:

• Leads development and implementation for building performance targets in new and existing buildings.

• Ensure the successful implementation of the FortisBC and UBCO Strategic Energy Management plans

• Help inform and develop UBC’s Climate Action Plan integrating other strategic initiatives.

• Develops strategies for improving energy efficiency and lowering costs, such as incorporating new energy-saving technology and minimizing unnecessary energy consumption. 

• Develops campus energy targets, policies and technical guidelines.

• Develops energy targets for and provide technical input to all major campus projects to ensure they are in alignment with campus energy goals.

• Participate in financial planning and forecasting of energy projects in line with policies and strategies

• Review and provide recommendations to major and minor capital planning processes.

Provides energy reporting and analysis:

• Leads building assessments and analyzes detailed information to provide recommendations for building retrofits and projects. 

• Identify energy conservation projects and develop business cases to justify the implementation of energy conservation measures considering long-term strategies and technical guidelines along with identification of opportunities and risks

• Reviews annual and quarterly energy reports including energy consumption and costs, energy breakdown to evaluate campus performance.

• Conduct peer reviews of energy system design, engineering drawings, specifications and other technical work completed by external contractors

• Give presentations of various energy initiatives, plans and policies to stakeholders at all levels.

Fulfills campus energy goals through partnerships with external agencies: 

• Defines scope of work and reviews progress and deliverables from third-party consultants.

• Ensures the successful implementation of the FortisBC Strategic Energy Management Plan.

• Collects energy reduction incentives from FortisBC and ensures successful administration of FortisBC incentive programs.

• Prepares progress reports for FortisBC.

Performs other duties as required:

• Performs other duties as reasonably assigned by the Associate Director, Energy Team.

Consequence of Error/Judgement

Consequences of error include increased energy and operational costs, increased building HVAC equipment lifecycle costs and significant negative impact on the credibility of the department and the university.

Provision of inaccurate advice for campus strategic plans could result in excessive capital and operational costs and degrade the universities public image by failure to set and or meet appropriate goals.

This position is critical to the university as a catalyst for innovation, energy efficiency and conservation initiatives and GHG emission reduction that will promote the ideal of a sustainable campus.

Supervision Received

This position is independently responsible to carry out varied assignments within areas of technical competence and expertise. Problems usually solved by use of combinations of standard procedures, modifications of standard procedures, or methods developed in previous assignments. Participates in planning to achieve prescribed objectives.

Makes independent studies, analyses, interpretations and conclusions. Recommendations for difficult, complex, or unusual matters reviewed with others for soundness of judgment, but usually accepted as technically accurate and feasible.

Reports to and receives general direction from the Associate Director, Energy Team.

Supervision Given

• Defines scope of work and reviews progress and deliverables from third-party consultants.

• Directs the activities of professional staff including the Energy Analyst.

• Supervises summer students hired into the unit when applicable.

• Provides expertise and guidance to other UBC departments.

Education/Qualifications/Experience

• Undergraduate degree in a relevant discipline or a minimum of five years of specific experience in a combination of at least two of the following areas: commissioning, retro-commissioning, BMS controls programming/setup/troubleshooting, energy auditing

• Master’s degree in Mechanical or Electrical Engineering Technology or similar or designation as a Professional Engineer or designation as a Certified Energy Manager.

• Demonstrated knowledge and minimum 5 years experience with energy efficient technology related to HVAC systems, heating plant equipment, controls and measurement and verification systems.

• Formal education and certification in commissioning (i.e. NEBB, AABC, etc.), retro-commissioning (i.e. NEBB, AEE, etc.), controls programming/setup/troubleshooting, energy auditing (i.e. CEM, BEMP) is highly desired.

• Substantial knowledge of energy and carbon management.

• Experience implementing and analyzing energy efficient technologies.

• Experience evaluating energy performance and finding innovative and cost-effective options for improvement.

• Experience with budget creation, budget preparation, analysis, reporting and management.

• Ability to facilitate and gain consensus among stakeholders and teams.

• Ability to prepare effective, concise, accurate documents and correspondence.

• Ability to effectively communicate and to make effective presentations to a variety of groups

• Software skills, including working familiarity with: energy modelling and tracking tools; numerical analysis tools; the Microsoft Office suite, including advanced knowledge of Excel.

• Building automation system use and programming experience is an asset.

• Ability to work on roofs, equipment rooms, on ladders, in and crawl spaces.

• Work may involve times outside standard business hours, including weekends.

• Possess and maintain a valid driver’s license.

Expectations for all UBC employees:
- Willingness to respect diverse perspectives, including perspectives in conflict with one’s own
- Demonstrates a commitment to enhancing one’s own awareness, knowledge, and skills related to equity, diversity, and inclusion