DSBONE Pioneers Ventilation Efficiency, Achieving Significant GHG Reductions Towards Ontario’s Climate Goals
The District School Board Ontario North East (DSBONE) is making measurable progress in climate action by confronting a widespread industry inefficiency: air leakage in ventilation systems. It is an industry known fact that all building ventilation systems inherently leak air, typically between 15% and 40%. Critically, this leakage contributes a substantial 20% to 30% increase in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
In a proactive move to mitigate this environmental burden, DSBONE engaged the Nerva Energy Group, a Canadian Company, procured through OECM, to implement a specialized sealing technique.
A Targeted Approach to Emission Reduction
DSBONE’s strategy involves utilizing a product called “Aeroseal,” which seals ventilation air ducts from the inside out. This sealant, which boasts all UL approvals and a 30-year life expectancy, targets and seals holes ranging in size from a hair follicle up to 5/8 of an inch.
The project follows a rigorous five-step engineered process designed to ensure maximum efficiency and verifiable results:
1. A Facility Air Audit is conducted to gather baseline data on ventilation system air flow and determine the current air changes per hour (ACH).
2. After rehabilitation infrastructure is prepared, the Aerosolized Duct Sealing (Aeroseal) is performed.
3. A Post-Seal Air Audit repeats the measurement process to quantify the percentage of air leakage captured and verifies the new ACH in the breathable space.
4. The ventilation motor speed is turned down and ventilation air flow is adjusted to meet building standards for breathable space.
5. Finally, Energy & GHG Planning is used to quantify the potential energy and GHG savings generated by optimizing the system to operate at peak performance.
Leading the Way with Measurable Success
This initiative has yielded outstanding results across DSBONE schools, translating directly into reduced environmental footprints and driving the board closer to broader climate objectives. The overall results demonstrate a profound impact:
The board successfully achieved an impressive overall GHG Reduction of 42% across the summarized VFD project, one of the hightest reduction by a school board on record. Several schools demonstrated exceptional reductions, including SCHUMACHER at 52% and both ENGLEHART and W EARL MILLER at 51% GHG reduction.
These efforts result in $41,957 in total GHG savings annually, substantially diminishing the board’s carbon footprint.
Contributing to Carbon Reduction Goals
By implementing this sealing process, DSBONE ensures its breathable spaces meet ventilation standards while operating a fully re-commissioned system at peak performance. The quantifiable reduction in GHG associated with ventilation air leakage offers future capital cost savings when the school systems undergo energy conversion or electrification efforts.
This aggressive and successful mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions positions DSBONE as a leader in sustainable infrastructure management, moving the province one step closer to meeting necessary carbon reduction goals through concrete, measurable action.
In addition to the work being done in buildings the occupants, students and teachers participate in the Ontario EcoSchools certification program, where they often work in "Éco-équipes" (EcoTeams). For the 2023–2024 academic year, six schools within the board achieved EcoSchools certification at various levels (Bronze, Gold, or Platinum), collectively undertaking 58 ecological actions and over 2,160 hours of outdoor learning.
These EcoTeams are student-led and focus on several key areas, including teamwork and leadership, energy conservation, waste minimization, greening school grounds, curriculum connections, and environmental stewardship