Building Operator Training

Register for an upcoming public Building Operator Training sessions today! 

Thanks to generous support from Affinity Credit Union, these public sessions only cost $40 per attendee (or $20 if you or your organization are Affinity members). Learn more at the registration links below. 

March 7, 2025 (one 6-hour seminar, in-person in Saskatoon)

March 21 & April 4, 2025 (two 3-hour virtual seminars)

What is Building Operator Training?

We know building operators can make a big difference in your facility’s comfort and utility costs. The Saskatchewan Environmental Society’s Building Operator Training (BOT) program is designed to introduce custodians, facility managers, building operators—or whoever manages your building—to energy conservation principles, new technologies, and facility retrofits that will save energy and money. Participants learn how they can catalyze the reduction of building consumption through both equipment and operational changes. For example, new lighting technologies use 60 to 80% less energy. Occupant awareness can reduce utility costs in a building 5 to 10%.

BOT is a six-hour seminar (or two, three-hour seminars) including four different modules: Lighting, Electrical Equipment, Water, and HVAC. All participants receive a certificate of completion!

 How can you participate?

  1. Register for a public session where you can send one, two, or more of your staff to learn with people from other organizations. There are upcoming public sessions scheduled for March 7, 2025 (in-person in Saskatoon) and on March 21 & April 4, 2025 (virtual). If you are interested in being notified of the next public session, please join our waiting list.
  2. Invite us to come to train your staff on-site. The modules can be tailored to the specific needs of your staff, adding or combining topics as needed. The training sessions can also serve as an opportunity for technical staff to solve problems that may be specific to their facilities. 

What will participants learn?

Lighting

  • The impact of the colour temperature and colour rendering of various light sources.
  • The use of daylighting and controls to improve lighting conditions and reduce consumption.

Electrical Equipment

  • The difference between demand and consumption, and how each impact energy and cost savings.
  • What load scheduling is and how it applies to energy and cost savings.
  • The role of energy monitoring in improving operations and creating savings.
  • Advantages, disadvantages, applications, and operational savings for various appliances.
  • The role of solar energy in buildings.
  • Energy efficient operation of compressed air systems, motors and drives, car plugs, and other equipment.

Water

  • The connection between water conservation and energy conservation.
  • Identification of high water consuming equipment.
  • Water efficient selection and operation of showers, toilets, faucets, and other fixtures.
  • Energy efficient operation of domestic hot water systems.
  • Water efficient operation of outdoor irrigation and sprinklers, and options for landscaping.

HVAC

  • Overall operation of Heating, Ventilation, and Cooling Systems.Maximizing occupant comfort while saving energy.
  • Energy efficient operation and troubleshooting for:
    • thermostats,
    • indoor air quality,
    • filtration,
    • fans,
    • motor controls,
    • building automation systems,
    • refrigeration, air conditioning, and heat pumps,
    • heat recovery, and
    • condensing heating systems.
  • Simple energy savings calculations.

Who are the instructors? 

The Saskatchewan Environmental Society’s professional instructors will deliver the sessions using plain language, suitable for either technical or non-technical attendees:

  • Ted Cooke, P.Eng., HDA Engineering, is a mechanical engineer and experienced HVAC design engineer. Ted teaches the HVAC module. 
  • Angie Bugg, P.Eng., C.E.M., Saskatchewan Environmental Society, works with small businesses and non‐profit organizations to identify energy conservation upgrades in their facilities. Angie teaches the Lighting, Electrical Equipment, and Water modules.
  • Mark Feraro, ESET, C.E.A., RHLG, Saskatchewan Environmental Society, conducts energy audits on buildings and customizes energy conservation training for a variety of clients. Mark teaches the Lighting, Electrical Equipment, and Water modules.

What is the cost?

When you invite us to train your staff on-site, you invest $2,000 per half day, $2,700 per full day, plus any associated travel costs. In addition, there is a charge of $40 per person attending (for certificates and handout materials). The client supplies the venue, lunch, and snacks. Contact us to learn more about customized courses!

When we offer periodic public sessions, funding subsidizes the majority of the cost to participate. Learn more about the cost to participate when a seminar is available to register for. Or contact us for more information!