(Apologies for the shameless cultural reference used in order to generate interest….I’m not even really sure what Gangnam style is…)

We at Talkin’ Trash spend a good piece of our time pondering the more philosophical questions in life. Like, “if a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?” and “what’s the sound of one hand clapping” and “how many UHNers does it take to turn off a light?”

But before we share the results of those ponderings, I thought we’d give everyone a sampling of what’s happening with energy efficiency at UHN:

  • Over the upcoming weeks Henry, Ray and Ray will be installing over 1,200 LEDs throughout TGH, PMH and the PMH Lodge, adding to the LEDs that Gord and Steve already put in at Lyndhurst and Rumsey a few weeks ago. And plans are underway for John to install another 160 or so LEDs at University Centre.
  • And, not to be outdone, Gerard will shortly be replacing all of the soon-to-be-obsolete lights in most TWH patient rooms with new, more efficient lights.
  • And starting this week, Songyang will be working with Mark L., Joe, Isaac and Richard on a retro-commissioning project at TGH, TWH and PMH to help run our buildings more efficiently…with the potential for HUGE energy savings.
  • And Energy & Environment’s very own Lisa is working with our TLC – Care to Conserve energy champions to bring efficiency to their departments.
  • And David S., Greg and Donna are looking for some IT magic that will allow our computers to shut down at night without driving everyone crazy in the process.
  • And once Henry’s done with the LEDs at TGH, he’s going to start putting in daylight and occupancy sensors in hallways and elevator lobbies.
  • And we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention Debbie and Ron who are starting to put in a new chiller at PMH, that will allow for more efficient cooling of equipment in the winter and shoulder seasons.
  • And Franz is refurbishing a couple of air handling units (fancy name for honkin’ big fan thingies) at TWH.
  • And Joe, Songyang and Jason are working on a list of things that could cut Bickle’s energy use by 25%!
  • And Scott and Ian? Not doing much…except building a state of the art LEED certified research tower at TWH.
  • And back to Gord, who recently installed a couple of new boilers at Rumsey, and is putting the finishing touches on some new roof-top-units there.
  • And Nancy, Robert, Janet, Veronica, Jayne, Douglas, David C. & Lori are making sure LEDs and efficient ventilation are part of all the construction and redevelopment projects we do at UHN.
  • And Mark R. is in the middle of putting in new oil-free, magnetic bearing chillers and variable speed drives in Max Bell…take it from me…these things will save big time.
  • And to help us track it all? Why, Yurii and Energy & Environment’s very own Lisa have spent hours over a hot stove to bring us up-to-the-minute information on TGH, TWH and PMH electricity use at the click of a mouse.

And me? Why, I’m pondering the more philosophical questions in life…so if a tree fall in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound? Depends if the video goes viral. And what’s the sound of one hand clapping? Depends if it’s holding a free range soypuccino or not.

And how many UHNers does it take to turn off a light? Why all of us, of course…all of us.

-ed