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Increasing greenhouse gas emissions from the conventional fleet of diesel buses has made Canadian transit agencies explore low-emission alternative fuels. Despite electric buses showing great potential to reduce emissions during their operational phase, the transformation from diesel buses to electric buses would require in-depth analysis pertaining to their economic and social implications. Published literature highlights the importance of developing a comprehensive framework that considers multiple decision parameters over a life cycle perspective for analyzing different fuel options to replace the existing fleet of diesel buses. This paper assesses the triple-bottom-line sustainability of diesel and electric buses in different regions of Canada. Moreover, a framework is proposed to incorporate multiple decision criteria (life cycle environmental, economic, and social impacts) over different perspectives to make the best decisions for transitioning the diesel bus fleet. The results showed that the environmental performance of electric buses highly depended on the electricity grid mix. Despite diesel buses having a low cost of production compared to electric buses, most provinces showed a low life cycle operational cost for electric buses. Electric buses' life cycle social impacts are high during their production stage, whereas diesel buses have the highest social impacts during their operational phase. Overall, electric buses have a high sustainability performance in all provinces and territories in Canada except Nunavut. The proposed framework and findings can aid policymakers and planners in implementing electric buses for public transit systems in Canada and beyond. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the findings of fifteen energy audits conducted on industrial sites in Canada's Greater Toronto Area (GTA). The audits covered a range of industries including food processing, packaged goods, and finishing processes (powder-coating). The primary focus of the audits was to analyze the natural gas consumption and the performance of major-gas-consuming equipment. The audits identified natural-gas-consuming equipment that could be optimized to yield energy and operational cost savings and greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction opportunities. Food production plants' energy intensity ranges from 5.59 m3/ft2 to 17.73 m3/ft2. Therefore, there is a significant opportunity to improve energy consumption through better technology integration. The results of the audits indicate a trend of an increase in the percentage of non-productive consumption with non-productive time. The proposed energy-saving measures include reducing non-productive natural gas consumption, gas-fired equipment tune-up, optimizing boiler loads, and reducing oven exhaust by using variable frequency drives (VFDs). The findings of this study could be used to develop a demand-side management program specifically for small- and medium-sized industrial facilities in the Greater Toronto Area and other parts of Canada. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reinforced concrete is a commonly used material for constructing basements in low-rise buildings or residential houses in Canada, and as the use of cross-laminated timber (CLT) advances, the door to think of an alternative basement material to offset greenhouse gas emissions associated with reinforced concrete is open. However, the evaluation of CLT durability in below-grade environments, specifically concerning moisture and mould development, remains an unexplored field in research. Hence, this paper aims to analyze CLT's moisture response and mould growth risk in below-grade environments using field and laboratory experiments. A laboratory experiment was carried out to test a waterproofing membrane solution selected to compose the wall assembly in the field experiment. A large-scale experimental CLT basement was built at a cohesive soil site in Edmonton, Canada. The field experiment involved monitoring the relative humidity, temperature, and soil volumetric water content of the CLT panels, which measure 3 m by 6 m in plan and 2 m deep. Data was collected for an extended period from June 2022 to July 2023. The VVT model, developed by Hukka and Viitanen (1999) and updated by Viitanen et al., 2011 to estimate the mould growth level, was used to predict the risk of mould growth. The laboratory experiment showed that the waterproofing membrane is suitable for protection against moisture in a still-water setup. Field experiment results suggested that the primary moisture source was below the basement floor when the floor was finished inadequately. The moisture content of CLT walls was significantly increased by floor flooding and decreased by heating the basement interior. The acceptable mould index of three was surpassed during periods of abundant water below the basement floor due to flood events, showing that the CLT panels were at risk of mould growth development. • CLT use inbasements is in research stage. This paper contains insights for developing future research on this subject. • CLT in basement construction requires robust envelope with waterproofing membranes that perform well below grade. • Elevated moisture levels could pose structural and biological risks to the CLT basement and its occupants. • CLT basement walls take time to dry, and during this period, the walls may be exposed to risky levels of mould growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]