Fin MacDonald

Information on me and my current projects

Jobs with Meaning

Leave a Comment Posted by on April 27, 2013

I was recently featured in the Globe and Mail for an article called “Wanted: Jobs with Meaning.”

Globe and Mail Article

The article is about the rise of green careers and showcases me as an example of one of the many young people who went back to school to get a more rewarding career in a green field.  The article couldn’t be more true.  For those who consider themselves to be environmentalists with a love for the planet, a green career is a no brainer.  Staying motivated in your job is one of the biggest barriers to success.  I wasn’t motivated in my previous career because I couldn’t get behind what I was doing.  I didn’t see the value in it for the greater good.

My new career has me making a real difference in the world by helping others do their jobs in a more sustainable way.  As a sustainable building consultant I work with new building design teams and existing building property management teams to facilitate greener, healthier, and higher performaning buildings.  I also work with corporations to help them develop a greenhouse gas (GHG) inventory.  A GHG inventory is the first step to managing and reducing their carbon footprint.  Rarely does a week go by where I don’t notice my work making an improvement on my projects and for my clients.

Click here for a pdf scan of the print copy of the newspaper article.  The online version of the article can be found here.

Uncategorized

Green Jobs 101: An EGB Job Skills Event

Leave a Comment Posted by on April 6, 2013

On Thursday April 4th the Ottawa Emerging Green Builders held what will become the first annual Green Jobs 101 job skills event.  The event was organized by myself and Imran Hamdad of our committee.  12 industry professionals presented on job skills and career paths to a sold out crowd of 65 attendees.  Companies in attendance included:

Morrison Hershfield
Canada Green Building Council
Homesol
Arborus Consulting
InAIR Environmental
Tiree
Vert Design
PCL
CKCU
Stratos
ANF Energy Solutions

The format to this event was very unique.  The event ran for two hours and the event schedule was as follows:

Part 1: Job presentations by each of the 11 companies in attendance (5 mins each).  Presentations included information about the presenters, their companies, they types of jobs people do at their companies, and the types of skills that they value most.  Each presenter took a different approach to this and the result was a diverse offering that even some of the industry professionals learned from.

Part 2: Skills session – How to develop a portfolio (10 minutes).  Portfolios are a physical representation of your skills, interests, and attitudes.  They are often overlooked but can give you real edge in an interview because they support the claims on your resume with hard evidence.  I presented on what can be included in a portfolio as well as the benefits they bring.

Part 3: Speed dating – This consisted of 1-on-1 sessions between the industry professionals presenting in part 1 and 2 which lasted 3 minutes each.

After the event was over we issued an online survey to those who attended to find out how we did and get some feedback for next year.  70% of those who responded said that they were very satisfied with the event overall, and the remaining 30% were satisfied.  Some tips we received to make the event better next year included:

  • Increase the time for 1-on-1 sessions from 3 minutes to 5 minutes
  • Have a bigger projection screen
  • Have all speakers use a microphone
  • Make the event longer
  • Have more industry participants representing more career paths

We fully intend to follow this advice and I can’t wait to make Green Jobs 101 even better in 2014!

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Volunteer Work

Ottawa Region Chapter of the CaGBC: Volunteer of the Year

Leave a Comment Posted by on March 30, 2013

I was recently honored with the award for 2012 Volunteer of the Year by the Ottawa Region Chapter of the Canada Green Building Council.  The Ottawa chapter is successful because of the hard work of a great group of volunteers.  I was very surprised to receive the award at the annual general meeting.  Thank you to everyone.

award

Volunteer Work

An Introduction to Greenhouse Gas Inventories – Part 1: Emissions and Scopes

Leave a Comment Posted by on March 5, 2013

Creating a Greenhouse Gas Inventory is a great way to track a company’s contribution to climate change.  Most inventories contain the 6 Kyoto gases which are:

  1. Carbon Dioxide (CO2)
  2. Methane (CH4)
  3. Nitrious Oxide (N20)
  4. Hydrofluorocarbons (HFC)
  5. Perfluorocarbons (PFC)
  6. Sulfur Hexafluoride (SF6)

Often an inventory will be reported in CO2 equivalents (CO2-e).  Because all gases react in the atmosphere differently, converting them to CO2-e is the only way meaningful comparisons can be made.  CO2-e is calculated by multiplying the emissions by its global warming potential factor.  A complete list of these can be found here.  The industry standard is to use the 100 year factor, but there is ongoing debate that the 20 year rate may be more appropriate.

Emissions are calculated by scope.  The Greenhouse Gas Protocol and ISO 14064-1 define the scopes as follows:

Scope 1 / Direct Emissions: Emissions from sources that are owned or controlled by the reporting entity. Examples are furnaces, generators, or company owned automobiles.

Scope 2 / Energy Indirect Emissions: Emissions from sources that are not owned or controlled by the reporting entity, but that are a consequence there activities.  Examples are purchased electricity, purchased heat, or purchased steam.

Scope 3 / Indirect Emissions: All other emissions.  This category is optional and can include things like emissions from commercial airfare, distribution loses on purchased electricity, or embodied energy in products purchased.  Reporters will usually only report Scope 3 emissions if there is a source that is large and there is potential to control it.

The general idea behind the scopes is to eliminate double counting.  If everyone prepared an inventory using the same method then all the Scope 1 emissions would add up to the total worldwide emissions.  Emissions from electricity reported as Scope 2 would be reported by the electrical utility as Scope 1.

 

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CaGBC Ottawa Region Emerging Green Builders

Leave a Comment Posted by on October 27, 2012

I have been volunteering for the past year with the Canada Green Building Council’s Emerging Green Builders (EGB).  The EGB work with their local CaGBC chapters to put on events for students and new professionals.  The main goal is to attract young and new professionals to the green industry.  Another benefit of the EGB committee is that it allows new professionals to take on group leadership roles earlier in their careers, and is training the CaGBC leaders of tomorrow.  I am currently the Vice-Chair of the Ottawa Region EGB, and in the past I held the role of Finance Director.

In Ottawa we have had one successful year already and we have an ambitious plan for another great year ahead.  In the past we have held events like:

  • Holiday Party
  • Residential Panel Discussion for Green Homes
  • Green Building Bike Tour

We also assisted the Ottawa CaGBC Chapter with the Eco-Logical student design competition.

We will be running similar events again this year. We also have plans to host a Green Jobs 101 event which will showcase different green career options and give attendees the chance to discuss required skills and job opportunities 1-on-1 with industry leaders.

If you are interested attending events or joining your local EGB group, contact your local CaGBC chapter (http:www.cagbc.org).

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What Makes LEED for Existing Buildings: Operations + Maintenance So Great?

1 Comment Posted by on October 2, 2012

I have been working on an existing building that is targeting LEED Platinum for the past few months.  I believe that the greenest building is one that is already built.  This rating system allows existing buildings to certify as green by making their operations as sustainable as possible.  This is my first LEED EBOM project, and I’ve noticed 3 great improvements between this rating system and the one for new construction.

The first big improvement I see is that most of the credits are based on actual performance rather than modeled or estimated performance.  This rating system has an advantage because the building has already been built, but that doesn’t make it less great.  Some of the areas you see this with are the energy consumption, water consumption, light pollution, and alternative transportation credits.

The second big improvement is that tenants are engaged in the process.  In a new construction job most LEED work is done before the tenants move in, but in LEED EBOM your success depends on them.  Tenant purchases, commuting behavior, energy and water use, recycling and waste habits, and overall comfort all have an effect on how many credits the building earns.  By involving the tenants you also get the opportunity to educate them on the affects their decisions can have on the buildings sustainability.  LEED EBOM has the profound ability to affect behavior!

The third big improvement is that certification is not for the life of the building, as it is with a LEED for New Construction building.  LEED for Existing Buildings certification is only good for up to 5 years.  At this point the building needs to re-certify in order to keep their plaque on the wall.  This means they have to keep up the good work!  The building is also able to try for additional credits every time it recertifies, and there is the opportunity to recertify at a higher level than before.  This encourages continuous improvement.

I have only been working on the job with LEED EBOM for the past couple months, but I’m sure I will find more things I like about the rating system as I go on.  I’m looking forward to more exciting and engaging LEED EBOM projects.

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This Year’s Greenbuild Education Sessions

Leave a Comment Posted by on September 1, 2012

The hardest part about preparing for Greenbuild each year is choosing the education sessions you will attend. There are so many exciting ones to choose from. This year I am choosing sessions that fit into one of three categories.

1) Support my career in green building operations
2) Support my role helping students and young professionals through the Canadian Emerging Green Builders Committee
3) Inspiring topics

Here is what I have chose to see in November:

Creating Green Career Pathways at Community Colleges
Dee Patel
Jessica Gutierrez
Thomas Darling

This session will inspire innovative ways to create green career pathways at community colleges. Presenters will spark an interactive discussion on how colleges can prepare students for green careers through both curricular and co-curricular opportunities. Participants will begin to outline action plans to bring these opportunities to their communities.

Master Speaker Candy Chang
Candy Chang

Candy Chang is an artist, designer, and urban planner who explores making cities more comfortable and contemplative places. By combining street art with urban planning, social activism, and philosophy, she has been recognized as a leader in developing new strategies for the design of our cities.

The Integrative Design Process and LEED 

Bill Reed
John Boecker

The Integrative Process is now a formal LEED Credit in v2012. Participants will learn the fundamental methods and benefits of utilizing the Integrative Process to achieve enhanced environmental and project performance, cost effectiveness, and value relative to conventional approaches in project design and real estate development.

Trials of Designing a Living Building in Cold Climates 

Matthew Conti
Matthew Plecity
Larry Jones

This session will compare the challenges of designing to meet the Living Building Challenge’s net-zero criteria in two different cold climates – Alaskan and Northeastern United States. Discussion will include project concepts/goals/expectations as well as the analyses used to determine which method of design was deemed best for each climate.

GAP: Experiential Learning By Crowdsourcing a LEED Project 

Keith Schneringer
Robert Thiele
Doug Kot

The Green Assistance Program (GAP) facilitates community education about sustainable building operations while simultaneously greening an actual building. The San Diego Green Building Council has developed this innovative approach to LEED project management, combining elements of crowdsourcing and experiential learning to assemble a community-benefit LEED EBOM project team.

EcoBalance Design – measuring success through life cycles 

Kathy Zarsky
Pliny Fisk III
Gail Vittori

We explore ecoBalance Design through a biomimicry lens to integrate balance as a pragmatic performance metric, and cycles as an overarching design discipline to sustain basic life support systems across life cycles (source/process/use/re-source), both informed by ecological frameworks. The session will engage participants to test-drive concepts and gamestorm examples.

Turf Wars: Institutionalizing Green Streets in San Francisco 

Rachel Kraai
Kris Opbroek
Adam Varat

This session will explore how San Francisco’s City agencies are working to implement the City’s vision for complete, green streets through greater capital project coordination, creation of project manager resources, and development of a triple-bottom line analysis to assess design options, by leading participants in a real-life design problem.

Permaculture: Principles & Practices of Regenerative Design 

Jillian Hovey

Permaculture is more than agriculture: it is a wholistic design methodology focused on developing human settlements that have the resilient properties of natural ecosystems. Tied into the essence of regenerative systems, permaculture design principles can play an important role in the green building communities, moving us towards a sustainable future.

The Science and Design of Biophilic Urbanism 

Bert Gregory
Timothy Beatley
Judith Heerwagon

How do we create biophilic cities? Ones that are in tune with ecological systems, foster place-based relationships, and embody the attributes of nature in their design. This research paper presentation and discussion of biophilic principles will explore how to integrate these concepts into the design of our neighborhoods and cities.

Adaptive & Dynamic Buildings – The Future of Architecture 

Steve Selkowitz
Markus Zawierta
Rick Morris

What if you could design a building that could think, move, react and adapt to real-time weather conditions? What if it provided more satisfied tenants, energy savings, and enhanced aesthetics. Learn more about emerging technologies and design principles that make dynamic facades the newest standard in green building and design.

Greenbuild San Francisco

Greenbuild Bound: Thank you USGBC

Leave a Comment Posted by on August 24, 2012

Last year I was fortunate enough to win a scholarship to attend Greenbuild in Toronto. While I was there I learned that the next year it would be in San Francisco. I was so jealous of those who would win the same scholarship for this year. I knew I wouldn’t be able to make it to San Francisco. I was wrong.

This week I registered for Greenbuild in San Francisco. I’m travelling with the Canadian National Emerging Green Builders Committee. I am the Ottawa Region Chapter of the CaGBC’s representative. The USGBC is allowing our group to volunteer 8 hours each in exchange for admission. This is reducing the financial strain quite substantially. I’ve also been able to book a flight using airmiles, and I found a hostel near the conference center for a steal of a deal.

The theme this year is Build Smarter, and it is no coincidence that it is being held in San Francisco. The Silicon Valley is the cradle of technology, and this years conference is focused on how to use technology and modern ideas to improve the built environment. Greenbuild is of course much more than buildings, and this year more than ever there is a focus on neighbourhoods, cities, and human behaviour.

I’m really looking forward to the networking opportunities, as well as the opportunity to meet my Morrison Hershfield colleagues from across North America. Its going to be an adventure, and when its over I’ll be able to directly apply my new knowledge in the workplace.

Nov 14th – 16th, 2012. I can’t wait!

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Canada’s Newest LEED AP

Leave a Comment Posted by on July 9, 2012

Today marks a big achievement for me. I passed my LEED Accredited Professional exam with the Existing Building Operations and Maintenance (O+M) specialty. I have been studying for this exam off and on for almost a year now. My college exams and the European exchange trip I was on caused some major delays in writing. I put a big push on in the last couple of weeks to be able to write this before my summer vacation starts next week.

This is what the Green Building Certification Institute who manages the certification has to say about it:

“The LEED AP Building Operations + Maintenance credential demonstrates the exceptional expertise of green building professionals implementing sustainable practices, improving performance, heightening efficiency and reducing environmental impact in existing buildings through enhanced operations and maintenance. Those who hold the LEED AP O+M credential are vanguards in their industry, transforming the built environment and possessing thorough knowledge of the LEED rating systems and their implementation.”

The exam was very challenging and required memorization and application of a wide range of information. The reference guide for LEED O+M is over 700 pages long and the pass mark on the exam is 85%.

There are a huge amount of buildings that have been constructed over recent years to the LEED standard, but this deals with construction only. How these buildings are operated is exclusive of that. Buildings that were constructed to LEED standards are eligible for LEED O+M, but so are buildings that were not built to LEED standards. Raising the bar on our existing building stock is a big step towards a greener built environment.

I’m looking forward to applying my new credentials in the work place. I believe the next wave of LEED work will be for existing buildings. I am particularly interested in the greening of existing schools because of the impacts of green buildings on learning. I plan to seek out opportunities to improve the learning environment for students.

Fin MacDonald, LEED AP O+M

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My NSCC Experience

1 Comment Posted by on June 22, 2012

Going back to school was a tough decision. I wasn’t happy in my old career and knew I needed to get out. I looked around at the different college programs that were available. I needed something quick. I already had a 4 year business degree but I needed a skill, otherwise I would be stuck in an office forever. I found the energy sustainability engineering technology program and went for it.

Fast forward 2 years and here I am all finished. I can honestly say that the Nova Scotia Community College taught me just as much in two years as I learned in four years of university. The most important lessons I learned were lessons about myself, and what I was capable of. NSCC strives to build students confidence. This is in stark contrast with universities who force you to compete with each other for ranking, and work hard to weed out the unworthy.

As we grow older we learn in different ways. NSCC uses a completely hands on approach to learning. “Learning by doing.” Granted, there were some theory based courses I had to take but everything was applied to real world projects before the end of the program.  We had a fully functional, state of the art residential building on campus for us to test, monitor, and learn from. One of my final exams was to troubleshoot the building automation system, and my instructor even had his wife come in on exam day to play the role of the angry customer.

My classmates were awesome. We learned just as much from each other as we did from the instructors. In an academic environment without ranking and competition students are much more willing to help each other succeed. As we split up to take on our new careers, I will miss everyone. I hope to get the opportunity to work with some of them again in the future in the working world.

NSCC also has a great international department, and I was fortunate enough to be selected to take part in an international exchange program with students from Ireland and the Netherlands. Learning about energy efficiency in different countries teaches you things that you could never learn at home.

I’m tremendously satisfied with my experience at NSCC, and after graduating with honors I’m tremendously proud as well. I’m looking forward to what comes next.

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