Ontario Construction News staff writer
The Town of Ajax is putting seven municipal facilities into an energy-saving competition as it looks to cut building energy use through operational changes and more energy-conscious practices.
The second annual Battle of the Buildings runs from Sept. 1 to Dec. 31 and challenges staff and community members to help reduce energy consumption and greenhouse-gas emissions at participating facilities.
The initiative is targeting an energy-use reduction of at least 10 per cent through measures that include improving HVAC scheduling, managing lighting and reducing unnecessary hot-water use.
Participating buildings are the Ajax Community Centre, Audley Recreation Centre, McLean Community Centre, Ajax Town Hall, Ajax Operations Centre, Ajax Public Library’s Main Branch and Ajax Fire & Emergency Services Headquarters.
Competition builds on results from the first event in 2025, when the participating facilities collectively reduced energy consumption by 116,333 kilowatt-hours and avoided approximately 11 tonnes of greenhouse-gas emissions.
McLean Community Centre won last year’s competition after reducing its electricity consumption by 31,047 kWh.
The Town attributed the savings to operational changes. At McLean, HVAC and sauna systems were scheduled according to occupancy, reducing the amount of time equipment operated when it was not required.
Other facilities made similar changes.
- At Ajax Town Hall, staff shut off lights and monitors when they were not needed, made greater use of natural light and turned off exhaust fans. Audley Recreation Centre introduced occupancy sensors for gym lighting, while the Ajax Community Centre adjusted refrigeration plant settings, including lower overnight settings and changes based on ice use.
- At the Ajax Operations Centre, staff monitored air hoses daily to identify leaks and prevent compressors from running unnecessarily.
The Town says the program demonstrates that energy savings can be achieved through building operations and maintenance, without necessarily requiring major capital projects.
For example, lowering a pool temperature by 2 C, while remaining within Ontario standards, can save more than $20,000 a year in energy costs, according to the Town.
The 2026 competition is being supported by Elexicon Energy and Ontario Power Generation.
The initiative is part of Ajax’s broader efforts to reduce emissions from its corporate operations. The Town has established greenhouse-gas reduction targets and has also examined longer-term opportunities through initiatives including a Corporate Net-Zero Emissions Plan and a district energy feasibility study.
For the 2026 competition, energy performance will be tracked through the Town’s energy management software, allowing participating facilities to monitor their performance in real time.
The town is also asking residents and facility users to contribute by reporting leaking taps or showers, keeping exterior and interior doors closed when appropriate and reducing hot-water use in change rooms.
The competition runs through Dec. 31, with the winning facility to be determined based on its energy performance.
