The Energy Team currently consists of the following roles:
- Associate Director – Colin Richardson
- Energy Engineer – Sunny Savaliya
- Senior Energy Specialist- Vasily Bigildeev
- BMS Specialist – Reid Towsley
- BMS Specialist – Jayden Greenlay
Colin Richardson
Associate Director
Colin is the Associate Director for the UBC Okanagan Energy Team. He oversees the department and provides strategic direction to ensure that the University is able to meet its existing and future energy demands and position UBC as a leader in sustainable energy management.
Colin has over 20 years experience in buildings and industrial instrumentation and controls, and started with UBC Okanagan in 2011 initially as manager of the geoexchange district energy system. Since then, he been responsible for optimizing buildings and managing utilities tracking and reporting. He has grown the Energy Team to a department of six; responsible for managing utilities budgets, energy efficiency projects, BMS platforms, delivering KPI’s for growth forecasting and achieving rebates and incentives of over $500k annually.
He has a BSc in Electrical and Electronic Engineering and has engaged in career development to currently hold some relevant accreditations of:
- Project Management Professional PMP
- Certified Energy Manager CEM
- Certified Measurement and Verification Professional CMVP
- Certified Educational Facilities Professional CEFP
- Certified Building Commissioning Professional CBCP
- FSR Master Electrician
Nilkanth “Sunny” Savaliya
Energy Engineer, CEM
Prior to joining the UBCO Energy Team, Sunny Savaliya worked extensively in the smart building industry, leveraging data to identify energy-saving opportunities. He has a diverse background in commercial energy management and is passionate about building a low-carbon future, circular economy, smart grids, and energy conservation and optimization. Sunny holds a Master’s Degree in Energy Management and a Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering. In addition to these qualifications, he is a Certified RETScreen Expert and a registered Energy Advisor with Natural Resources Canada. Sunny believes that smart technologies can create facilities those are safer, more comfortable for occupants, and more efficient to operate.
Reid Towsley
BMS Specialist, EMIT (Energy Manager in Training)
Reid Towsley is the Building Management Systems Specialist for the UBC Okanagan Energy Team. He oversees the campus BMS to ensure that the building management installations meet UBC’s defined control strategies and best practices to ensure established energy management guidelines are met. He has a focus on developing and implementing BMS operating policies, procedures, and guidelines to maintain UBC’s building management systems and provide efficient, effective operation.
Reid holds a diploma in Electronics Systems Engineering Technology from Saskatchewan Polytechnic. He is also a member of the Association of Energy Engineers and holds an EMIT certification. Prior to joining the Energy Team, Reid has a history focusing on building HVAC automation and process control for the past 8 years. Reid has experience with Delta and Siemens automation systems, and was the programming lead for an Energy Performance Contract at the Royal University Hospital in Saskatoon, SK.
Reid has also been involved in the new construction at UBC Okanagan as a contractor for 3 years prior to joining UBCO.
Jayden Greenlay
BMS Specialist
Jayden is a Building Management Systems Specialist and has been working in the building automation industry in Kelowna since 2016.
His past experiences include installation, design, programming and graphic development exclusively for Delta Controls BMS systems, and he became a certified Red Seal Electrician in 2020.
He enjoys the programming and integration of new technologies into existing BMS infrastructure.
Vasily Bigildeev
Senior Energy Specialist
Vasily holds a Master’s in Sustainability Energy Security. His work involves implementing strategies for energy monitoring, promoting conservation, and optimizing energy use. In previous roles, Vasily implemented energy efficiency initiatives in commercial buildings, including energy audits, building commissioning, retrofits, and utility management. He was honoured as the 2019 Alberta Energy Manager of the Year. His expertise contributes to operational cost reduction, improved work and study environments, and corporate sustainability efforts. His professional designations include CEM, CBCP, and CMVP. Additionally, Vasily serves as a Director at Large at the AEE Alberta Chapter.