PETER A. G. RUSSELL

Peter Russell is a Professional Engineer whose experience straddles the fields of Industrial Engineering and Building Technology and is backed by a long-time commitment to seeking paths to greater sustainability.

After graduating in Mechanical Engineering, and then obtaining a master’s degree in Production Engineering, at Birmingham University in the UK, Peter pursued a career in manufacturing industries in the UK and Canada.

During 19 years at Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) in Ottawa he managed the contracting and research into a very broad range of topics, including solar energy systems, indoor air quality, basement structures, composite wood structures, mechanical systems, district heating, prefabricated housing, foundation systems for Arctic housing, life-cycle costing of houses, and embodied energy of building materials. This mix of experience formed the basis for his role as one of the principals involved in establishing CMHC’c Healthy Housing initiative.

He was appointed as Canada’s representative on the International Energy Agency (IEA) Future Buildings Forum, an international body required to identify energy- and building-related research priorities. He has chaired 13-nation IEA Annex 31 – Energy Related Environmental Impact of Buildings, bringing together leading expertise. He was vice-chair of the Canadian Standards Association’s (CSA) committee on Heat Recovery Ventilators, and also served on CSA’s committee set up to establish a ventilation standard.