Image of solor bannels taken from a birdseye view on top of the UTL Downsview facility — Birdseye view of the solar panels atop of University of Toronto Libraries at Downsview (photo by Albert Trinier)

Published: July 30, 2025
By: Liza Nikolaenko, Graduate Student Library Assistant

For the second year in a row, the University of Toronto has been ranked the world’s most sustainable university. U of T Libraries is proud to support that vision through meaningful, climate-focused efforts based at UTL @ Downsview.

Located away from U of T’s three main campuses, the Downsview facility has contributed to the preservation of U of T’s academic collections since 2005, housing more than 3.5 million items for long-term care and access.

As well as its outstanding reputation for preservation, Downsview also sets a strong example in environmental responsibility. The existing building hosts one of the university’s largest solar energy projects, with more than 1,000 photovoltaic panels generating up to 80% of its annual energy needs. That’s enough electricity to power approximately 70 average Canadian homes for a year. On sunny days, it can even produce excess clean energy that’s fed back into the grid.

Now, UTL is now taking the next step at Downsview. In collaboration with the U of T Sustainability Team, extensive decarbonization measures are being implemented not only in the planned expansion, but also within the existing building. These combined efforts will make UTL @ Downsview the university’s first climate-positive facility.

“Climate-positive” refers not only to producing more energy than the facility uses, but also to carbon reduction strategies. These include enhanced insulation, HVAC optimization (targeting the building’s largest energy load), and emissions avoided through renewable power, all contributing to U of T’s efforts to reduce energy consumption.

Libraries do more than advance research and share knowledge. They also make careful choices about their buildings and operations to reduce their impact on the environment. At Downsview, that means making practical decisions today with the future of the environment in mind.

Liza Nikolaenko, a creative and astute second-year graduate student, is pursuing her Master of Landscape Architecture (MLA) at the John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design.

UTL @ Downsview: A Climate-Positive Future