Energy Efficient Buildings | Refrigeration

Heat Recovery

Transcript

Claude Doré, Assistant Coordinator, Buildings and Facilities, City of Victoriaville:

Just before the new system was installed, we were doing heat recovery but only for the amphitheatre, we were not doing heat recovery for the other rooms. With the new system we are recovering heat for heating water, domestic hot water and part of the hot water for the zamboni and we are also heating the change rooms for the players.

With regard to energy savings, I can tell you that so far as electricity concerns we are meeting the same demand that we had before with the oil system but we have much more refrigeration capacity while we maintain the same electrical consumption, which means we have made savings because we have a better system.

The system that we have now produces an enormous amount of heat. I will go so far as to say at this time we have to get rid of some of it because the control point set for the players rooms and the amphitheatre are reached. So we are obliged to send this heat that we are continuing to produce outside the building. At present we are looking at the possibility of heating a nearby building with the excess energy, this is a part of our future projects.

Marc Carrière, Mayor, Val-des-Monts:

In terms of energy consumption, we have a chart with 30 arenas in Quebec who use conventional systems that are different from our system. The chart shows that the new system consumes 40 to 50% less energy than a conventional system and that savings can go up to 60% when compared with obsolete systems. The use of the new system allows us a quicker return on our investment.

Mario Piché, General Manager, Sportium Val-des-Monts:

It was difficult at first to believe in this project. I was one of the most sceptical. I have been a building manager for 20 years and the possibility of energy savings 40% seemed unlikely. Now we have the facts that show that the energy savings are real.

The integration of the new system is so simple and profitable. It is a benefit for energy saving and environmental protection.

We have a HLM and a library with two community halls next to us that we can heat with our excess capacity. This is the second step of our project that we will introduce shortly.

Dick Polowaniuk, Director, Facility Maintenance, City of Fort Saskatchewan:

Our installation has a 550 seat theatre, a soccer field, gymnasium, sports hall, a hockey rink and another room used as a leisure area and on the second floor we have a fitness and physiotherapy centre.

We use all the excess heat generated by the ice making system to heat most of the building. The refrigeration system ensures the heating of the soccer field, the sports hall and radiant floor of the building, change rooms, and the fitness centre.

The system has not changed much compared to the traditional system. We still use compressors, but they are screw compressors for high efficiency instead of piston compressors. We also use heat exchanger plates for higher efficiency.

We are using a base system. The difference is that we have integrated the system of the rink refrigeration to the system heating and cooling the building.

Lorna Rosen, City Manager, City of Fort Saskatchewan:

We currently consume 50% less energy. In terms of direct costs for an installation of 154 000 ft², we forecast that the savings would be $65,000 to $75,000 per year.

During the first year of operation we have saved more than $125,000 in energy costs compared to the costs that we would have incurred with a more traditional technology. We are very pleased.