GB & SS Magazine Spring 2013 by Green Building and Sustainable Strategies Magazine

Green Buildin BUILDING BuildinG Green & & Su SuStainable StrategieS Spring 2013

LAVA

Laboratory for Visionary Architecture

Airon HVAC & Control

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The Green Method

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CONTENTS

Green BUILDING BuildinG GreenBuildin & & Su SuStainable StrategieS Spring 2013

LAVA

spring 2013

GreenBuildinG GreenBuildinG & SuStainable StrategieS

From the Publisher’s Desk

& SuStainable StrategieS

Volume 2, Number 1 • Spring 2013

Laboratory for Visionary Architecture

www.gbssmag.com

On the cover: LAVA 8

Airon HVAC & Control

Elite Climate Services

The Green Method

Air Heat Supplies

Green ChallenGes For hVaC

PUBLISHER: Giulio Marinescu 416-250-0664 publisher@gbssmag.com 2109-256 Doris Ave. Toronto, ON M2N 6X8 MANAGING EDITOR: Greg McMillan editor@gbssmag.com

From the Publisher - Laboratory for Visionary Architecture [LAVA]

Masdar Plaza World’s first zero carbon, zero waste city powered entirely by renewable energy sources

FEATURE STORY - When timing is everything For 20 years, the Airon Group of Companies has formed partnerships to defy conventional ways of thinking

16 Walking the Walk and Talking the Talk Innovation from University of Waterloo showcased in school’s new Environment 3 LEED Platinum building 19 ONYX SOLAR Building Integrated Photovoltaic 22 FEATURE STORY - Win-win situation The Ferrari brothers at Elite Climate Services Inc double up to provide HVAC quality for ‘innovative comfort solutions’

GRAPHIC DESIGNER: Tony Lomuto Graphic Designs Unlimited LTONY@sympatico.ca Photographers: Graham Dickhout • Daniel Dutka Contributors: Greg McMillan • Dave de Silva • Dan Stone Tim Van Seters • Amir Safa • Alan Fung BrightSource Energy • LAVA • Onyx Solar

26 Knowing What Counts

Submit articles, event, news to Giulio Marinescu publisher@gbssmag.com

28 Up to the Challenge Quantum Geothermal goes the Extra Mile to Provide Quality geothermal solutions for homes

Canada Post Publication Mail Agreement number 42332013

30 LAVA Snowflake Tower Abu Dhabi, UAE

Undeliverable mail return to: 2109-256 Doris Ave. Toronto, ON M2N 6X8

32 LAVA BIONIC TOWER Abu Dhabi

Printed in Canada by: CoFax Printing

34 Breaking with tradition The Green Method™ – HVAC with maximum indoor comfort and least amount of environmental impact 36 Ontario Green Policy Hub An online policy resource to develop and promote green built environments for Ontario municipalities

38 FEATURE STORY - Onwards and upwards From modest beginnings in 1956, Air Heat Supplies continues to grow as the wholesaler of choice for today’s contractor 44 Boosting the Energy Efficiency of Canadian Homes using Heat Pumps 46 Ivanpah The world largest solar thermal plant

Green Building & Sustainable Strategies

Laboratory for Visionary Architecture [LAVA]

© 2013 Green Building & Sustainable Strategies. No part of this magazine may be reproduced by any means, in any form, in whole or in part, without the prior written permission of the publisher. The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the respective authors and not necessarily those of this publication. Green Building & Sustainable Strategies does not specifically endorse the editorial, products or services presented in this magazine.

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46 SPRING 2013

LAVA Team: Tobias Wallisser, Alexander Rieck and Chris Bosse

hris Bosse, Tobias Wallisser and Alexander Rieck founded multinational firm, Laboratory for Visionary Architecture [LAVA], in 2007 as a network of creative minds with a research and design focus and with offices in Sydney, Shanghai, Stuttgart and Abu Dhabi. LAVA explores frontiers that merge future technologies with the patterns of organisation found in nature and believes this will result in a smarter, friendlier, more socially and environmentally responsible future. The potential for naturally evolving systems such as snowflakes, spider webs and soap bubbles for new building typologies and structures has continued to fascinate LAVA – the geometries in nature create both efficiency and beauty. But above all the human is the centre of their investigations. Structure, material and building skin are three areas LAVA believes that architecture can learn so much from nature. Projects incorporate intelligent systems and skins that can react to external influences such as air pressure, temperature, humidity, solar‐radiation and pollution. LAVA has designed everything from pop up installations to master plans and urban centres, from homes made out of PET bottles to retrofitting aging 60s icons, from furniture to hotels, houses and airports of the future. LAVA’s latest project is THE:SQUARE3, three towers of gold, silver, and bronze and three diSPRING 2013

agonally shaped city blocks inspired by sport that revitalises an unique urban quarter in Berlin. The theme is Life, Nature, Sport. THE:SQUARE3 is one of four projects shortlisted in the prestigious 2013 MIPIM real estate awards in the Futura category. LAVA Vision “Green is the new black” Architecture always was and always will be a mirror of society. Every architectural project contributes to the wider culture of architecture, is a reflection of contemporary technology and, therefore, carries a greater responsibility to its public and to the environment. LAVA understands the correlation between the architectural synergy of iconic buildings and the

balance of a thriving eco-system and aim at a complete congruity in all its components. Using the latest advances in computing and building technology they want to reposition the role of man in the natural environment. LAVA takes its cues from technology, nature and mankind to provide an enhanced reality and bring new intensity to the artificial environment. They strive to challenge the common perception of architecture as the production of square meters. Their projects will unify the concepts of structure, space and architectural expression to create a unique, limitless experience. The Laboratory for Visionary Architecture seeks to continually define new boundaries in the creation of architectural visions and city space. LAVA’s research and design focus allows the evolution of architectural and urban design outcomes inaccessible through traditional methodologies. Their process continually evolves; responding to global and market forces to deliver high quality, technologically advanced and sustainable projects that inspire a new generation. LAVA Sydney and Stuttgart already have become hotspots and breeding grounds for a new generation of architectural talent. LAVA is always ready for the next breakthrough. Giulio Marinescu Publisher Green Building & Sustainable Strategies

Laboratory for Visionary Architecture (LAVA)

Masdar Plaza

World’s first zero carbon, zero waste city powered entirely by renewable energy sources

he future wellbeing of cities around the globe depends on mankind’s ability to develop and integrate sustainable technology. Masdar City is the city of the future positioned at the forefront of integrating sustainable technology into modern architectural design. Rome, Athens, Florence, most great historical cities have had the plaza, forum, or square at their epicenter - where the life, values, ideals, and vision of the population evolved. Equally, the centre of Masdar must be an iconic beacon that attracts global attention to sustainable technology. LAVA sees Masdar Plaza as “The Oasis of the Future”: a living, breathing, active, adaptive environ; stimulated by the social interaction of people, and spotlighting the use and benefits of sustainable technology.

Masdar Initiative is a long-term strategic commitment by the government of Abu Dhabi to accelerate the development and deployment of future energy solutions. The highest standards of sustainable development will include zero emissions; zero waste; 100% power generation through renewable energy sources, water and wastewater efficiency, indoor environmental quality, zero carbon emission and carbon footprint reduction.

Green Building & Sustainable Strategies

ARCHITECT LAVA - Laboratory for Visionar y Architecture Chris Bosse, Tobias Wallisser, Alexander Rieck www.l-a-v-a.net Sydney – Stuttgart – Abu Dhabi – Shanghai NAME OF PROJECT Masdar City Centre LOCATION Masdar, UAE CLIENT Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company

Masdar City is the world’s most prestigious project focusing on sustainable energy design. It is the city of the future and a global benchmark for sustainable urban development. LAVA believes in the MASDAR slogan “One day all cities will be like this”.

COST In excess of US $20 Billion STATUS Schematic design. International design competition - winner. SIZE 96,000 m2 total. Public Plaza 31.200 m2 5-Star Hotel 23.265 m2 Convention 19.766 m2 Retail 15.500 m2 Cinema 6.500 m2 SPRING 2013

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Hence, their design proposal focuses on the delivery of three key issues: 1. Performance – to demonstrate the use and benefits of sustainable technology in a modern, dynamic, iconic architectural environment. 2. Activation – to activate or operate the sustainable technology in accordance with the functional needs of this environment, 24 hours a day, 365 days of the year. 3. Interaction – to encourage and stimulate a social dynamic where the life, values, ideals, and vision of the population of Masdar evolve. The ‘sunflower umbrellas’ are one aspect of the winning design by the international practice Laboratory for Visionary Architecture (LAVA) for the city centre for Masdar in the UAE, the world’s first zero carbon, zero waste city powered entirely by renewable energy sources. The solar powered ‘sunflower’ umbrellas capture the sun’s rays during the day, fold at night releasing the stored heat, and open again the next day. They follow the projection of the sun to provide continuous shade during the day. Green Building & Sustainable Strategies

The idea behind LAVA’s concept is the use, inspiration, and adaptation of nature and their plans combine innovative design and sustainability. East and west are fused in the plaza design inspired by both the oasis, as the epicentre of Arabic nomadic life, and the iconic piazza of historical European cities. The “Oasis of the Future” is conceived as an open spatial experience, whereby all features, whether hotel, conference, shopping, or leisure, offer the highest quality of indoor and outdoor comfort and interaction. Buildings surrounding the plaza form gorges, evoking mystical comparisons with the Grand Canyon and the entrance to Petra. The “Oasis of the Future” demonstrates sustainable technology in a user-friendly architectural environment – flexible use of space, outdoor and indoor comfort, and optimum performance. The following environmental and engineering design concepts will minimize energy consumption: - Radiant surfaces - Air movement that supplements natural wind patterns - Evaporating cooling mist - Thermal mass and PCM - Slab cooling and Luna Panels - Shading of external facades surrounding the Plaza LAVA’s sustainable design and engineering philosophy balances the ‘vision of the future’ with ‘scientific fact and availability’. The aim is to provide the lowest possible carbon footprint, whilst maintaining the highest level of user experience within the practical viability of affordable architecture. Engineering specialists have analyzed each component of potential energy expenditure and investigated individual efficiencies in order to reduce the carbon footprint. Even the façade of the buildings surrounding the Plaza will incorporate long-life, loose-fit structural design to enable flexible future planning and reconfiguration opportunities. Switching and sensors will activate and deactivate features and functions in correlation with usage and pedestrian flow. All front and back of house functions within the Hotel and Convention Centre will capture sustainability of water, waste, materials, indoor and outdoor environmental quality. The proposal strives to exceed those of the Masterplan and is, in addition, benchmarked against Estidama* and LEED (Platinum). Adaptive cooling provides all facilities with extended usability during peak heat loads. Solar analysis provides insight into the tuning of facades in order to incorporate an ability to respond to varying sun angles and levels of solar intensity. The Oasis of the Future is a living, breathing

The sunflower principle is eco‐friendly and can be adapted to anywhere in the world – it opens opportunities for outside living, even in the desert. ‘The entire city is car‐free with a magnetic public transport system includes individual pods that drive you to your destination using solar power. Some other key innovations of the winning plan include: • Building façade angles that can be altered to offset or optimize solar glare. • Materials on wall surfaces respond to changing temperatures and contain minimal embedded energy. • Water features can be stored underground during the day and at night trickle or flow strongly, triggered by passersby. • Interactive light poles, inspired by the oasis fire, transform the plaza into a 3‐dimensional interactive media installation. • Interactive, heat sensitive technology activates lighting in response to pedestrian traffic and mobile phone usage. • Roof gardens integrate food production, energy generation, water efficiency and the reuse of organic food waste.

Green Building & Sustainable Strategies

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habitat. The ability to control ambient temperature at all times of the day is the key to making the Plaza a compulsive destination. The gorges pull inhabitants into the loop. The ‘Petals from Heaven’ open and close; protect pedestrians from the sun; capture, store, and release heat; adjust the angle of shade based on the position of the sun. The heat sensitive lamps adjust the level of lighting to the proximity of pedestrians. The water features ebb and flow based on the intensity of ground temperatures. ‘Masdar Plaza, The Oasis of the Future’ incorporates the highest level of knowledge and expertise in science, technology, and construction methodology, globally. It is a balance between iconic architectural identity, cutting edge

sustainable design and technology. * Estidama is a building design methodology for constructing and operating buildings and communities more sustainably. The program is a key aspect of the “Plan Abu Dhabi 2030” drive to build the city of Abu Dhabi according to innovative green standards. “Eastidama” is the Arabic word for sustainability. The program is not itself a green building rating system like LEED or BREEAM, but rather a collection of ideals that are imposed in an elective building code type of format. Within Estidama, however is a green building rating system called the Pearl Rating System that is utilized to evaluate sustainable building development practices in Abu Dhabi. (Wilkipedia) Green Building & Sustainable Strategies

FEATURE STORY

ARC Condo by Daniels, Toronto

Limelight, Mississauga “However, as an industry innovation leader, Airon can only deliver on the highest quality, and to compete we must work towards executing in the most efficient manner. Since construction requires the collaborate efforts of many different expert trades, we must seek out partnerships with other trades who look to execute on a high quality, high efficiency model. “As this business model is one of our founding principals, we have many examples of projects executed through high quality trade partnerships.” In that vein, Gorka cited several recent Airon projects: • Toronto Regent Park Revitalization Project; • Toronto Community Housing Corporation, Energy Management Upgrades; • City of Windsor, Energy Management Upgrades; • Township of Essex, Energy Management Upgrades; • Niagara Region, Energy Management Upgrades; • Niagara Parks, Tablerock Tourist Centre; • Niagara College Applied Health Building.

When timing is everything For 20 years, the Airon Group of Companies has formed partnerships to defy conventional ways of thinking

By Greg McMillan

y daring to be different, The Airon Group of Companies has forged important partnerships and made a name for itself as a building industry innovation leader. The Burlington, Ontario-based firm, which provides services to engage facility managers, builders and consultants in the Building Automation Systems (BAS) process, embraces technological advances and the challenges they bring with them – ensuring that Airon maintains an advantage over its competitors. “Timing is very important,” says Airon President Richard Gorka. “We don’t want to be too far ahead of our industry’s adoption of future technological advancements, but worse, we don’t want to fall behind.” To that end, Airon consists of unconventional thinkers who assist its partners with difficult problems and invigorate their organizations by going beyond conventional roles and defying traditional ways of thinking. “The majority of construction and related services work in Canada is procured through the ‘bid and spec’ pricing model,” Gorka says. “This type

Green Building & Sustainable Strategies

Control at Your Fingertips Rick Gorka President of Airon HVAC and Control Ltd

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of procurement model ensures that the lowest bid most often wins the project. In this business environment the emphasis on achieving lowest costs is often placed ahead of highest quality.

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Green Building & Sustainable Strategies

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Hamilton Multi-Agency Training Academy Airon head office, Burlington “We developed an extremely talented team of HVAC technicians, all well experienced and trained on both the existing and emerging technologies that exist in our industry.”

Airon believes that in an environment of continuous change, it’s never business as usual; that an organization needs to be nimble because technological advances continue to define its business. So Airon’s services engage builders and consultants in the BAS process. By partnering with facility managers, builders, consultants and product suppliers, Airon discovers how to develop innovative solutions for building challenges and generate innovative strategies for long-term positive results. “Since founding our company 20 years ago, our industry evolved enormously, based mostly on technological advancements,” says Gorka. “Not one element of our business is the way it was. We have gone from typewriters to tablets, from relays to integrated functional devices, from CB radios to iPhones.” Along the way, he says, the company continued to grow, and needed stronger leadership with distinct skill sets. “As as a result, I developed two minority partnerships – one with Reid Hutchinson in our HVAC service company and one with Gezim Berisha in our HVAC control company,” he explains.

Additionally, he said, Airon assembled an expert team of licensed electrical technicians with advanced electronics’ skills to efficiently and accurately install increasingly sophisticated building automation systems.

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Green Building & Sustainable Strategies

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Green Building & Sustainable Strategies

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Looking forward to more success in the future.

“And we developed an expert team of designers and programmers that are made up of mechanical and computer science technologists and engineers.” he says. “This team is continually testing, adopting and implementing the latest advanced technological applications in our industry. “And perhaps least recognized, we developed an expert team of sales professionals, managers and administrators that, without a doubt, are the glue that holds the operation together.” There are many wide-ranging testimonials to Airon’s professional expertise. “Our current clients are thrilled with our advanced services,” says Gorka. “They have observed an almost instant reduction in both energy and facility management costs. “Through ongoing mini-seminars, trade shows and face-to-face interactions with the general industry public, the interest has been very positive. We are negotiating more work based on energy management and associated sustainability than ever before.” Ange Bruni, former Manager, Facilities Management Services at the Welland Campus of Niagara College, echoed those words. “Airon’s flexibility and creativity is a highly desirable feature in today’s challenging world of technology and, from my experience, this has been a missing element in relation to the larger corporations,” Bruni says. “It is those very characteristics that allowed Airon to successfully create a systematic approach to achieve the requested innovated results.” Looking ahead, Gorka foresees a bright future for Airon. “Our technological management is better than ever, our teams are working well together and we are well ahead of our competitors,” he says, “in delivering the next major change to affect the mechanical services industry: A shift from Reactive service to Proactive service.” He explained that, in the Reactive service model, a problem or equipment failure remains unnoticed until it is discovered via human intervention, such as an uncomfortable tenant or an observant service technician on a routine preventative maintenance check.

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Green Building & Sustainable Strategies

“In this model serious energywasting problems can go unnoticed for many weeks, and in some cases the problem may never be discovered at all,” Gorka says. “In the Proactive model, technology continually monitors all the major building systems and reports a problem immediately as it occurs in real time via email to concerned parties.” “We have been working on an effective Proactive service model for several years, and through Airon’s exclusive ANT Technologies™ we have a highly advanced real time Proactive reporting suite of software tools. “Many of our clients are currently using ANT Technologies™ and, as we roll out the next phase of software tools we expect that Hamilton Multi-Agency Training Academy ANT Technologies™ will provide us a major differentiator in the market.” Another striking example of how Airon dares to be different – again and again and again. Cinema Tower, Toronto Web: www.airongroup.ca As an Authorized Tridium™ Developer, Airon has partnered with Tridium™ to develop specific applications that will advance existing technology. New solutions that will better serve your needs.

Board Room meeting Proven solutions are then licensed by Tridium™ and shared with other Integrators forming the technological building blocks of the future, today. Airon has established a research and development partnership with Brock University, and is working with a team of computer science engineers to advance energy analytics and fault detection solutions

that will continually monitor energy use in facilities and immediately diagnose environmental and energy-wasting problems in facilities and forward reports as they occur. Airon has also partnered with Humber College in creating a specialized lab and teaching courses to arm the students with the BAS basics needed to enter the industry.

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An array of solar panels on the roof of EV3 provides up to 67,000 kWh/year of power, roughly equivalent to the annual consumption of seven single-family homes.

The building also hosts Waterloo’s School of Planning and the School of Environment, Enterprise and Development (SEED), thus making it home to Canada’s only LEED Canada Platinum professional school. Some of the project highlights include: • A two-storey, plant-covered living wall, connected to the ventilation system, which acts as a living filter for the entire building and removes volatile organic compounds; • Use of sustainable wood products certified by the Forest Stewardship Council and 88 per cent recycled steel; • Construction using a cutting-edge structural system, allowing it to sit on top of the existing Environmental 2 building, thus minimizing the structure’s physical footprint on the campus; • Water efficiency through automatic, low-flow faucets, and low-flush toilets and urinals that use rainwater collected from the roof and filtered through the wetlands outside reducing the building’s water consumption by 87 per cent compared to a standard plumbing system; • The careful placement of the windows maximizing daylight in working spaces with automatic sensors, controlling artificial light during dark hours. (The panes are glazed using a leading-edge honeycomb technique developed at Waterloo’s solar lab making them five times more insulating.) These modifications help Environment 3 consume 45 per cent less energy than a standard building of its size. Much of this energy is supplied by an array of rooftop solar panels providing up to 67,000 kWh/year of power, roughly equivalent to the annual consumption of seven single-family homes. Dr. Parker says the project can definitely help develop economic development strategies across Canada.

EV3 was constructed using a cutting-edge structural system allowing it to sit on top of the existing Environment 2 building, thus minimizing the structure’s physical footprint on the Waterloo campus.

Walking the Walk and Talking the Talk Innovation from University of Waterloo showcased in school’s new Environment 3 LEED Platinum building

By Greg McMillan

ny construction project earning Platinum status for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) deserves attention and recognition in Canada. And, with the newest building at the University of Waterloo’s Faculty of Environment achieving such a distinction, the kudos have been quickly accumulating. But, according to Dr. Paul Parker, Professor, Geography and Environmental Management, at the university, there has been much more accomplished than certification by the Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC), the internationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high performance buildings. “The highlight of the project is the enthusiasm of all the groups involved,” Dr. Parker says of the building, dubbed Environment 3 (EV3). “The starting point is the students, who love a building where they see that the university is ‘walking the talk’ as we convert lectures and lessons about 16

Green Building & Sustainable Strategies

improved performance and low carbon strategies into our practice.” To recap, a Platinum designation is the highest LEED certification possible, recognizing performance in five key areas, including water and energy efficiency, sustainable site development, indoor environmental quality and materials selection. And Feridun Hamdullahpur, President and Vice-Chancellor at Waterloo, has gone on record as saying “this commitment to real-world impact and transformative change serves us today and will guide our future. “It is only fitting that a building on the cutting edge of green design be a part of our campus.” And there are many examples to support that assessment. Working with Akitt Swanson & Pearce Architects and WalterFedy design firm, Cooper Construction oversaw the design and build of the first LEED Canada Platinum structure at an Ontario university. The call for ideas also went out to students, and they responded with suggestions for the design, use and management of outside areas, green roof and the interior garden courts. SPRING 2013

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Green Building & Sustainable Strategies

“The perfect example of this is the honeycomb glazing technology.” he says. “The glazing was developed in a lab here at Waterloo and then a doctoral student graduated and set up a firm to go into production and now they have a growing market, including EV3. “Similarly, the living wall and green roof are products of local firms. In addition to particular technologies, the whole project reflects our growing emphasis on the knowledge economy as the design, production and installation all require new skills that are in demand as new markets grow for high performance buildings. “EV3 also reflects the sustainable choice of buildings that have lower operating costs and generate economic benefits for decades into the future. “In terms of highlights in the building itself, I am impressed by the things that you do not see, like higher levels of insulation and attention to detail in air sealing. Of course, generating on-site energy with the solar panels is a visible example of where we see all buildings going.” The account team from Siemens, led by Jack Rendulic, was intimately involved in the design process to ensure that the building automation systems were optimized for this key project, says Joseph Caranci, Siemens Area Manager for Central Canada. This project also represented the first deployment of Siemens EMC Software for the University of Waterloo. Siemens EMC is a flexible remote hosted monitoring service that provides comprehensive, easy-to-use reports on the building’s energy performance

ONYX SOLAR

Building Integrated Photovoltaic University of Waterloo’s Environment 3 building hosts The School of Environment, Enterprise and Development and The School of Planning — allowing U of W to easily measure and verify the energy performance, and to make informed energy decisions for the building. Caranci says Siemens is “proud of our long-standing partnership with the University of Waterloo, and we are very happy to recognize their achievement with this sustainable new building.”

uildings are responsible for 40% of global energy consumption and the solutions proposed by this company are heading towards a significant reduction of the energy bill. The solutions developed by Onyx Solar replace conventional building materials for smart photovoltaic materials in ventilated façades and roofs, curtain walls, skylights, walkable floors, etc. The idea is to create building envelopes with photovoltaic properties making it possible to generate clean and free energy from the sun and being also an aesthetic and viable solution.

Solar architecture is not about fashion, it’s about survival Sir Norman Foster

EV3’s living wall removes volatile organic compounds, and acts as a living air filter for the entire building. 18

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About Onyx Solar Onyx Solar is a global company developing smart solar solutions for Building Integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV). The solutions developed by Onyx Solar combine active and passive elements. Among the first ones, the in-situ electricity generation is the most important because it can be used for self-consumption or sold to the grid at a previously established price generating significant revenues. Passive elements are related to the design of the building to improve energy efficiency, increasing the insulation and reducing the energy needs of the construction. The cheapest energy is the energy that is not consumed, therefore is why Onyx offers multifunctional photovoltaic constructive solutions which can be integrated perfectly into any type of building, provide greater both acoustic and thermal insulation and at the same time produce clean, free energy in situ, all thanks to the power of the sun. Those solutions make the photovoltaic constructive material developed by Onyx the only one allowing the customer to recover the money invested on its acquisition and installation after a certain period of time, providing an outstanding pay-back time. Moreover, integrating photovoltaic into the building you guarantee yourself that the energy price will remain unchanged for the next 30 years, something vital considering the current trend of increasing prices. Green Building & Sustainable Strategies

CONSTRUCTION SOLUTIONS Onyx Solar is a business committed to the development of intelligent, multifunctional constructive solutions for the sustainable integration of solar energy photovoltaic in buildings. Photovoltaic ventilated Facade Contemporary architecture is showing an increasing interest in the different materials available for use in ventilated façades and roofs. Inspired by this rise in interest, Onyx Solar has designed a photovoltaic ventilated façade and roof system, a product with undeniable aesthetic value and unbeatable in terms of heat insulation that generates free electricity from the sun. The generated electricity can be translated directly to the main supply system, thus being marketed to the large suppliers, or be used for personal consumption (isolated system). The thermal surrounding methods can result in a 25-40% reduction of the energy consumed by a building. Depending upon the orientation of the façade, building location, and the photovoltaic technology implemented, the electricity produced by Onyx’s system in just one square metre can vary between 20-40 kW/h per annum; sufficient energy to supply up to 10,000 hours of light from 20W energy saving light bulbs. In addition to the obvious environmental benefits, in countries where the sale of electricity is regulated and incentive based, through an obligatory subsidy from the electrical companies, one metre squared of ventilated roof can generate a net benefit in its lifetime (25 years) of more than 1000 Euros. From a financial point of view, depending upon the type of building and its location,ventilated façades and roofs can achieve an Internal Return Rate (IRR) greater than 25% and an outstanding payback time.

Photovoltaic Canopy

A photovoltaic canopy constitutes a constructive solution which combines energy generation, solar and adverse climatologic conditions protection. The energy generated by the system can either feed any building within its surroundings or get connected to the grid, leading in any case to an important economic profit. The top of the photovoltaic canopy is customized for each project according to the preferred aesthetic value appearance and to its integration within the urban characteristics. Orientation, slope options, sizes or wind loads are some key variables that should be measured accurately in order to get a correct design for the main structure.

Green Building & Sustainable Strategies

Photovoltaic Curtain Wall

Ten Key Advantages of the Ventilated Photovoltaic Facade 1. Electricity production 2. Energy saving due to insulation properties (up to 40%) 3. Greater insulation performance 4. Elimination of thermal bridges 5. Thermal inner comfort 6. Reduction of acoustic pollution 7. Wall and roof protection 8. Greater energy yield under low irradiation conditions 9. Greater energy yield under high temperature conditions 10. Attractive and innovative design

Photovoltaic Second Skin Center for Genomic and Oncologic Research (GENyO) Granada (Spain)

Building Retrofit Using BIPV

Nowadays architecture and photovoltaic solar energy can be combined to create a new form of construction. Curtain walls offer architects a multitude of possibilities for the integration of photovoltaic solar energy into buildings in an efficient and ecological manner. Photovoltaic curtain wall provides a multifunctional solution where not only clean and free energy is being generated insitu, but also natural illumination is being provided implementing solar control by filtering effect, avoiding infrared and UV irradiation to the interior (enhancing thermal comfort and avoiding interior aging). The large variety in form, structure and colour of transparent photovoltaic glass, combined with the aluminum frames, provides a free reign of creativity for architects so they can create designs which unite elegance, efficiency and energy saving.

Photovoltaic Skylight

Photovoltaic Skylight Bejar Market Retrofit Salamanca (Spain) The Skylight system ensure an optimized PV electrical generation adding multifunctional passive bioclimatic properties of thermal inner comfort since most of the UV and infrared radiation from the sun will be harvested by the silicon-based material (solar filter effect). Moreover, the air chamber of the insulating glass guarantees best thermal performance in terms of U and g values. Courtesy of Onyx Solar. www.onyxsolar.com

Walkable Photovoltaic Roof

Onyx Solar develops multifunctional solutions that combine aesthetic and photovoltaic technology applied in historical buildings, being a cutting edge technology for buildings retrofits. Photovoltaic technology improves energy conditions of the buildings, making more efficient all those who were not designed under modern patterns of sustainability and energy efficiency. This contribution respects building’s original aesthetic concept by using “low visual impact solutions” on all these buildings that represent the artistic and cultural heritage of a city. Retrofit projects of historical buildings that incorporate photovoltaic skylights, benefit from multifunctional solutions that not only generate electricity on site, but also control visible light entrance, reaching thermal inner comfort and harvesting UV and IR radiation. SPRING 2013

The Walkable Photovoltaic Roof, which is still in research and development stage by Onyx Solar and Butech engineers, is made using a solar PV glass laminated over elevated ceramic roof tiles, resulting in a completely walkable surface. This PV pavement is a really appealing product for architects as it can be integrated in any project and environment without renouncing design and aestheticism. What’s more, it combines passive elements (avoided CO2 emissions) with active elements (power generation), greatly reducing the building’s environmental impact. Currently, a backlit walkable photovoltaic roof is under development. SPRING 2013

Green Building & Sustainable Strategies

FEATURE STORY

Fully operational showroom controls Elite Climate Services workplace’s indoor climate

Attilio and Santino Ferrari

Win-win situation

He pointed out, as well, that Elite has the facility to fabricate its own custom hydronic manifolds, making the installation process more efficient, accurate and professional. “We also have a sheet metal shop where we make all our own custom sheet metal,” Santino continued. “By doing this, we are able to select higher qualities of metal, making quality our first priority.” It’s been a seamless transition since the two brothers decided to put all their eggs into one basket.

The Ferrari brothers at Elite Climate Services Inc double up to provide HVAC quality for ‘innovative comfort solutions’

By Greg McMillan

hen Attilio and Santino Ferrari joined forces back in 2006 and founded Elite Climate Services Inc, they instantly began charting a course of excellence that has turned heads ever since. And they have maintained their original mandate since day one – to build a company that would focus on innovation, honesty, integrity and quality workmanship in the heating, cooling and radiant floor heating industry. “We combined our principles, knowledge and hands-on experience to form the company,” said Attilio. “We had a combined 35 years of experience and we pride ourselves in offering clients the highest level of customer 22

Green Building & Sustainable Strategies

service and quality workmanship.” One of the main factors for the esteemed standing Elite Climate Services Inc holds in the industry, says Attilio, is the in-house quality control exhibited. And Santino also stressed that Elite does not need to outsource labour or logistics. “We are able to design, install, service and maintain with all our own people and growing commercial fleet,” he says. “And between Attilio and I, we have the hands-on experience and are able to relate to, and train, our techs. “Because we understand the function of both forced air and hydronic radiant heating, we are able to integrate the system to work together as opposed to the two systems fighting each other.” SPRING 2013

Vanguard is a manufacturer of innovative and Eco friendly In-floor heating PEX, Potable PEX and HDPE pipe

www.vanguard.ca SPRING 2013

Green Building & Sustainable Strategies

Elite Climate Services’ auto fleet Snow melt

northwest systems

Quality SyStemS you Can Count on

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www.northwestsystems.com 24

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Before they teamed up, the Ferraris were making names for themselves individually in the industry; and earning credibility along the way. Santino started out in 1996 as a gas and sheet metal apprentice, then went on to complete several trade licences in the following six years while gaining experience in the custom home and commercial HVAC industry. He has since taken several more manufacturing training courses, gaining knowledge about the installation and service of products. On the other hand, Attilio got his start in the industry back in 1988, working as a gas and hydronic apprentice. He spent the next eight years successfully completing his trade licences, as well as also stockpiling industry experience. He attended HRAI training courses and attained various design certificates at the same time. Fast forward to 2006, and the fruits of their early labours began to mesh. “For the first six months of Elite Climate Services Inc it was just Santino and I,” recalls Attilio. “But our quality workmanship was soon recognized by our small client base, and we started receiving a lot of referrals from them. “We hired a few technicians to work hand in hand with us, then trained them to our high standards of quality, and knowledge.” The brothers found that their client base kept growing, so by 2007 they had acquired a 3,000-square-foot facility in Toronto where they began running their daily operation. “Due to our rapid growth we outgrew that place quickly, so in 2010 we acquired a much larger location in Concord,” Attilio says. “Where, we are able to have a fully operational showroom that control our indoor climate, and add a training facility, sheet metal shop, recycling area for cardboard and ferrous metals, and a fabrication area for our custom manifolds.” And their original employees continued along for the ride. “Yes, they are still with us,” says Attilio. “They have been groomed with our high standards of customer service and quality workmanship. SPRING 2013

They are managing projects alongside us, so that, as we grow, our standards go along with it.” Testimonials from satisfied clients certainly back that up. “Elite Climate Services’ workmanship is outstanding and their attention to fine detail is appreciated by both our company and the clients we represent.” says Frank Campoli, President of JTF Homes Ltd. Far from being satisfied with the status quo, Santino believes the future for Elite Climate Services Inc is in an onward-and-upward mode. “We have formed a service division for both residential and commercial clients,” he says. “This will not only service and maintain projects we have completed but also maintain clients with systems not installed by us. “And we are dealing with in-floor heating and snow melt technologies which, up until now, had really been focused on the high-end custom home market. “We are in the process of developing a simplified system for both the production home builder and commercial markets.” Web: www.eliteclimateservices.ca Elite Climate Services Inc. strives for excellence for its clients. The company attains professional and courteous interaction that ensures clients have the best services possible by being innovative, professional, experienced and reliable. For residential clients, Elite Climate Services Inc. provides installation and service to all properties. Services include: Furnaces, boilers, fireplaces, air conditioning, indoor air quality, radiant floor heating, snow melt systems, hot water tanks, tankless water heaters and infrared heaters. Elite specializes in custom homes, ranging from 3,000-square-foot to larger areas. A typical residential installation includes design, air handler, air conditioning, steam humidifier, air cleaner, HRV, radiant floor heating and snow melt system, interconnected with a high efficiency boiler. In the commercial area, services include: rooftops, unit heaters, infrared heaters, exhaust fans and maintenance plans. SPRING 2013

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Aerial view of GreenLife Centre in Markham, a net-zero energy office building by DelRidge Homes

Knowing What Counts

By Dave de Sylva

very day an article is written which we may read; a news item reported and delivered to our electronic gadgets, or a television program watched that rightfully draws our attention to the problems of global climate change and our inevitable need to think more sustainably. Whether this movement’s origin is academic, social or government driven, the basis for it can be traced back to early scientific measurements of our climate, from analyses of our living patterns and habits to the earth’s movement. Since the very beginning of an interaction between science and measurement, we have grown increasingly aware of our collective footprint. This measurement based research continues to demonstrate growing problems with weather, energy demand, food production, ocean deterioration and survivability of our ecosystem as a whole. At the basis of these problems is energy itself, its’ consumption, and our reliance on all that is produced from

yesterday’s resources using yesterday’s technology. From a society that considers itself forward, we use less than 1% of 1% of what energy falls upon this earth every year, and yet what we use is almost exclusively sourced by antiquated technologies and means, in spite of many advancements we continue to develop. Old plants and animals dead for hundreds of thousands of years trapped in some of the most difficult places remain the beacons of interest, subject to herculean efforts to bring their fruits into our lives, as we burn them then cast their remnants and refuse aside, the consequences of these actions which we continue to ignore, relying on distant optimism almost as though we will find another atmosphere, a better technology, a cleaner ocean, another world. Then we have the advocates, those upon whom we rely to guide us forward, the institutors of change, the promulgators of hope. These may be the pioneers who craft clever buildings that reach tall into our skies, towers decorated with elaborate furnishings. These are the architects and engineers who have advanced intricate systems featuring new ideas for old objectives.

- WWW.VINCENT.CALLEBAUT.ORG” Copyright “VINCENT CALLEBAUT ARCHITE CTURES

I say old objectives, as we really don’t wish to live thousands of feet up in the air nor underground. Traditional yet antiquated needs which may continue to increase if for no other reason than the tradition of a once sustainable lifestyle, regardless of a world population, which now stretches beyond 7 billion people. It is the continued practice of these billions of people which guarantees the need for change. Imperatively so, the solution for the world as a whole requires and insists that alternate building systems must be achievable on this scale. As an example, a closely related problem facing the world is an inability to produce sufficient food for its’ masses, yet will not be solved by newer and better recipes for lobster or beef wellington. Most eat corn and wheat. Refining the standards of the upper echelons does nothing to address the growing and gaping hole that our burgeoning population will inflict on our natural resources. Similarly the pressing need for sustainable building will not be satiated by elaborate architecture festooned with floating gardens and tagged with billion dollar budgets. The obvious conclusion to our immediate dilemma, must be that sustainable must also mean attainable. After all, what good is a solution if it has no real application other than to prove the academic veracity of a concept? What purpose is there served by highlighting new systems that have no chance of implementation by anyone other than governments? Equally so, is the dissuading affect such intricate designs have on the building community. (Do you mean to say the distractions?) They serve to ensure than building green means building in the red. Little review is necessary by the average builder to see that “in the sky” ideas should be ignored if survival is at stake. (This really doesn’t read clearly) Conversely, the development industry, upon whom the real solutions rely, would (should?) take the lead if the new technology were cost effective and accepted by the market. As an example, a new system building unit that sells for the same as the old, but costs less to operate is the recipe for the future. Making the average person the target of your market is not only noteworthy, but good business. To advance ideas which can only be afforded by 1% of 1% of the population means that you are only that fraction successful, but building a real solution for all, solves the larger problem. Now everyone is on the same page. I think this paragraph is trying to speak towards the intentions of the development community

Entirely sufficient Lilypad by Vincent Callebaut Architectures. A floating ecopolis for climate refugees. Submarine view of acquaculture fields and biologic farms. and how they’re maligned for the purpose of turning over quick revenue. And I think you mean to say that the end result should be aesthetically pleasing and sustainable housing that can be affordable. Beyond that, you’ve lost me. At the day’s conclusion, the decision to implement sustainable practices is rewarded not just through acceptance, but upon the realization that the problem is solved or being solved. No matter how many adjectives and shades of green a proponent uses, the test of success is as important as the ideas themselves. The measure of success becomes as significant as the issue itself.

owser

Dave de Sylva is a member of the Professional Engineers of Ontario, a graduate of the University of Toronto in Civil Engineering - 1973, and an owner of DelRidge Homes Limited, GreenLife Energy Inc., Kenborough Contracting and Leed Wall Building Systems. GreenLife Energy owns and operates on site solar and remote wind energy systems and research facilities in articulated solar and concentrated wind energy. Together with DelRidge they implement these ideas in the construction of net zero energy residential and office condominiums in the 4-6 storey category from 30,000 sf. to 225,000 sf. in size and trademarked as “GreenLife” buildings.

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Up to the Challenge Quantum Geothermal goes the Extra Mile to Provide Quality geothermal solutions for homes

By Greg McMillan

rian Bates of Quantum Geothermal has never been one to walk away from challenges – in fact, he embraces them. As owner and founder of a southern Ontario company that provides quality geothermal solutions for homes, he takes pride in making sure each system is designed to the specific needs of customers to insure the best value and performance. “I particularly enjoy working on custom-designed new build residential projects, where unique architecture may require a more sophisticated heating and cooling solution,” says Bates, P. Eng., who graduated from the University of Waterloo with a B.A.Sc. in mechanical engineering. “These more challenging projects are very satisfying. You have a chance to establish a relationship with the architect, builder and clients. It takes months to complete a project but we can really bring value to the outcome.” Quantum Geothermal, founded in 2009, has a mandate to be a full-service operation, working in all areas of geothermal. By focusing exclusively on residential geothermal projects – both retrofit and new build projects – the company has developed a competitive skill set and highly efficient business model. “I reach out to architects and builders,” Bates explains. “I host information seminars and visit architectural firms to meet and discuss ways to optimize the integration of geothermal heating and cooling systems into the project at an early stage in the design process. ”This initiative has allowed Quantum to develop some degree of repeat business with participating firms. Residual income or generating repeat business is a problem with our geothermal business model since the life cycle is very long. With residential installations, particularly, there is virtually no maintenance (or spare parts) required. ”By developing relationships with other stakeholdDirectional ers, however, it helps to address this business issue.” From day one, Quantum has gone that extra mile. “A friend of mine who is a custom home builder was looking to expand his use of geothermal heating and cooling systems for some of his projects in the west GTA but had become discouraged by the lack of professionalism and quality of service from some of the geothermal contractors he had approached,” recalls Bates. “From there, a process of investigation and due diligence followed, leading to the conclusion that there was a need and an opportunity. He helped me assemble a team of experienced and well-respected partners. ”Next I spoke to all the reputable equipment suppliers in Ontario to deter28

Green Building & Sustainable Strategies

A typical NextEnergy heat pump for heating and cooling

Drilling of the boreholes for a vertical ground loop installation

boring is used when access to the utility room is difficult mine which brand of heat pumps Quantum would represent. “ He says this led to Quantum’s designation as an authorized dealer for NextEnergy from Elmira, Ontario. Bates noted that NextEnergy represents the ClimateMaster product line manufactured in the United States and is also expanding its commercial presence by offering both ClimateMaster and Viessmann heat pumps. With hundreds of successful projects completed and an impressive list of satisfied customers, Quantum’s reputation for cost competitive, quality installations continues to grow. In fact, Quantum has recently received a National SPRING 2013

Award and has been recognized for its growth and professional commitment. Bates says the company takes an intelligent, honest and personalized approach as it continues to grow the business and expand the use of geothermal heating and cooling systems in southern Ontario. “The retrofit market has always contributed to our bottom line but the pace is different,” Bates explains. “We get the crew onsite to excavate for a day or two (or drill vertically for a few days) and then spend a day down in the basement replacing the old furnace with a new heat pump. Done … then move on.” The public, Bates says, has been extremely receptive to Quantum’s product, which has a cost- competitive model and offers a quality solution to a variety of client requirements. “But there is still an urgent need to continue to advocate for this technology,” Bates says. “Often the first question I get when we receive a new inquiry is ‘how much will it cost?’ “I understand that, but it misses the mark in terms of thought process. That is like phoning up a car dealership and asking ‘what does a car cost?’ “That is why we developed our own Energy Evaluation survey on our website. People need to understand that there is a process involved that is essential to constructing an energy-efficient and cost-effective geothermal heating and cooling system. There is science and guidelines and regulations and knowledge and client-specific information required. To that end, Quantum can provide builders with a comprehensive report describing its scope of work, so they know exactly what skills and services are in the mix. Looking ahead, Bates sees more challenges for Quantum and, again, he relishes the opportunity to confront them head on. “Generating sales is an ongoing challenge for most small businesses and SPRING 2013

Excavating a trench for a horizontal ground loop installation Quantum is no different,” he says. “Marketing, advocating for geothermal and continuing to reach out to architects and builders will be critical to our continued success. “But particularly in the construction of new homes, I see geothermal being specified right from the concept and design phase with ever-increasing regularity. This is very encouraging and sustains our belief that our efforts are being recognized.” Web: www.quantumgeothermal.com A key part of Quantum Geothermal marketing is done through the company website where there are links to associated government and industry sources. Visitors can also complete Quantum Thermal’s Energy Evaluation survey, or watch a three-minute video for a quick company overview. Geothermal is well-established and will continue to grow as a viable, renewable energy alternative to fossil fuels. Advocacy and education are keys to accelerating the curve. Green Building & Sustainable Strategies

LAVA

Snowflake Tower

Abu Dhabi, UAE

Green Building & Sustainable Strategies

ormula 1 legend Michael Schumacher presented the design for The Michael Schumacher World Champion Tower, the first in a series of seven towers planned worldwide, at Dubai Cityscape in 2008. Inspired by the geometrical order of a snowflake and the aerodynamics of a Formula 1 racing car, the tower encapsulates speed, fluid dynamics, future technology and natural patterns of organization. Rather than purely mimicking shapes in nature for their elegance and unpredictability, the architects learned from nature’s own geometrical orders creating highly efficient structures and intriguing spaces. LAVA let the design unfold as a result of the project’s needs: optimal natural light and air distribution, maximum views, minimal structure, user comfort and an unrivalled water experience. The project brings together LAVA’s previous experiences, the Mercedes-Benz Museum, a brand-owned museum with an extraordinary spatial concept exploring the latest digital design and fabrication technologies with the Watercube Beijing, an example of the highest performance of both the building and the athletes, creating by a stunning atmosphere developed through the deliberate morphing of molecular science, architecture and phenomenology. The organisational principle of a minimal surface allowed theoptimisation the facade/floor area ratio and each apartment in the 59 storey luxury tower has unobstructed ocean views. The lower levels of the tower, traditionally the most difficult and least attractive area, were reinterpreted as a series of prestigious wharf apartments, terraced similar to that of cruise ship decks. By widening the base, the tower is anchored into its surrounding water basin similar to the surrounding mangroves and nearby canals. The top sky villas offer 270-degree views opposite the new cultural district on Saadyiat Island.

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The building features an iconic silhouette and a facade characterised by vertical slots with private balconies. A series of reflective fins generates vertical dynamic and gives the building a constantly changing appearance. The fins track the sun, control the solar shading and dissolve the rationality of the plan into a continuously evolving building volume. The facade’s continuous surface enables curvature with a lot of repetition and the potential for standardization in the building process. State-of-the-art engineering and innovative materials will be used to achieve a fully sustainable performance. For all the giant leaps in technology in recent years, outdated modernist high-rise towers continue to dominate our cities. The branded tower will be their successor redressing the ecological balance. With intelligent systems and skins, it can react to the external influences such as air-pressure, temperature, humidity, solar-radiation and pollution. New materials and technology will be used to create robust, lightweight structure that adapts to and harmonizes with its surroundings. Developed as a prototypical building translating brand values into an iconic architecture, the series of branded towers will be located at strategically chosen locations around the world. The basic development principle will be adjusted to every specific location generating a mix of local and global values. Collaborations with renowned furniture manufacturers will contribute to a unique luxurious environment creating a new type of brand experience. The unique collaboration with Michael Schumacher gave LAVA new insights. Technology, precision, speed, elegance are paired with human intuition and extraordinary performance. Similar to the Formula 1 operation, construction is a team sport with a lot of highly skilled experts. In this sense the architects take the driver seat in the process, taking the project to the physical limits of possibility. The Tower marks a departure from traditional architectural thinking.

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Green Building & Sustainable Strategies

LAVA

BIONIC TOWER Abu Dhabi

he Bionic Tower embodies tomorrow’s architecture. The Bionic Tower design moves beyond the superseded modernist concept of extruded footprint and applied curtain wall to create a fully integrated intelligent façade that harvests its surrounding environment to create maximum energy efficiency and user comfort. The Bionic Tower unifies structure, space and architectural expression similar to naturally occurring systems of organization. Learning from nature and advanced computing technology enabled LAVA to conceive structures of incredible lightness, efficiency and elegance. The intelligence of the smallest unit results in the intelligence of the overall system.

Green Building & Sustainable Strategies

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By parametric modelling of the ‘behavioural logic’ the system has been constantly optimized throughout the design process to create a ‘whole’ that is greater than the sum of its parts. Instead of an array of individual elements the building behaves like an organism or ecosystem. Just as nature envisions organic regeneration, so the design proposes a natural system of organic structure and organization. The design proposes a naturally occurring system of structural organization that generates a building embodying efficiencies found within natural structures and architectures. The building acts as a

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system, with a skin that controls air pressure, temperature, humidity, air pollution and solar radiation. The proposed facade is an intelligent automation of surface to address pragmatic issues such as ventilation, solar access and water collection. No building skin today approaches the performance of the biological world. The traditional curtain wall facade is passive, lacking the ability to adjust to the fluctuating external environment. The tower’s systems and skin depart from this tradition and are controlled and responsive to external influences like air pressure, temperature, humidity, air pollu-

tion and solar radiation. New materials and technologies enable an adaptability, responsiveness, environmental awareness and strength not seen in conventional architectural design. Just as nature organically regenerates, so the building proposes a natural system of organic restructuring and reorganization. There is a unity in the structure, space and architectural expression, similar to cathedrals, and any natural system. Architecture has to perform as an ecosystem within the organic tissue of the city. Architecture of the future is not about the shape but about the intelligence of the system.

Green Building & Sustainable Strategies

GreenLife Downtown Milton project by Del Ridge Homes is first â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;net zeroâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; building in Canada

in Markham, Gate of Heaven Mausoleum in Burlington, GreenLife Business Centre and Bronte Professional Place in Milton, plus Royal Vista Gardens and Lady of Hope Mausoleum in Hamilton. Projects in the works include the Dundas District High School condo redevelopment â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a heritage building being converted into condos with multi-split ductless units with HFI; and the GreenLife West Side condos in Milton â&#x20AC;&#x201C; boasting

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Green Building & Sustainable Strategies

By Greg McMillan

aston Minetti makes no bones about it â&#x20AC;&#x201C; he feels heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a game changer in the HVAC industry. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I know its clichĂŠ, but we want to make a difference,â&#x20AC;? says the president of The Green Methodâ&#x201E;˘ (HVAC Solutions). The Green Methodâ&#x201E;˘, he says, is delivering a product focused primarily on sustainable HVAC technologies. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I want to break the mould where HVAC installations contribute very negatively on the environment with inefficient technologies,â&#x20AC;? he says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Green Methodâ&#x201E;˘ is just one com-

pany, but our installations are environmentally responsible. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I also want to motivate my staff to make a difference; I want my children to understand the importance of our environment, lead by example and enjoy a cleaner Earth tomorrow.â&#x20AC;? Minetti calls his HVAC installations â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;energy systems,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; since the focus is on managing, transforming and displacement of energy in buildings to achieve the goal of maintaining temperature settings and ensuring the best indoor air quality by the most efficient means. What sets The Green Methodâ&#x201E;˘ apart from others, he says, is its ability and desire to implement new technologies and to lead and adapt to ongoing changes in the industry. SPRING 2013

â&#x20AC;&#x153;We constantly find new ways to improve our projects, and our goal is to set new parameters in terms of energy efficiency in every new project.â&#x20AC;? One of the challenges he faces on a daily basis is dealing with continual government policy changes and lack of long-term programs. â&#x20AC;&#x153;But I do see the recent changes in the building code with regards to new minimum standards in terms of efficiency to be a game changer,â&#x20AC;? he says, adding that the move has closed the gap between more efficient systems and other technologies. His companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s market is primarily green technologies, he says, with a focus on ground source heat pump installations for commercial products. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have successfully implemented geothermal systems for condominiums, office buildings and mausoleums. Some of the products we offer are solar DHW (domestic hot water) and infloor heating, solar PV (photovoltaics) and multi-split air source heat pumps. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have really noticed an increase in popularity of geothermal and Hybrid Flex Inverter (HFI) air source multi-split systems for commercial buildings,â&#x20AC;? he added. â&#x20AC;&#x153;In fact, we envision a future where ground source heat pumps, HFI air source multi-split systems and VFD (variable-frequency drive) pumping systems will be the standard for commercial buildings.â&#x20AC;? Past projects from The Green Methodâ&#x201E;˘ include Tony Wong Place and GreenLife Centre SPRING 2013

some of the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most technologically-advanced building systems incorporating geothermal, plus solar and wind systems with other technologies. As for the future? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Full steam ahead,â&#x20AC;? Minetti says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are aggressively marketing and reaching new customers. Our plan for the future is to position The Green Methodâ&#x201E;˘ as â&#x20AC;&#x153;the companyâ&#x20AC;? of choice and leader in the green HVAC space. â&#x20AC;&#x153; For more information visit www.thegreenmethod.ca

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Green Building & Sustainable Strategies

Burlington’s Fire Station #8. Targeted LEED Silver Certification

Ontario Green Policy Hub

Majestic Court (York) – LEED Gold NC Certified. Photo credit: Philip Liu

An online policy resource to develop and promote green built environments for Ontario municipalities Dan Stone, MCIP, RPP – Manager of Economic Development & Sustainability, Town of East Gwillimbury

he Greater Toronto Chapter (GTC) of the Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC) is a non-profit organization committed to promote the knowledge and advancement of green building technologies and sustainable community design. The GTC recognizes that the most significant advancements in the area of promoting market transformation to a more sustainable build environment have occurred at the grassroots municipal level. In 2009, the GTC established the Municipal Leaders Forum (MLF) as a collection of municipal professionals working in the planning, engineering, building and facilities areas of municipal government engaged in varying degrees of advancing sustainable development in their municipalities. The MLF provides a critical forum and outlet for municipalities

Green Building & Sustainable Strategies

to shares best practices, lessons learned and education in the general area of green building and sustainable development policy development. The MLF comprises representatives from across the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) and beyond meeting quarterly to network and hear from guest speakers in both the public and private sector on matters relating to municipal policy and sustainable development. Additional information regarding the MLF and its activities can be found at www. cagbctoronto.org. The Ontario Green Policy Hub (OGPH), a dynamic free online resource consisting of emerging and innovative Ontario municipal policies, was launched by the GTC in 2012. The Hub, found at www.ogph.ca, provides a user friendly platform for municipalities to submit policy initiatives which not only include the actual policy (by-law, official plan, regulation or Council resolution) but also corresponding information including supporting background studies and staff reports.

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The Hub remains relevant to current activities, includes innovations and and the updates to the Ontario Building Code to name a few. What works in new technologies to address changes in the marketplace as well as some other parts of the country and jurisdictions further afield are interesting of of the sustainable development advancements being lead by the develop- course, but what the MLF has been looking for is information and examples ment industry. of real, Ontario-grown policy. The Hub is designed to capture municipal policy within several key areas The objective of the Hub is to provide opportunities for municipalities to of sustainable development including community planning, transportation, learn and share from each other’s experience in both policy development green infrastructure, water conservation, energy, waste reduction and pub- and implementation. Lynn Robichaud, Senior Sustainability Co-ordinator, lic buildings. In many cases, a municipal initiative may cut across several Corporate Strategic Initiatives - Development & Infrastructure Division for areas of sustainable development and address a multitude of municipal the City of Burlington is already a fan – as well as contributor. “When I objectives. For example, the City of Toronto’s Toronto drafted our Corporate Sustainable Building Policy, I Green Standard (TGS) and the Town of East researched several other municipal building poliGwillimbury’s “Thinking Green Developcies online,” she says. “I posted our policy ment Standards” both influence better on the OGPH to help other municipal staff performance in energy efficiency, who are undertaking their own restormwater management, active search to develop their own policies. transportation, and offer financial Our Council is always interested incentives for exceeding minito hear how other municipalities mum requirements set out. are dealing with similar issues In addition, the Hub will when we are reporting and making include policy work focused on recommendations on sustainability particular areas such as the City of initiatives.” Kitchener’s Stormwater Management Given the success of the Hub in OnPolicy or the City of Ottawa’s Development tario, the hope is that a similar web-based Charge By-law which provides an incentive for resource will be developed in other provinces and development which promotes “smart regions across the country. “We are growth” principles of redevelopment Burlington Performing Arts Centre – LEED Gold Certified very pleased to see this new tool being and intensification. offered to municipalities in Ontario, as The Hub is a response to the expressed needs of the MLF group to it reflects the CaGBC’s ongoing support for adopting green building at the address sustainable development issues in a province of Ontario context. broader community scale,” says Thomas Mueller, President and CEO of the While there is much available in terms of national and international best CaGBC. “By equipping municipalities with the ability to easily access uppractices, pilot projects and case studies, the Hub is designed to provide to-date information, we hope to encourage the implementation of effective practical examples of sustainable development policies created and green building policies which fit the particular community context. This in implemented within the framework of the legislative and regulatory regime turn will lead to healthier and more sustainable communities in Canada.” applicable to Ontario. The Hub was made possible through the support of the founding sponsor In Ontario, new innovative policies are being enabled through recent of the GTC, the Toronto Region Conservation Authority, and financial support changes in the Provincial Policy Statement (PPS), the Planning Act, the Pro- from the Ontario Power Authority’s Conservation Fund. To check out or to vincial Growth Plan “Places to Grow”, the Green Energy and Economy Act submit your community’s own innovative policies, visit www.ogph.ca. SPRING 2013

Green Building & Sustainable Strategies

FEATURE STORY

From left to right: Edrees Hotaki, Rob Bogovic, Karl Dunwoody, Richard Kutzner, Ian Rasmussen, Pauline Mogan, Jennifer Burke, Anne Street A year later, Air Heat became the exclusive Ontario distributor of award-winning American Standard Heating and Air Conditioning systems and equipment. Since then, they have established a network of 170 independent American Standard dealers

across Ontario. They continued that growth and, by the summer of 2008, had opened a distribution centre in Ottawa. Two years later, that was followed by the opening of a 2,000 sq. ft. Home Comfort

Training Centre near the head office in Mississauga. Offering a regular calendar of free technical, sales, and third party vendor training courses, this cutting edge facility also provides hands-on training using fully-operational HVAC, IAQ and Hydronic systems.

We breathe easier thanks to our vänEE® Indoor Air Expert

Howard Mathers, General Manager - Debbie Ruddock, Manager of Finance & Administration - Tobits Ruddock, Manager of Operations & Purchasing

Onwards and upwards From modest beginnings in 1956, Air Heat Supplies continues to grow as the wholesaler of choice for today’s contractor

By Greg McMillan

he mandate for Air Heat Supplies has always been about providing contractors with one-stop shopping. That hasn’t changed since the original family-owned parent company, G&M Heating Supplies Ltd., opened its first location in Toronto back in 1956. And when G&M Heating Supplies acquired Air Heat Supplies 40 years later, that mandate continued – and continues today. “We take the time to get to know our 38

Green Building & Sustainable Strategies

customers, who are treated like friends, not numbers,” says Air Heat general manager Howard Mathers. “We make sure they have easy access to owners and managers if they need information or need a problem resolved.” Always a leading single-source HVAC wholesale distributor in Ontario, Air Heat combines one of the largest HVAC/IAQ parts and supplies inventories with exclusive distribution of American Standard residential and light commercial heating and air conditioning systems. “We moved from being a grille and register supply company to a company that supplies

venting, equipment, rooftop units, gas lines and a wide variety of accessories. “Today, we have a full-time person dedicated to customer training and technical support for dealers. And we have a large number of dedicated territory managers throughout the province maintaining that all-important faceto-face customer contact.” In 1996, keeping its original Toronto location as a branch, Air Heat opened a new 40,000-square foot head office in Mississauga, followed by a third location in Scarborough in 2004. SPRING 2013

“We want our family to breathe healthy air, so we decided to contact a vänEE indoor air specialist to learn about the many benefits of heat recovery ventilators.” Visit www.healthyairstudy.com or call us to learn how our quiet, efficient heat recovery systems are like a breath of fresh air!

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3525 Hawkestone Rd., Mississauga, ON L5C 2V1

1-800-267-6830 www.airsolutions.ca

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The Mississauga office handles all administration, distribution and manages all outside sales activities in Ontario. It is complete with a large showroom, service counter and technical training room. By December 2011, yet another distribution centre had opened in London to better serve southwestern Ontario contractors. Onwards and upwards – despite the recent tough economic times. “We’re on the right path,” says Ian Rasmussen, director of sales and marketing for Air Heat. “This year we’re looking at even more positive growth.” Now a second-generation family-owned and operated business – Howard, his sister, Debbie, and her husband, Tobits Ruddock, continue on with the family legacy started by their father, Percy, in 1956 – Air Heat has a growing customer base of over 1,500 contractors and employs over 40 people in their head office, branches, distribution centres, and Home Comfort Training Centre. Air Heat has always provided an easy-access contractor experience. Following its mandate, the company provides contractors with one-stop shopping, stocking furnaces, boilers, gas and oil service parts, sheet metal supplies, ventilation products, electrical and plumbing accessories. Air Heat is truly a complete HVAC wholesaler

Home Comfort Training Centre provides hands-on training using fully-operational HVAC, IAQ and Hydronic systems

with long ties to many well-recognized names in the industry. Besides American Standard, Air Heat now sources products from over 70 leading suppliers, including Honeywell, Alltemp, Aprilaire, White-Rodgers, Trac-Pipe, Vanee, Continental Fireplaces, Noritz, Weil McLain, and Canadian General Filters , which has designed and manufactured a full line of efficient and reliable residential indoor air quality products for more than 65 years. And Howard says, as the Ontario economy continues to bounce back, Air Heat will strive to expand its position in the residential, retail, new construction and commercial markets with a

dedication to product support and customer service. “We have a loyal, knowledgeable staff, with many having over 10 years service with us,” says Ruddock, operations manager. With a newly-launched website, Air Heat highlights a number of special services, as well. “We have bi-weekly contractor ‘Hot Buy’ specials, and monthly contractor buy programs,” Howard added. “We have ‘Meet the Supplier’ summer barbecue events, a winter mini-trade show and feature job-site deliveries by Air Heat trucks and drivers.”

Mississauga 40,000-square foot warehouse 40

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SPRING 2013

Green Building & Sustainable Strategies

Looking ahead, Howard foresees more of the same for Air Heat – and then some. “We will stay price-competitive in this highlycompetitive market,” he says. “We will maintain the correct product offering in this rapidly-changing industry. We will keep up on the changing efficiency regulations and changing government rebates programs, etcetera. “We’ll continue to expand the American Standard brand throughout Ontario, explore further expansion into the Hydronic market and open additional locations in Ontario. Onwards and upwards, indeed. Web: www.airheat.ca Air Heat Supplies has been working with the leading suppliers in the industry for over five decades. As the exclusive Ontario distributor for the complete residential and commercial American Standard heating and conditioning line, the company also carries one of the largest HVAC/IAQ parts and supplies catalogues in the industry. Extensive inventory, fast order processing, and reasonable pricing keeps contractors coming back for dependable HVAC solutions and satisfied customer referrals. Air Heat’s customer service staff brings decades of HVAC product knowledge with the latest training to help contractors source just the right products for each job.

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Learn more at AirHeat.ca Green Building & Sustainable Strategies

Boosting the Energy Efficiency of Canadian Homes Using Heat Pumps

Archetype House

By Tim Van Seters, Amir Safa and Dr. Alan Fung

eat pumps are among the most energy efficient technologies for heating and cooling buildings and providing hot water. They function by moving heat from one place to another. Usually the ground or air acts as the source and sink for heat, and since energy from these sources is free, the only energy needed is the electricity required to operate the heat pump and forced air or hydronics distribution systems. In recent years, improvements in the operation and efficiency of heat pumps have prompted leaders in the residential construction sector to take a second look at these technologies. The first question, of course, is how well they perform in cold Canadian climates. This was what we set out to understand through a one year monitoring program conducted with researchers from Ryerson University. The heat pumps evaluated were installed in two, comprehensively monitored, semi-detached LEED™ platinum demonstration houses owned and operated by Toronto and Region Conservation at the Living City Campus in Vaughan, Ontario. Although not identical, the two houses, referred to as House A and House B, have similar floor areas, internal volumes, and levels of insulation. House A has a 10.5 kW (3 ton) high efficiency variable capacity air-to-air source heat pump manufactured by Mitsibushi™. It includes a direct expansion coil air handling unit (AHU) and a multi-speed fan to supply warm and cold air for space heating and cooling. The system is coupled with a mini-boiler, which was not needed over the period of study because the ASHP alone was able to supply sufficient heat, even during cold periods down to -22°C. 44 Green Building & Sustainable Strategies

The main heating and cooling system in House B is a 13.3 kW high efficiency ground source heat pump (GSHP) manufactured by WaterFurnace™. It is coupled with two 152 m (500 ft) horizontal loops in the yard. The installation uses a buffer tank to store water, which is then distributed to an in-floor radiant heating system during the winter, and through the zoned air handler for cooling the house. Data for the study were collected year round and a energy performance model (TRNSYS) was calibrated to simulate energy performance over the entire heating (October 1 to May 21) and cooling seasons (May 22 to September 30) based on climate normals derived from a 30-year historical record of solar irradiance and temperature. Results of the evaluation showed the heat pumps to have performed very well with heating and cooling efficiencies above both Energuide and manufacturer rated performance (Table 1). During the heating season, both systems had coefficients of performance (COP) above 3, indicating that the systems provided over 3 kWh of output heat for each kWh of energy consumed. During the cooling season, COPs were 5, and Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratios were well above rated performance levels. These ratings are based on the performance of the heat pump systems without the forced air and hydronics distribution system specific to each house. Overall ‘as installed’ performance declined dramatically when the electricity consumed by the distribution systems was included in the assessment. As shown in Table 1, cooling season COPs for both systems fell by more than 30%. During the heating season, the ASHP system suffered a more significant decline because the air handling unit used with the ASHP consumed much more electricity than the water pump used with the GHSP. SPRING 2013

Further investigations showed that the high electricity draw by the as gas prices creep up again, we may see more heat pump systems in city distribution systems was caused, in part, by the way in which the units neighbourhoods. were being operated. Simulating these during the cooling season to operate only when the heat pump and compressors were on caused a reduction in Tim Van Seters manages Toronto and Region Conservation’s Sustainelectricity consumption of between 28 and 37%. The difference between able Technologies Evaluation Program. He oversees a team of research ‘stand alone’ and ‘as installed performance’ highlights the importance of scientists and technical experts engaged in scientific evaluations of green understanding the various components that make up the system, including energy and clean water technologies. For more Information contact tvanHEPA filters and heat recovery ventilators, and ensuring these are optimally seters@trca.on.ca configured to maintain high levels of efficiency and energy performance. Amir Safa and Dr. Alan Fung were the lead researchers from Ryerson It was surprising that the ASHP performed almost as well as the GHSP University’s Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering. Contact given that the ground maintains a much more constant temperature than air. Information: alanfung@ryerson.ca The effect of source temperatures on performance was evident in the COP data. While the GSHP maintained a relatively constant COP of roughly 3 regardManufacturer EnerGuide Stand Alone As Installed Season less of outdoor temperatures, the COP of the ASHP Air Source Heat Pump declined from 4.9 to 1.6 as outdoor temperatures fell from 9 to minus 19˚C during the winter. Below minus Seasonal Coefficient 24 ˚C, the ASHP was less efficient than a conventional 2.75 2.05 3.2 2.1 Heating of Performance electric heating system, and a supplementary heat source would be required (Figure 1). Seasonal Energy 16 >=14 18 12 Cooling Efficiency Ratio Part of the explanation for the impressive ASHP performance lies in its capacity to vary the speed of Seasonal Coefficient the compressor. At temperatures warmer than minus --5.4 3.5 Cooling of Performance 15˚C, the variable capacity ASHP compressor operGround Source Heat Pump ated on part load, drawing less than half the electricity (2 – 3 kW) required under full load conditions Seasonal Coefficient 3.0 >=3.3 3.4 3.1 Heating (6 kW). Only when outdoor temperatures dropped of Performance below minus 15˚C did the ASHP compressor switch Seasonal Energy to full load. Heat pumps that operate on full load 12.9 >=14.1 20 9 Cooling Efficiency Ratio only are less efficient because, compared to variable capacity systems, they cycle on and off more, and Seasonal Coefficient --5.8 2.7 Cooling provide less overall heat output per unit of electricity of Performance consumed. We see this with the GSHP, which only had the capacity to operate at full load, causing the compressor to cycle on and off Table 1: ASHP and GSHP Performance. Manufacturer and Energuide much more often than the ASHP compressor. During the cooling season test ratings apply to ‘stand alone’ system. The ‘as installed’ system includes the period, for instance, the compressor operated between 1 and 7 hours and electricity consumed by the AHU and hydronics distribution systems. cycled on and off up to 25 times a day. Over the same period, the ASHP variable capacity compressor operated between 3 and 11 hours per day and turned on and off only once. This cycling not only reduces energy efficiency, but also wears down the equipment and adversely affects thermal comfort. Simulations of performance in 5 major cities - Halifax, Montreal, Toronto, Edmonton and Vancouver -showed that both systems would function well. As expected, however, performance of the ASHP was more sensitive to differences in air temperature. In Montreal and Edmonton, for instance, the ASHP had lower COPs than other cities. These would be further reduced if supplementary heat at the coldest temperatures was included. In Vancouver, the warmer and more even year round temperatures resulted in higher ASHP performance. During the cooling season, the GSHP system slightly outperformed the ASHP in all cities, with COPs ranging between 5.8 and 6.1. Ultimately, the equipment choice will be largely motivated by cost and energy savings. Based on monitoring data collected in this assessment, the ASHP was found to be more affordable overall. Significant savings are associated with not having to install a ground loop. Also, long term performance of the ASHP is not contingent on ensuring that heating and cooling loads are in balance. If life cycle costs and benefits are considered, Figure 1: Coefficient of performance (COP) for the the price gap may narrow because the ground loop is a one time cost variable capacity air source heat pump at varying outdoor and the GSHP compressor is subject to fewer mechanical and thermal stresses (since it is indoors) with a longer expected service life. Natural gas temperatures during the winter furnaces are currently more cost competitive at the residential scale, but SPRING 2013 Green Building & Sustainable Strategies 45

Ivanpah

The world largest solar thermal plant

he Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System (SEGS) – owned by NRG Energy, Google, and BrightSource Energy – will use BrightSource’s proven solar tower technology to produce clean, reliable solar electricity to more than 140,000 homes. Upon completion, at the end of 2013, Ivanpah will be the largest solar thermal power tower system in the world. Located in Ivanpah Dry Lake, California, the three-unit power system will be built on approximately 3,500 acres of public desert land. Electricity from Ivanpah will avoid millions of tons of carbon dioxide and other air pollutants – the equivalent of taking 70,000 cars off the road. The project will create more than 2,100 jobs for construction workers and support staff and 86 jobs for operations and maintenance employees in addition to hundreds of millions of dollars in local and state taxes. The $2.2 billion project represents a durable model for far-reaching employment and economic benefit both locally and nationally.

The 377 megawatt net solar complex using mirrors to focus the power of the sun on solar receivers atop power towers, will reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by more than 400,000 tons per year. Ivanpah, which started construction in October 2010, is now near completion and has reached a milestone by creating its “first flux”. Solar flux is when a significant amount of sunlight is reflected off of the solar field mirrors. The flux slowly heated the water inside the boiler to below the point of steam generation. For more detailed information, visit www.IvanpahSolar.com Courtesy of BrightSource Energy

Green Building & Sustainable Strategies

SPRING 2013

Green Building & Sustainable Strategies

GreenBuildinG GreenBuildinG & SuStainable StrategieS

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