Canadian Consulting Engineer May 2012 by Annex Business Media

For professional engineers in private practice

MAY 2012

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contents

May 2012 Volume 53, No. 3

features Cover: Daylight plays up architectural details on a staircase in the Churchill Northern Studies Centre, Northern Manitoba. See story page 20. Photo courtesy Churchill Northern Studies Centre.

Symbol of Sustainability - Cartierville YMCA. See story page 31

departments Comment

Up Front

ACEC Review

Event

Products

Advertiser Index

49 Next issue: Stormwater treatment on Toronto’s Waterfront; First Nations and water; consulting engineers as software developers; two pedestrian bridges in Calgary.

Northern Exposure. The Churchill Northern Studies Centre in subarctic Manitoba combines innovative energy systems with extreme water conservation. By Richard Lay, P.Eng., Enermodal, a member of MMM Group

Retrofit for IKEA. At a giant warehouse in Brossard, Quebec, a maglev, frictionless chiller is combined with a geothermal system. By Ken Sonmor, Antonino Lagana, M.Eng., James Wu, B.Eng., Ecovision

Symbol of Sustainability - Cartierville YMCA. A facility dedicated to keeping bodies healthy in Montreal is also healthy for the environment. By Chantale Bourdages, ing. & Olivier Brodeur, ing. Dessau

Recommissioning, a Practical Tool. The planning and business case for a method of achieving building energy savings — at low cost. By Ian Sinclair, P.Eng. Enermodal, a member of MMM Group

Pumped Power. Will an old solution help to make renewable energy a major player? By C. Richard Donnelly, P.Eng. & Francois Welt, P.Eng., Hatch

on topic ENERGY Feeling FIT. Turning a rooftop into a power generating plant can seem like a business opportunity. By John G. Smith 38

BOOKS Quiet, The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking. Review by Rosalind Cairncross, P.Eng. 43 CONVERSATIONS Per Drewes - a Photovoltaics Pioneer. How big business has transformed a fledgling industry. 50

ENGINEERS & THE LAW Rooftop Leasing Hazards. By Aaron Atcheson, Miller Thomson LLP 40 May 2012

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Canadian Consulting Engineer

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engineer FOR PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERS IN PRIVATE PRACTICE

comment

CANADIAN

C O N S U LT I N G

G L

Editor

Bronwen Parsons E-mail: bparsons@ccemag.com (416) 510-5119

A o P

Senior Publisher

Maureen Levy E-mail: mlevy@ccemag.com (416) 510-5111

Renewables need solid government support

Art Director

Ellie Robinson Contributing Editor

Rosalind Cairncross, P.Eng.

eople in the solar thermal industry are feeling neglected these days. They’re wondering why the Ontario government’s FIT program favours photovoltaic systems (providing electricity) for buildings, and provides no subsidies for solar thermal technologies (providing heat). But look at the federal government. It currently offers no subsidies or financial support to renewable energies at all. Natural Resources Canada’s “EcoENERGY for Renewable Heat” program expired in 2011 and there’s no sign of it being renewed. Yet according to CanSIA, the solar energy association, when the EcoENERGY program was operating it “kick started” Canada’s solar thermal industry so that it grew 40-50%. By the end of 2011 Canada had more than 1,000 MW of solar thermal capacity in operation. By comparison PV’s installed capacity at the end of 2010 was 290 MW. Christian Vachon, ing., president of Enerconcept Technologies of Magog, Quebec, says that if governments were to give 15 cents a kilowatt-hour as a subsidy for solar thermal energy, then there would be a “Klondike Rush” and his business would be booming. Canada has already developed considerable expertise in this sector, so here is a 21st-century industry where we could make an impact worldwide. We are already home to the three largest solar thermal technology manufacturers in the world. Vachon and many others are calling for consistent, long-term government subsidies for renewables. At a CMX-CIPHEX trade show in Toronto in March, panelists pointed out how susceptible the renewable energy industry is to waivering funding policies. Some wondered why governments are willing to invest in megaprojects like dams and nuclear power plants that have payback periods stretching over decades, but will only provide “sunset” funding programs for renewables. Consulting engineers can appreciate this point. There is no sense in building up a department of staff in solar or wind expertise if future business is uncertain. Solar air collector panels need to be mounted on large expanses of blank wall, which are amply available in buildings like hospitals, schools, industrial plants and agricultural buildings. And while architects have shied away from the panels for aesthetic reasons, new panel types are translucent and can be mounted on white backgrounds. One has over 80% peak efficiency. A 2007 Canadian solar project recently made its mark on the world stage. Drake’s Landing in Okotooks, Alberta is a subdivision of 52 houses which have 80% of their entire energy needs met by a solar-powered district energy and geothermal system, even in a northern latitude that suffers winter temperatures of –33 C. In Wels, Austria last November, the development was selected to win the Energy Globe World Award for Sustainability -- the top award in an international awards program that had 1,000 entries from 100 countries. Even in Alberta, not a province known to be big on government handouts, Drake’s Landing’s developers make a big point of saying that the project was only made possible through sponsorship and financial support from governments. Governments today should be listening. Bronwen Parsons 4

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Advertising Sales Manager

Vince Naccarato E-mail: vnaccarato@ccemag.com (416) 510-5118 Editorial Advisors

Bruce Bodden, P.Eng., Gerald Epp, P.Eng., Chris Newcomb, P.Eng., Laurier Nichols, ing., Lee Norton, P.Eng., Jonathan Rubes, P.Eng., Paul Ruffell, P.Eng., Andrew Steeves, P.Eng., Ron Wilson, P.Eng.

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President, Business Information Group (BIG)

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80 Valleybrook Drive, Toronto, ON Canada M3B 2S9 Tel: (416) 442-5600 Fax: (416) 510-5134 CANADIAN CONSULTING ENGINEER is published by BIG Magazines LP, a division of Glacier BIG Holdings Company Ltd. EDITORIAL PURPOSE: Canadian Consulting Engineer magazine covers innovative engineering projects, news and business information for professional engineers engaged in private consulting practice. The editors assume no liability for the accuracy of the text or its fitness for any particular purpose. SUBSCRIPTIONS: Canada, 1 year $60.95; 2 years $91.95 + taxes Single copy $8.00 Cdn + taxes. (HST 809751274-RT0001). United States U.S. $60.95. Foreign U.S. $60.95. PRINTED IN CANADA. Title registered at Trademarks Office, Ottawa. Copyright 1964. All rights reserved. The contents of this publication may not be reproduced either in part or in full without the consent of the copyright owner(s). ISSN: 0008-3267 (print), ISSN: 1923-3337 (digital) POSTAL INFORMATION: Publications Mail Agreement No. 40069240. Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to Circulation Dept., Canadian Consulting Engineer, 80 Valleybrook Drive, Toronto, ON Canada M3B 2S9. USPS 016-099. US office of publication: 2424 Niagara Falls Blvd., Niagara Falls, NY 14304-5709. Periodicals postage paid at Niagara Falls, NY. US Postmaster: send address changes to Canadian Consulting Engineer, PO Box 1118, Niagara Falls NY 14304. PRIVACY: From time to time we make our subscription list available to select companies and organizations whose product or service may interest you. If you do not wish your contact information to be made available, please contact us. tel: 1-800-668-2374, fax: 416-510-5134, e-mail: jhunter@businessinformationgroup.ca, mail to: Privacy Officer, BIG, 80 Valleybrook Drive, Toronto, ON Canada M3B 2S9.

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We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Canada Periodical Fund (CPF) for our publishing activities.

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City of Calgary

up front

GOVERNMENT

INFRASTRUCTURE

None Like It The Peace Bridge opened in Calgary in March, and even though the pedestrian-bicycle bridge design has spawned much public debate Calgarians came out in force to celebrate. Designed by international architect Santiago Calatrava, the tubular red steel structure (fabricated in Spain) strikes a dramatic pose across the Bow River, just west of Prince’s Island Park. Stantec provided technical support on the $17-million project and Graham Infrastructure was the contractor.

Hatch Mott MacDonald (transportation); Capilano Cliffwalk, North Vancouver by Morrison Hershfield (natural resources, energy, industry); and Partington Creek, New Watershed Development Planning, Coquitlam by Kerr Wood Leidal (soft engineering).

VanDusen Botanical Garden Centre tops in B.C. “The greenest building in Vancouver,” also known as the new VanDusen Botanical Garden Visitor Centre, won the B.C. Lieutenant Governor’s Award for Engineering Excellence from the Association of Consulting Engineering Companies - British Columbia (ACEC-BC). Structural engineers Fast + Epp won the award for their role on the project, which is targeting Living Building Challenge and LEED Platinum status. Its sustainable features include a green roof, rammed earth walls and natural ventilation. (Cobalt Engineering were the mechanical-electrical engineers, Perkins + Will are the architects.) The ACEC-BC awards were presented at the Westin Bayshore hotel in Vancouver at the end of March. Four awards of excellence were given: No. 4 Road Drainage Pump Station, Richmond by Aplin & Martin (municipal category); Harbourside West Pedestrian Overpass, North Vancouver by 6

www.canadianconsultingengineer.com

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Nic Lehoux

AWARDS

Engineers unhappy with Montreal Bridge RFP A consortium of CIMA+ and GENIVAR was selected in April to do a federal environmental assessment for a replacement for the deteriorating Champlain Bridge in Montreal. The existing 1960s bridge is 3.5 kilometres long and carries $20 billion in international trade every year. Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC) has also issued a request for proposals to develop a business case and preliminary design for a new bridge. However, several consulting firms were concerned about the conditions of this RFP, which prohibits the successful proponent from participating in subsequent phases. On April 25, John Gamble, P.Eng., president of ACEC-Canada, wrote to PWGSC raising their concerns. INDUSTRY

VanDusen Botanical Garden Centre, Vancouver.

Awards of merit went to projects by MCW, Asssociated Engineering, CH2M HILL, Golder Associates and McElhanney Consulting. Chris Newcomb, P.Eng. of McElhanney won the Meritorious Achievement Award for his contributions to

Quebec construction industry investigated Quebec’s anti-corruption squad has been investigating 16 cases of corruption, many related to construction projects. Meanwhile, lawyers and media outlets are objecting to the terms of the forthcoming Charbonneau official inquiry into corruption and collusion in the construction industry. They dislike the fact that testimony may be provided behind closed doors.

continued on page 8

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continued from page 6

engineering, the consulting industry, academia and the community. The Young Consulting Engineer Award went to Mike Homenuke, P.Eng. of Kerr Wood Leidal. PROFESSION

New regime for Ontario practitioners Professional Engineers Ontario is preparing to introduce a revamped system of licensing for professional engineers who offer their services to the public. Under the proposals — which are currently being reviewed by a legislation committee — PEO is introducing engineering seals that will be specific to the engineer’s scope of expertise. There will also be a new standard for delegating work to others and supervising it. In addition, changes are coming to the Certificate of Authorization (C of A) system. For over 40 years PEO has

required firms offering services to the public to obtain a C of A. The association now lists 4,500 holders. Currently everyone from sole practitioners to large firms pays the same fee for the C of A licence — $375. Under the new regime firms will have to pay an additional $45 for each licensed engineer who provides services under the C of A, and an individual must be declared responsible under the C of A for each discipline in which the firm offers its services. There are 30 possible disciplines. COMPANIES

Canada’s engineering giant steers along SNC-Lavalin of Montreal presented its financial results for the first quarter of 2012 on May 3. The company’s net income was $67.1 million, compared to $76.1 million for the same quarter last year.

BP/CCE

up front

SNC-Lavalin’s head office on Boulevard René Levèsque in Montreal.

A few days before, Riadh Ben Aissa, the company’s former executive vice president, was arrested in Switzerland. Ben Aissa was once in charge of many of the company’s extensive projects in Libya and North Africa. Canada’s largest engineering-construction company has undergone a series of setbacks since Ben Aissa and financial officer Stéphane Roy left continued on page 10

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up front

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the company on February 9. Internal audits found that $56 million had been misallocated to non-existent projects. Reports now say that the money was used to pay agents to secure projects overseas. Former chief executive officer Pierre Duhaime, ing., retired from the company in March. SNC’s shares have fallen since the troubles began, but the company continues to announce new contracts. On May 1 it said it had renewed a contract with AltaLink to help deliver transmission lines and substations over the next five years. AWARDS

Manitoba winner helped during Assiniboine flood emergency ACEC-Manitoba gave out its annual Awards of Excellence in Consulting Engineering on April 19. The Honourable Steven Fletcher, Minister of

Left: Garry Bolton. Centre: Tom Wingrove. Right: Jonathan Epp.

State, was at the gala dinner at the Winnipeg Convention Centre. The Keystone Award and an Award of Excellence (infrastructure-transportation category) was presented to KGS Group for their 2011 Assiniboine River Flood Emergency Engineering Project. In 2011 an unprecedented 300-year flood in the Assiniboine River system overwhelmed south-western Manitoba. KGS provided design and site support to help the Manitoba Government and Canadian Forces maintain the integrity of dikes and control structures.

Awards of Excellence went to: AECOM Canada for the Lake St. Martin Emergency Flood Relief Channel Final Design and Construction Management (infrastructure-transportation category); Enermodal Engineering, a member of MMM Group, for the Churchill Northern Studies Centre (buildings); MMM Group for the Pointe du Bois Spillway Replacement Environmental Assessment (environment); and AECOM Canada and KGS Group for the Analysis of Options of Emergency Reduction of Lake Manitoba and Lake St. Martin. Awards of Merit went to projects by Dillon Consulting, Hatch, AECOM Canada, KGS Group, and GENIVAR. Garry Bolton, P.Eng. of SMS Engineering was honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award. Tom Wingrove, P.Eng. of AECOM received the Engineering Action Award as a praccontinued on page 12

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tising engineer for service to the Canadian engineering community. The Rising Star Award went to Jonathan Epp, P.Eng., of Teshmont. ENVIRONMENT

“One project, one review” Canada’s Natural Resources Minister, Joe Oliver, announced plans in April to reshape the process for obtaining environmental approvals for projects. The new approach will have a major effect on consulting engineers who help their clients to steer projects through the approval process. Currently it can take years to obtain a decision and can be costly. The process often involves separate federal and provincial approvals, as well as scores of authorities and departments, including Fisheries and Oceans, and Transport Canada. The government says it intends to move towards a “one project, one review” system. For many smaller and more standard projects only a provin-

cial assessment will be required — “as long as they meet the requirements under the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act.” Decisions on whether a federal environmental assessment is required will have to be made earlier -- within 45 days. And there will be new timelines for hearings, e.g. 24 months for panel reviews, and 12 months for standard environmental assessments. For the first time Ottawa will also require that inspectors follow up on environmental assessments to ensure that any mitigation measures that were stipulated as a condition of the approval are in fact working. If not, project proponents could face penalties of $100,000 to $400,000. The government intends to reduce the number of agencies involved in assessments from 30 to just three: the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency, the National Energy Board, and the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission.

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ASSOCIATION OF CONSULTING ENGINEERING COMPANIES | REVIEW

CHAIR’S MESSAGE

Sound Engineering: Sustainable Outcomes

n any discussion of industry trends, “sustainability” is inevitably identified as a philosophy that needs to be embraced. This is both fundamental to our business and an opportunity for consulting engineering firms. Engineers have been proponents of sustainability for decades. After all, engineering is essentially an exercise in optimization – the balancing of economic, social and environmental considerations. The classic engineering challenge is to achieve social or economic goals while minimizing resource consumption and maximizing life-cycle value. Today, it is encouraging that so many other professions and vocations have embraced the concept of sustainability. What engineers bring to the table is a pragmatic approach that is driven by vision and grounded in science. Successful consulting engineers are those who recognize that you

cannot have economic sustainability without environmental sustainability; and you cannot have environmental sustainability without economic sustainability. While this may seem self-evident, it is sometimes absent from some of the rhetoric we hear professed. While principles and ideology are important, the entire issue of sustainability is too important and too complex to resolve without embracing both scientific and economic realities. And it is too important to our children’s future. Consulting engineering companies not only bring environmental, scientific and technical expertise, but also an equally important ability to manage multi-disciplinary teams, to what is inherently a multi-disciplinary challenge. Further, engineering is one of the few licensed professions with a statutory obligation to view the public well-being as paramount. We are obliged to speak out and to lead on this issue. HERB KUEHNE, P.ENG., CHAIR, ACEC BOARD OF DIRECTORS

MESSAGE DU PRÉSIDENT DU CONSEIL

Ingénierie sensée pour des résultats durables

ans le cadre de toute discussion portant sur les tendances de l’industrie, la « durabilité » est, de manière incontournable, une théorie à adopter. Ce fait est à la fois un élément essentiel de notre secteur d’activité et une possibilité à exploiter pour les firmes d’ingénieurs-conseils. Les ingénieurs sont en effet de fervents adeptes de la durabilité, et ce, depuis des décennies. Après tout, l’ingénierie est essentiellement un exercice d’optimisation, soit l’établissement d’un équilibre entre les considérations économiques, sociales et environnementales. Le défi classique est d’atteindre des objectifs sociaux ou économiques tout en minimisant la consommation de ressources et en maximisant la valeur du cycle de vie. Aujourd’hui, il est encourageant de constater que beaucoup d’autres professions et activités professionnelles ont choisi de suivre la voie de la durabilité. Les ingénieurs, eux, proposent une approche pragmatique qui repose sur une vision et est fondée sur des données scientifiques. Les ingénieurs-conseils réputés sont ceux qui reconnaissent

qu’aucune durabilité économique ne peut subsister sans pérennité écologique et inversement. Même si cette notion semble aller de soi, elle est parfois absente de certains discours de forme. Tandis que les principes et l’idéologie sont des éléments vitaux, toute la problématique sur la durabilité est trop importante et trop complexe à résoudre sans tenir compte des réalités scientifiques et économiques. L’avenir de nos enfants en dépend. Les firmes d’ingénieurs-conseils possèdent non seulement une expertise environnementale, scientifique et technique, mais aussi une capacité à gérer des équipes multidisciplinaires qui est tout aussi importante pour relever ce défi pluridisciplinaire. En outre, les ingénieurs agréés sont parmi les rares professionnels ayant l’obligation statutaire de considérer le bien-être du public comme étant primordial. Nous nous devons ainsi d’en parler franchement et de jouer un rôle de chef de file en la matière. HERB KUEHNE, P.ENG. PRÉSIDENT CONSEIL D’ADMINISTRATION DE L’AFIC

May 2012

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Canadian Consulting Engineer

12-05-09 12:58 PM

ASSOCIATION OF CONSULTING ENGINEERING COMPANIES | REVIEW

A Good Foundation Leads to Success Thriving engineering firms say that demonstrating value to clients starts with how you run your firm. By Jason Choo, Deltek

n spite of today’s ongoing global recession, a number of Canadian engineering firms have continued to prosper — in many cases, growing even more rapidly than their U.S. counterparts. To understand how they’re being successful, Deltek interviewed three of Canada’s leading engineering firms: XCG, CBCL and Pioneer. Focusing on Core Competencies With the current recession impacting today’s business landscape, there’s no predicting where certain sectors will be in years to come. With this in mind, Kent Lane, Director of Corporate Affairs and Technology for engineering firm CBCL, says that it’s important to maintain diversity in your services and pay special attention to your core offerings. “Having a variety of critical service offerings allows us to be a little more nimble and flexible than perhaps some other firms within the same markets. This principle has let CBCL ride the waves of this recession without injury, and by focusing on our core competencies we’re able to attain our most critical goal: satisfied clients.” What’s more, Mark Rudnicki, Controller for Pioneer, says that providing a diverse service offering can also aid with the retention of existing clients. “Pioneer’s success is the result of our ability to provide a diverse service offering to existing clients,” Rudnicki states. “From there, we can focus on our core customer base to cross-sell as many services as possible.”

Competing for Talent In an industry currently plagued by staffing challenges, talent attraction and retention are a major part of growth in today’s engineering world. However, XCG’S VP of Finance and Administration, Richard Giles, states that too often engineering firms mistakenly cut staff when the economy is down. “By keeping both talent retention and recruitment a priority, XCG keeps our firm in a position to deliver the kind of quality services that clients demand in this economy,” Giles explained. Rudnicki adds that being competitive for incoming talent is just as vital. “Pioneer feels that our most important resource and asset is our people, and so attracting and retaining quality talent remains huge for us,” he states. “To do this, we make it a priority to offer competitive benefits, and promote a culture of respect — our success is in part due to the fact that we offer a really attractive work environment.” Foundations for Higher Performance The firms interviewed agreed unanimously that high-level opportunity tracking, project data visibility and program control were invaluable factors to their success. Whether through internal processes or software built specifically for that purpose, fast-growing firms recognize the unparalleled value of getting reliable, timely and actionable information in the right hands.

“[Having the right tools means] our Business Group Leaders and Project Managers alike get the benefit of real-time, desktop access to our most critical information,” said Giles. “Empowering our senior people with the indicators of the company has helped us succeed, no question about it.” “Frankly, I don’t know how some firms can survive without a solution that provides data on vertical markets,” Lane concludes. “Because it’s so hard to predict these markets, CBCL can’t wait six months or more to find out where we are financially. We’re able to get a complete financial plan every month — the company couldn’t run successfully right now without it.” Measuring Success With solid, value-establishing strategies, these three firms already seem to have a recipe for success. But their growth alone speaks for itself — Pioneer has grown from 50 to 150 people since 2007, XCG has seen a 20% increase over this same time period, and CBCL states that the four years of this recession have still been the best years in the company’s history. Examining their performance, Deltek has found that by holding an eye towards profitability through improved internal performance, quality staff retention and a strong focus on what they do best, these firms prove that there’s still a lot of room for growth in Canada. Deltek is the leading provider of integrated accounting, project management and CRM solutions for engineering firms. Jason Choo manages Canadian channel sales and can be reached at JasonChoo@deltek.com

ACEC Member Organizations: Association of Consulting Engineering Companies - British Columbia, Consulting Engineers of Yukon, Consulting Engineers of Alberta, Consulting Engineers of Northwest Territories, Consulting Engineers of Saskatchewan, Association of Consulting Engineering Companies – Manitoba, Consulting Engineers of Ontario, Association des Ingénieurs-conseils du Québec, Association of Consulting Engineering Companies – New Brunswick, Consulting Engineers of Nova Scotia, Consulting Engineers of Prince Edward Island, Consulting Engineers of Newfoundland and Labrador. 16

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ASSOCIATION OF CONSULTING ENGINEERING COMPANIES | REVIEW

ACEC Reaches Out to Students, Supports New National Young Professional Network

or the past four years, (CEC) in March. This year, ACEC has been strathe CEC was held in Vantegically focused on stucouver where ACEC’s President outreach to encourdent, John Gamble, P.Eng., age the best and brightand Vice-President, Susie est students to choose a Grynol, CAE, participated career in consulting enas chief judges for the Pargineering. The Engineerliamentary Debates compeing Legacies Campaign tition. ACEC also attended (www.engineeringlegathe career fair where voluncies.com) has been sucteers spoke with students cessful at raising awareabout the industry of consulting engineering and the ness both through in- Simon Davidson kind of career students can person interactions with students on campuses across the expect as a professional engineer. country, and through a strong social ACEC Board Creates New media presence. As part of the campaign, ACEC at- Young Professional Network tends two key national student events Also in early 2012, ACEC affirmed its each year, including the Canadian Fed- commitment to young people in the eration of Engineering Students annu- industry by creating a National Young al congress meeting in January, and the Professional Network. The Network Canadian Engineering Competitions includes young professionals from

each province with an existing young professional’s group (YPG), whose job is to share information and best practices between provinces, to support the development of the ACEC Summit YP program, and to report back to the Board of Directors at each Board meeting as to the affairs and progress of the YP groups in Canada. “We are extremely excited about this new initiative,” says the newly elected Chair of the national YP network, Simon Davidson. “It is fantastic that we now have a formal national forum to facilitate the sharing of new ideas and common interprovincial challenges.” At the top of the agenda for the new group is to organize dynamic YPspecific programming for the upcoming ACEC Summit in PEI this June. Registration details are available at www.acec.ca

Participation Open in Consulting Engineers Compensation Survey

ompensation decisions are crucial. If you pay below market, you run the risk of losing the employees you have and not being able to attract the employees you want. On the other hand, overpaying is a drain on your company’s finances. Last year, Canadian Consulting Engineering companies increased salaries by approximately 3%, depending on geographic location and level of position. Where does your company fit into today’s market realities? Participate in the 14th Annual Consulting Engineers Compensation, Benefits & Employment Practices Survey and find out. ACEC-Canada has partnered with Western Compensation & Bene-

fits Consultants to produce an annual survey of Canadian Consulting Engineering companies. Receive comprehensive information on: • Current salaries & bonuses for 75 positions including: engineers/scientists, technicians/technologists, executives/management, HR, IT, accounting & payroll, and administrative staff • Expected changes in salaries for 2013 • Short- and long-term incentive plans • Group insurance and retirement plans • Policies on vacation, overtime, perks and more.

Make the commitment to participate now so that when you need to make important compensation decisions, you’ll be ready. Data collection is from May 1st to August 31st. Participants save 50% and members of ACEC-Canada receive an additional 15% discount. For more information visit: www. wcbc.ca/surveys/consultingengineers. Don’t miss the opportunity to contribute to this year’s surveys and map out the compensation strategy that is right for you. May 2012

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ASSOCIATION OF CONSULTING ENGINEERING COMPANIES | REVIEW

I a Register today!

ACEC Summit 2012

The national business meeting for Canada’s leaders in consulting engineering Rodd Brudenell River Resort, Prince Edward Island June 21-23, 2012

Summit Theme Connecting Leaders, Driving Business

Product not exactly as illustrated. Technical information subject to change. †Tested to ANSI Z Z21.13/CSA 2 3/CSA 4.9 21.1

Don’t miss this opportunity to connect with your peers and discuss the key issues that impact your business the most. The Summit Business Program will include top quality speakers with sessions on business and market trends, HR best practices and business risks. New and improved Principals’ roundtables will provide a forum for business leaders to share their experiences and insights on industry challenges and opportunities. For more details and to register, visit www.acec.ca.

Keynote Speaker Futurist Jim Carroll will kick off ACEC Summit 2012! Jim Carroll is an authority on global trends, rapid business model change, business transformation in a period of economic uncertainty, and the necessity for fast-paced innovation. His client list includes the Professional Golfers’ Association of America, Johnson & Johnson, the Swiss Innovation Forum, the Walt Disney Company and NASA. Plan to attend and learn Why Innovators Will Rule in the Post-Recession Economy. For more information on Jim Carroll and the ACEC Summit 2012 Business Program, visit www.acec.ca

Canadian Consulting Engineer

May 2012

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Introducing the Vitocrossal 200, CM2: a brand new face with familiar features

w Ne

Product not exactly as illustrated. Technical information subject to change. †Tested to ANSI Z Z21.13/CSA 2 3/CSA 4.9 21.1 standards with a return temperature of 80 ˚F (27 ˚C) and supply water temperature of 180 ˚F (82 (8 ˚C).

Meet the Vitocrossal 200, CM2 gas-fired condensing boiler – featuring the Viessmann technology you know and the performance and value you expect. Efﬁciencies of up to 94.6%† Ideal for large residential or commercial applications with inputs up to 1112 MBH (single)/4448 MBH (cascade) Generous heat transfer surface area/heat input ratio of stainless steel heat exchanger maximizes heat extraction in compact size Extremely low NOx emissions and quiet operation from fully-modulating Viessmann pre-mix cylinder burner Wide modulation range of 5:1 turndown ratio precisely matches load Multiple venting possibilities with pre-installed air intake kit for direct or chimney venting (PP or stainless steel) up to 200 ft. Gas fuel flexibility (NG/LPG/LNG) with simple electronic conversion Low inlet gas pressure requirement (NG) as low as 4 inches of water column Large water content extends burner run time and reduces cycling No dedicated boiler pump required due to extremely low pressure drop through heat exchanger - no low-loss header required Seamless integration of powerful Viessmann control technology and building management systems Available fully assembled or unassembled for maximum shipping and installation flexibility Suitable for high altitude operation up to 10,000 ft.

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green buildings

BY RICHARD LAY, P.ENG., ENERMODAL, A MEMBER OF MMM GROUP

NORTHERN EXPOSURE

CHURCHILL NORTHERN STUDIES CENTRE A remote research building in Northern Manitoba combines highly innovative energy efficient systems with extreme water conservation.

Churchill Northern Studies Centre

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Above: The building has "freezer" type steel-skinned polystyrene walls and is raised 1.5 metres above grade to control snowdrifts.

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green buildings

Churchill Northern Studies Centre

IN THE SUMMER OF 2011 THE CHURCHILL NORTHERN

moved into its new 2,580-m2 (27,800-sq. ft.) facility. Founded in 1976, the CNSC is an independent, non-profit research and education facility located 23 kilometres east of the town of Churchill, Manitoba. The new building is designed for 88 visiting scientists and 12 staff who work year-round on sub-arctic scientific research and education. The centre provides accommodations, meals, equipment rentals, and logistical field support to the scientific researchers. In addition, the centre facilitates educational programming for the visiting public, as well as university credit courses for students. The building has laboratories, two classrooms, a gift shop, an observation dome, a library, herbarium, and study collections of various animal species. There is also a helicopter landing pad and a garage for vehicles. The goal for the new facility was to have lower utility and operating costs, and to be a high-performance building that showcases best practice green building engineering design. It also had to meet budgetary and time constraints, not to mention the unique needs of a remote research building in a harsh northern climate. Prairie Architects of Winnipeg designed a streamlined elevated building intended to shed wind and snow and collect sunlight. The two-storey structure has a long shallow rectangular plan oriented east-west for good daylight penetration and views. Enermodal Engineering, a member of MMM Group, designed mechanical and electrical services for the building that are appropriate for the difficult climate and lack of municipal services. The systems include heat recovery, intelligent building controls, and good lighting. The kitchen and laboratories are energy efficient, and there are water and wastewater treatment systems, and waterless composting toilets. STUDIES CENTRE

Exposed Site: No Services The site is remote and exposed with only shrubby tundra vegetation and thin gravelly soils over shallow bedrock. There are no piped municipal services for water, sewer, or gas, and no prospect for any in the future. A 1-kilometre power line connects the building to a Manitoba Hydro electrical service, but power is frequently interrupted by winter weather. The buildingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own water, wastewater, heat, and power services therefore are essential and have to be highly reliable. Most northern buildings are located in communities served either with piped services inside utilidors, or they

Above: Interior stairs, lit by a skylight.

have greater access to water and sewage hauling trucks. It is common therefore for these latter buildings to have inside storage tanks, but what would be considered normal everyday water use means that very frequent fill-ups and pumpouts are needed, sometimes every few days. The miserly water use in the new CNSC building means its potable water storage should last over a month in winter. And because the sewage treatment tanks can also serve as holding tanks, they offer an equivalent period of independence from the pumpout truck. The building envelope, designed to be air-tight and wellinsulated, consists of R-40 freezer panel construction: an assembly of steel-skinned polystyrene foam insulation, with interlocking gasketed edge joints. Windows are low-e, argon-filled and triple-glazed. The whole structure is raised about 1.5 metres above continued on page 22

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green buildings

continued from page 21

Left: The biofilter is able to treat 8000 L/d of sanitary wastewater to tertiary quality and disposes of it in two 240 m2 built-up area beds outside.

Left: Greywater pipes

Right: The reversing flow heat recovery ventilator supplies 2500 cfm of outside air ventilation and recovers 90% of the available heat from the building exhaust air.

Photos: Enermodal

grade to control snowdrifts. This feature provides a convenient space under the building for the ventilation openings, where they are protected from snow, minimizing the number of mechanical ventilation louvers and hoods. A few of the newest buildings in Canada’s north have recognized this as an effective way to prevent snow from accumulating on their leeward side. Efficient and Simple Operations The four main building ventilation systems have ventilation heat recovery (where incoming, fresh air is pre-heated by outgoing, stale air), which was challenging to accomplish in an environment where heat recovery ventilators (HRVs) are very vulnerable to freezing. The main ventilation system is an innovative reversing flow heat exchanger made in Manitoba and featuring 85% heat recovery efficiency and no requirement for defrost. The other HRVs, serving the dining room and kitchen, labs, and composting toilets, rely on electric pre-heaters to keep them out of defrost mode and to optimize their heat recovery performance. The reversing-flow heat exchanger supplies up to 1,175 L/s of ventilation, depending on demand, and does not require any preheat. The building controls are designed for reduced operating costs, yet still are relatively simple and easy to operate. The basic approach is to turn equipment off when not in use. For example, ventilation is supplied by multiple, dedicated units that slow down or stop when any individual unit is not needed. Local controls include occupancy sensors, CO2 sensors, timers, and variable motor speed drives. The project team can access the building automation system for monitoring and trouble-shooting via the internet when they are off-site. Kitchen and Laboratory Needs

A commercial kitchen serving three meals a day to 100 people can be extremely energy intensive due to the large amounts of 22

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cooktop ventilation, hot water use, and energy for appliances. The range hood ventilation at CNSC is low-flow and variable speed, responding to the amount of cooking and providing only the amount of exhaust and make-up air required. The appliances selected have the best available energy and water efficiency.

Solar wall panels pre-heat the large volume of fresh air for the kitchen and cafeteria, and these are supplemented by a dedicated energy recovery ventilator that even recovers heat from the dishwasher exhaust. There are two oversized grease interceptors – one just for the dishwasher – installed in a cool basement wastewater treatment room, where they serve to heat the room. The centre’s research activities imposed some special requirements on the mechanical systems. The laboratory areas have to provide for wet-dry and clean-dirty research activities. Some soil and plant samples must be dried for an extended time and the moisture and smell has to be contained, while others must be archived in a room with controlled temperature and humidity. Some experiments also need controlled temperature and humidity, especially in summer during the peak field research activity. The laboratory fume hoods operate in as energy-efficient a manner as possible, i.e. with controlled exhaust and makeup ventilation, while maintaining good indoor air quality. Waste heat from the computer room can be circulated to the underfloor plenum for heating, rather than being directly exhausted or air conditioned. The refrigeration compressor waste heat is also recirculated for space heating. All other spaces have individual thermostat controlled electric baseboard heat. The design heat loss of the building envelope is 145 kW, plus an additional 52 kW for 2,800 L/s ventilation. This load of about 100 W/m2 is about twice that of an energy efficient building in southern Manitoba, but less than a typical Canadian school or office building.

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Extreme Water Conservation The old facility had to truck in water from town 20 kilometres away, then truck back the sewage. Every effort was made to decrease this considerable cost of carbon emissions and money. The most significant measure is the use of two large composting systems serving waterless toilets and urinals. Wastewater is treated on-site to tertiary quality by two indoor 5,000-litre biofiltration vessels and two outdoor area bed sand dispersal fields. These are made of manufactured sand and woodchip-and-sand layers. The permitted daily design flow is 8,000 litres and design flow is only 68 L/ person, compared to the metered 100+ L/person last year in the old building. An innovative ventilation system using a heat recovery ventilator provides continuous exhaust from the composter. In the washrooms all the exhaust is drawn down through the toilets themselves. The system is water-and-energy efficient, keeps the washrooms odour-free, and thanks to a healthy population of red wriggler worms, automatic moistening system, automatic compost tea removal, and the aerobic decomposition process, requires very little maintenance. Lake water is pumped 2 kilometres to the site in summer

Churchill Northern Studies Centre

green buildings

Above:The centre provides accommodation and logistical support to 100 scientific researchers and staff.

and treated with settling, simple cartridge filters and ultraviolet light to drinking water quality. Two 13,000-litre tanks can store drinking water trucked from town in winter when the lake is frozen. To reduce the need for drinking water, untreated lake water is distributed through separate non-potable water pipcontinued on page 25

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Canadian Consulting Engineer

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Rheem.com

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green buildings

continued from page 23

ing to flush-type toilets, hose bibs and drain trap primers. Greywater is recycled from the lavatory and shower wastewater, and drainwater heat exchangers recover heat from the showers and lavatories to preheat the domestic hot water. It is hoped that the combination of ambitious water conservation and on-site treatment will be a model of sustainability for other developments in remote communities. The technologies showcased at CNSC are scalable to larger facilities. Not Overlit Lighting fixtures are high efficiency, without over-lighting spaces. The average building-wide lighting power density is a mere 7.7 W/m2, which is 30% below ASHRAE 90.1-2007 levels for an office/lab/dormitory building using the building area method. The dormitory rooms contain a single overhead direct/ indirect fluorescent fixture for general lighting, but each bunk bed, four in each room, has a directional, wall-mounted LED light which can be turned on without disturbing other roommates. The rooftop Aurora Borealis Viewing Dome was outfitted with LED way-finding lights (like emergency exit lights

in an aircraft cabin) and a switch to allow users to turn off non-essential exterior lighting for better viewing the Northern Lights. The dome also has a new type of linear fan that directs heated air over the inner surface when â&#x20AC;&#x153;windshield defrostâ&#x20AC;? is required. The type of innovative yet simple design used at CNSC could be applied to a variety of building types in remote northern locations. It provides the occupants with amenities and services, while giving significant energy and water savings for the owner and environment. CCE Richard Lay, P.Eng, is the senior mechanical designer at Enermodal Engineering, a member of MMM Group, and is based in Kitchener, Ontario. Owner: Churchill Northern Studies Centre Mechanical-electrical engineers: Enermodal Engineering, a member of MMM Group (Richard Lay, P.Eng, Tim Dietrich, P.Eng, Brandon Barroso, CET) Architect: Prairie Architects Structural engineer: Crosier Kilgour (Tom Malkiewicz, P.Eng.) Commissioning: Integrated Designs, Phil Dompierre, EIT Contractor: Penn-Co Construction

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Canadian Consulting Engineer

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HVAC

BY KEN SONMOR, ANTONINO LAGANA, M.ENG., JAMES WU, B.ENG., ECOVISION

Retrofit for IKEA At a giant warehouse in Brossard, Quebec a maglev, frictionless chiller has been combined with a geothermal system for the first time – helping to achieve phenomenal energy savings. IKEA INSTALLED AN INNOVATIVE GEOTHERMAL,

displacement ventilation and efficient lighting system at their existing giant distribution centre in Brossard, Quebec. The home supplies retailer reduced their natural gas and electrical consumption by more than 80% and 30%, respectively. They increased the occupancy comfort and air quality, and provided air-conditioning in the warehouse which had never had it before. The project won a 2012 International ASHRAE Technology Award and a first place AQME prize from the Association Québecoise pour la maîtrise de l’énergie. Ecovision experts-conseils of Montreal were the prime consultant for the HVAC design. Situated at 5405 Place de la Couronne in Brossard, south of Montreal in Quebec, the warehouse stores goods to be distributed in an area covering a 1,000-kilometre radius. The building has a surface area of 78,110 m2, and roof varying from 11 to 15 metres in height. There is also an adjoining single-story office section with a surface area of 1,641 m2.

Chiller and Giant Hydronic Circuit For the first time a 160-ton maglev, frictionless chiller was adapted to a geothermal system to heat a vast warehouse. (“Maglev is “magnetic levitation,” which means there are no bearings; the shaft of the impeller rotates afloat in a magnetic field, so there are no rubbing and frictional losses.) A new, building-wide hydronic circuit distributes heat from this chiller-turned-heat-pump to the numerous fancoils and air handlers in the office and warehouse. The complete hydronic circuit and chiller (designated TP-1) are shown in the schematic, Figure 1. The fancoils are designated AT 1-15 and the air handlers UVD 1-5. Furthermore, two 80-kW brick thermal accumulators – boilers with bricks inside (CA-1, CA-2) store heat during off-peak hours. The maglev heat pump is the primary source of heat, but a 400-kW boiler (CH-1) boosts the system’s capacity during very cold days. The original gasfired air handlers on the roof were not removed and they augment the heating even more, but only during the coldest hours of winter.

Above: The 78,110-m2 distribution centre supplies IKEA stores in a 1,000-kilometre radius.

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HVAC

Chiller TP-1 Fancoils AT 1-15 Air Handlers UVD 1-5 Boilers/brick thermal accumulators CA 1-2 400-kW boiler CH-1 Office Fancoils UV 1-7

Figure 1: System Schematic. The system achieves an unprecedented coefficient-of-performance of 5-7 in heating.

To attain the greatest possible coefficient of performance (COP), we used more than the conventional number of wells. The wells are vertical, closed-loop wells (46 wells, 600 feet deep (183 m) that maintain a close approach with the ground temperature of 10°C. This permits the reduction of glycol concentrate which benefits the heat transfer and reduces pumping power. The system achieves unprecedented COPs of 5-7 in heating. The manifolds for the pipes going into the geothermal wells are installed inside an accessible underground vault. This allows precise balancing of the water flow rate in each well. The maglev heat pump does not have a change-over valve since it was designed to be a chiller. Consequently, the hydronic circuit consists of a giant loop connecting the ground to the indoor water, but that is in no way a handicap. Three-way valves send ground water into the evaporator and indoor water into the condenser during heating mode. The same valves divert ground water into the condenser and indoor water into the evaporator during cooling mode. We therefore free cool with ground water by shutting off and bypassing the heat pump, a convenient

way of saving energy during the mid-season. This geothermal heat pump requires much less maintenance than conventional heat pumps since frictionless bearings don’t wear out. The system’s operation is automated with DDC controls. Displacement Ventilation Air in the Office and Warehouse Displacement ventilation in the offices consists of fancoils supplying warm or cool air at floor-level through displacement diffusers. Radiant heating panels provide supplemental heat in winter. The fancoils are designated UV 1-7 in the schematic. Displacement ventilation is a concept that is rare in North America, although it has numerous advantages. The warm, foul air in a room rises naturally, giving way to the cool air supplied at the floor. This allows for superior air quality. It works easily during the cooling season, but for it to work in winter when heat is provided by radiant heating panels on the ceiling in the offices, relatively cool air (at about 2°C below set-point) must be supplied at floor level. Displacement ventilation in the high-ceiling warehouse continued on page 30 May 2012

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HVAC

continued from page 29

HO fixtures outfitted with custom-made reflectors to direct light where needed. Motion and luminosity sensors turn off lights when not needed. Other electrical measures include the use of variable-speed-drives on the main pumps of the hydronic circuit and CO2 sensors to manage fresh air.

Above: The manifolds for the vertical closed loop wells are located in an accessible underground vault, allowing a precise balancing of the water flow rate in each well. To attain the greatest possible COP, the wells are maintained close to the ground temperature of 10°C.

consists of custom-made air handlers blowing air through supply grills at floor-level. In summer, they allow for spot cooling of worker areas. Their cool air remains in the occupied space due to its higher density with respect to hot summer air. In the warehouse during the heating season the air supplied by the displacement ventilation units is always warmer than set-point. We count on the Coanda effect (the adhesion of relatively fast moving air to a smooth surface like the floor) to keep warm air at floor level. The resulting warm blanket of air is comfortable. Fancoils (aerotherms) also supply heat in the warehouse at heights of about 3 metres. Lighting Replaced Nearly 700 T12 high output (HO) fixtures were replaced with a combination of T8 and T5 HO lights. An additional 510 high-intensity discharge fixtures were replaced with T5

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Compared to Baseline Year 80% and 31% Savings During the baseline year (2005), the building used 18,314 GJ or 5,08 MWh of electricity, and 13,33G J or 358,501 m3 of natural gas. The total cost of energy was $450,760 before sales taxes (at 2005 rates of 45¢/m3 for natural gas and an average of 5.7¢/kWh for electricity). Electrical costs consist of tiered rates on energy consumption plus a fixed rate on power demand. At today’s rates, that would balloon to an estimated $565,593. The cost of the new project amounted to $1.9 million. After all the measures were implemented, natural gas and electrical consumption dropped by 80% and 31%, respectively. For the 12-month period from February 2011 to January 2012, electrical consumption amounted to 12,704 GJ or 3,529 MWh, and natural gas 2,670 GJ or 71,784 m3. The total cost of energy for that period was $288,093 (at today’s rates of 65¢/m3 for natural gas and an average of 6.8¢/kWh for electricity). The energy savings amounted to 5,610 GJ (1,558 MWh) of electricity and 10,662 GJ (286,717 m3) of natural gas. Dollar savings were $277,500 (today’s rates). Hydro-Quebec and NRCan’s Office of Energy Efficiency offered a total of $393,741 in grants. The simple payback including grants is 5.4 years. CCE Owner-client: IKEA Prime consultant, HVAC engineer: Ecovision experts-conseils, Montreal (Ken Sonmor, Antonino Lagana, M.Eng., James Wu, B.Eng.). Mechanical contractor: Aéro-Mech Turcotte. Electrical contractor: Electravolt. Supplier: IPEX (hydronic piping)

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green buildings

BY CHANTALE BOURDAGES, ING. AND OLIVIER BRODEUR, ING. DESSAU

SYMBOL OF SUSTAINABILITY CARTIERVILLE YMCA

A new YMCA in Montreal shows that a facility dedicated to keeping bodies healthy can also be healthy for the environment.

AS AN ECOLOGICALLY RESPONSIBLE PIONEER IN

the new Cartierville YMCA in Montreal is a truly 21st-century expression of the organization’s philanthropic values and mission. Open since April 2010, the 88,000-sq.ft. construction, located about 15 kilometres northwest of downtown Montreal, offers aquatic, sports and recreation facilities such as a semiOlympic pool and an indoor jogging track. It also has multifunctional rooms and a daycare. Due to their elevated hot water consumption for pools and showers, as well as their need for extra air-conditioning and dehumidification, recreation facilities tend to have lofty energy bills. Engineering-construction firm Dessau was mandated to carry out the energy efficient HVAC design that would become a focal point of this environmentally friendly building. By creatively combining clean renewable geothermal energy and clever heat recovery systems, the mechanical engineering team was able to craft a self-financ-

SUSTAINABLE BUILDING DESIGN,

ing project that is designed to save the building owner almost $200,000 a year and use 50% less energy than a standard building of its type. The building was made possible due to an innovative partnership between the Ministère de l’Éducation, du Loisir et du Sport du Québec (MELS), the city of Montreal, the borough of Ahuntsic-Cartierville and the YMCA.

YMCA Cartierville

Above: Exterior of the building at night. It is close to public transport and has 110 bicycle parking spaces.

Energy Modelling Using DOE2 Quebec’s extreme winter climate presents challenges for designers of efficient building systems and tends to complicate energy management. To meet these challenges, the design team created a model of the building and its electromechanical systems using DOE2.1e simulation software to accurately analyze the building’s peak and partial loads. The software simultaneously takes into account weather data, building envelope parameters and complex building HVAC system interactions that are almost imposcontinued on page 32 May 2012

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Canadian Consulting Engineer

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Chantale Bourges, Dessau

green buildings

continued from page 31

ground the previous summer. During warmer summer months the geothermal loops reject excess heat from the building and slowly recharge the ground for the upcoming winter. This alternating cycle of heat absorption and storage works well in regions with extreme seasonal temperature variations like Québec. Unfortunately, excavation and materials for geothermal ground exchangers are quite costly. Furthermore, because the average heating or cooling part load for a building in Quebec is generally under 50% of its peak load, heat pump efficiency is reduced considerably when sized to meet the building’s overall needs. Taking these two factors into consideration, the design team for the YMCA decided to evaluate a cheaper auxiliary heating system -- elecAbove: Heat recovery chiller, with geothermal loop headers in the background. By optimizing and combining systems, the size of the geothermal exchanger was kept to 30% of tric boilers -- to supply extra heat during perithe peak load, thus keeping excavation and material costs to a minimum. ods of intense cold. Energy simulation models helped pin down the percentage of the maximum capacity that should be ensured by the geothermal sible to estimate using traditional calculation methods. Subsequently, energy simulation models were used to system. This optimal combination of systems made it possidemonstrate the energy savings and cost-effectiveness of dif- ble to reduce the size of the geothermal exchanger to 30% ferent scenarios. These helped determine that integrating of the design’s peak load, consequently keeping excavation geothermal energy with heat recovery equipment was well and material costs to a minimum. A blend of water and propylene glycol flows through worth the initial investment. Data provided by the building simulations proved to be essential for designing and sizing 12 boreholes, each 450 ft. (137 m) deep, which were drilled and connected to the building’s water network. Furtherthe geothermal and recovery equipment. more, by downsizing heat pumps by 70% under the building’s peak load, the designers ensured that the equipment Geothermal Exchanger Optimized would work more hours at full capacity, therefore maximizto 30% of Peak Load Thermal comfort is maintained throughout the building ing HVAC performance. with 21 water-to-air heat pumps, while three water-to-water heat pumps were installed to meet the building’s significant Flexible Water Networks for Recovering Heat hot water needs. Deemed unusable, excess heat is often discarded even in The building’s heat pumps are connected to a geothermal the dead of winter by conventional HVAC systems using closed loop that substantially increases the performance of air condensers or cooling towers. In this case, however, the equipment. Renewable ground source energy is ideal for by carefully analyzing the YMCA’s heating, cooling and extreme climates typical of regions in Canada. During winter, humidification loads through simulation models, the the geothermal loops draw heat that has been stored in the designers were able to create a sophisticated multiple

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green buildings

Integrated Architectural Approach By incorporating integrated architectural, engineering and urban design principles from frameworks such as LEED, Integrated Design Process, Community Design and Smart Growth, the Cartierville YMCA has become a pillar of sustainability in Montreal’s Ahuntsic-Cartierville district by contributing to its local social, economic and environmental development. The architectural design, for example, incorporates an abundance of natural lighting, and it also includes a white roof. By improving solar reflectivity, the white roof reduces the building’s cooling needs as well as urban heat island effects. A water management system rations the building’s use of water resources, and the building’s landscape design focuses on providing urban green spaces for recreation and social gathering. Furthermore, by choosing a location that is highly accessible via public transit and integrating 110 bicycle parking spaces, the building encourages its patrons to use sustainable transport. Lastly, the Cartierville YMCA’s environmentally conscious self-financed HVAC design spawns savings that help conserve energy and reduce greenhouse gases by 1,200 tons

YMCA Cartierville

water network system that prioritizes heat recovery. Having flexibility between water networks is a key element for fully recovering the building’s internal energy before tapping into the geothermal or grid equipment. For example, excess heat from the dehumidification processes and superfluous heat generated by the mechanical room equipment is salvaged to supply building space heating and hot water needs. As well, an enthalpy wheel recovers sensible and latent heat that would usually be lost in the outgoing exhaust air and transfers it to the incoming fresh air, with an average efficiency of 75%. By reducing the amount of energy wasted, the heatrecovery systems not only generate important energy savings, they also radically reduce the building’s heating and cooling loads, which enabled an initial downsizing of the related equipment.

Above: One of the centres’s swimming pools. Geothermal energy, as well as recovered heat from the dehumidification processes and the mechanical room, is used to supply the building's space heating and hot water needs.

a year while promoting the financial feasibility and benefits of renewable energy. If one of the YMCA’s mottos is Mens sana in corpore sano (a sound mind in a healthy body), the new Cartierville YMCA proves that the organization also endorses a more global vision, supporting the fact that human beings should have access to healthy buildings and communities as well. CCE Client-Owner: YMCAs of Québec Mechanical-electrical: Dessau, Montreal (Olivier Brodeur, ing., Laurier Nichols, ing., Jean-Luc Thomassin, T.P.) Architect: Daoust Lestage Structural: Dessau Contractor: Pomerleau

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energy management

BY IAN SINCLAIR, P.ENG. ENERMODAL, A MEMBER OF MMM GROUP

RECOMMISSIONING A PRACTICAL TOOL Fast becoming popular, recommissioning is a holistic approach that can achieve immediate improvements in a building’s energy performance -- at low cost. industry, governments and utilities recognize the need to find significant energy savings, traditional approaches to decreasing energy use and improving the operation of buildings are leaving behind low cost and no cost opportunities. Thanks to a new incentive program from Enbridge, several related points in the LEED Existing Buildings, Operations and Management (EB:O&M)

ALTHOUGH THE BUILDING

rating system, and an expanding portfolio of successful case studies across North America, recommissioning is fast becoming the most practical, lowcost strategy for achieving immediate performance improvements. It is therefore no surprise that Toronto’s Civic Action’s Race to Reduce – with over 50 million square feet of commercial office space signed up to reduce their energy costs by 10% by 2014 – is focusing on the recommis-

sioning process as the weapon of choice to generate those savings. What Recommissioning is Not First let’s consider what recommissioning isn’t. It is not an energy audit where a consultant hunts for energy conservation strategies that are largely driven by capital-intensive measures (such as replacing all lighting with higher-efficiency bulbs and ballasts). Neither is it an RFP-driven process re-

Return on Investment of 54% MMM Group and Enermodal Engineering are recommissioning over 4.5 million square feet of commercial office space in downtown Toronto on behalf of Oxford Properties. Encompassing six buildings and with an investment of $0.24 per square foot, the recommissioning has generated an average payback of 1.8 years, or an ROI of 54%. The upgrades are focusing on the existing building automation systems, eliminating off-hours usage and updating operational parameters to reflect current usage and standards – as opposed to those that were in place at the time of construction.

2 Bloor Street West

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energy management sulting in handing strategic control of your assets over to a third party. It is definitely not about selecting this year’s latest craze in retrofit technology and hoping that it’s the magic bullet for generating energy savings. Focus on Right-Sizing Instead, recommissioning is a holistic approach to comfort, energy, capital expenditure, operations and maintenance. It focuses on right-sizing the building’s mechanical and electrical systems and their operation for today’s conditions, not those in place when it was built. It examines key design calculations to determine that the oversized pump is not in fact necessary. It includes a utility analysis to highlight areas of energy and cost concern. It focuses on ensuring that equipment is doing what it was supposed to do, when it’s supposed to be doing it. It allows for updating fresh air volumes and revised sequences of operation according to current requirements. It tests and documents all key components and puts in place documentation and methodologies for ongoing monitoring and testing to ensure the building doesn’t drift once it’s running properly. It is a focused, low-cost approach to securing immediately that maddeningly oft-cited low hanging fruit that apparently is never quite within reach or even visible on the tree.

optimization/recommissioning/1554 • Phase 1 – Planning. This is where the building owner or operator identifies the target building and develops the project scope. If you are looking to prioritize within a portfolio, once you’ve selected your candidate build-

ing (energy intensity? largest number of trouble calls?) you must define your project team, then determine what you are trying to achieve (improved comfort? generation of sorely lacking building documentation? energy conservation?). continued on page 36

ce final.pdf 1 4/30/2012 3:03:42 PM

CMY

So What’s the Plan? From an owner’s perspective one of the key aspects is that recommissioning is already a well-established fourphase methodology that puts the owner in charge of the process. It was enshrined by Portland Energy Conservation under a U.S. government-funded project and has been modified and adopted by the federal Government of Canada. The resulting Recommissioning Guide for Owners and Managers is a comprehensive step-by-step explanation that will present a path for your organization. See http://canmetenergy.nrcan.gc.ca/buildings-communities/energy-efficient%20buildings/

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continued from page 35

Source: Recommissioning Guide for Building Owners and Managers (NRCan)

Source: Mills, Evan, Building Commissioning, LBNL 2009

energy management

Left: Step-by-step path for recommissioning, from Natural Resources Canada’s Recommissioning Guide for Building Owners and Managers. Above: Graphic from Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory’s 2004-2009 study of over 90 million square feet of recommissioned buildings. It found typical energy savings of 16% and a payback of 1.1 years.

In terms of building stock, the most successful projects have been for larger commercial office buildings – 50,000+ sq. ft. with a building automation system already in place. • Phase 2 – Investigation. Your project team will then review the current documentation and begin diagnostic and witness testing of all key building systems. They will compare occupancy to existing schedules and generate a “Master List of Findings” which summarizes what can be done to save energy and resolve operational issues. Note that simple fixes should be completed on the fly: this is not about documenting a business case for sign off by the Board nine months hence. If a damper link is broken, it can be fixed on the spot. A lighting control or air handling unit (AHU) schedule can be altered to reflect changed occupancy. As part of the investigation, the current capital expenditure program should also be reviewed – there’s no point recommending changes to a system scheduled for 36

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replacement in 18 months’ time. Major areas for focus should be the elimination of unnecessary ventilation and simultaneous heating and cooling, and confirmation that the lighting control is both appropriate to the occupancy and is functioning as expected. • Phase 3 – Implementation. This is about prioritizing items: complete work, commission, document, monitor, and communicate the changes. • Phase 4 – Hand-Off Phase. This is a key point. Everyone involved needs to understand what has changed, where it’s documented and what the ongoing expectations are in terms of operations and maintenance. This is also the part where success is celebrated. The process needs a scheduled periodic repetition of testing – what is known as ongoing recommissioning – which is where the sustaining of savings comes in.

prehensive review of 90.4 million square feet of recommissioned building space in 2004, subsequently updated in 2009. It identified typical energy savings of 16%, for an average payback of 1.1 years (Mills, Evan, Building Commissioning. LBNL, 2009). That’s a return on investment of 90.9%. Median costs were $0.30 per sq.ft. Not surprisingly, the more energy intensive a building is (such as laboratories, hospitals, data centres, 24/7 offices), the greater the scope for finding savings opportunities where minimal or even zero investment can yield substantial savings. And that’s not even beginning to account for the additional non-energy savings: reduced tenant complaint trouble calls, improved equipment life, and ongoing operational savings from having proper documentation in place. CCE

The Business Case The Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in California completed a com-

Ian Sinclair, P.Eng., is manager of Existing Building Services at Enermodal Engineering/MMM Group, in Kitchener, Ont.

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Source: Mills, Evan, Building Commissioning, LBNL 2009

events

CaGBC Green Building Conference “Beyond Buildings: The Green City” is the theme for this year’s Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC) upcoming National Conference and Expo. This is Canada’s largest green building event, and will be held June 11-13 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre and other locations across the city. This year the conference will focus on how to implement sustainable design and operations at a grander scale. Thomas Mueller, CEO of the association says: “Canadian cities are preparing themselves for growth and regeneration over the next two decades. New development, revitalization of existing neighbourhoods, housing and infrastructure renewal all need to meet the highest environmental performance standards to ensure Canadians can continue to enjoy a high quality of life.”

Building Commissioning" – John Kokko of Enermodal Engineering and Jason Manikel of Halsall will take an in-depth look at making no cost or low-cost operational improvements to building operations.

Tour Highlights: "Evolution of the Toronto Financial District"; "Hard Hat Tour – Front Lines of City Building"; and "25 York LEED Gold Certified Building Tour." See www.cagbc.org/2012conference

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Speaker Highlights: • Stephen Lewis, Gala Dinner Keynote address. • Ken Greenberg, Toronto urban designer and architect. • Dr. Ray Cole, University of B.C. Education Sessions: Education sessions will be held in six streams: Revitalizing Existing Neighbourhoods; Sustainable Building Materials, Moving Beyond Zero: Next Generation Buildings and Communities; Advances in Building Performance Management; Innovation in Greening Homes and Affordable Housing; The Greenest Cities: Planning, Policies and Implementation. Specific sessions include: "De-

signing Carbon Neutral from Buildings to Communities" - Peter Busby of

Perkins + Will Canada will discuss the Centre for Interactive Research on Sustainability (CIRS) and the VanDusen Botanical Garden Visitor Centre (buildings at the community level), and the growth of new cities, in particular the Edmonton City Centre Airport Lands Development."Existing

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Victaulic, Canada, (T) 905-884-7444 • www.victaulic.com/AGS

CLIENT: ISSUE:

Victaulic October

May 2012 COPY DATE:

Canadian Consulting Engineer

PUBLICATION:

September

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Tel: +44 (0) 1305 257 774

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photovoltaics

By John G. Smith

Solar arrays on top of roofs can seem like a promising business opportunity — as long as the building owner and its engineers are prepared for certain risks.

Feeling FIT Ontario Solar Provider Inc.

Photovoltaic panels installed on a roof in southern Ontario.

lorida has long been known as America’s “sunshine state,” but Ontario may be on its way to establishing itself as Canada’s “sunshine province.” The discussions simply involve a different kind of juice. Since launching the Feed-in-Tariff (FIT) program in 2009, the central Canadian province has seen 188 barren rooftops transformed into solar power plants generating a combined 29 megawatts (MW) of electricity, all of which will be sold at a guaranteed rate for the next 20 years. Even though rates were recently cut by 20%, new projects will still earn a heavily subsidized 48.7 to 54.9 cents per kilowatt-hour. “From an investor’s perspective, the Ontario model – which is built after the German model – has a lot of certainty on the financial end,” 38

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says Christian Wentzel, chief executive officer of Ontario Solar Provider, whose rooftop installations are now generating about 2 MW. Sure, the power prices have dropped, but so have equipment costs. Solar panels are 40% cheaper than they were a year ago, he says. Anything that transforms empty space into a revenue stream can seem like a promising business opportunity, but interested building owners and their engineers still need to ensure that a rooftop can actually support a planned solar project. “This is a power plant production facility and it is serious business,” stresses Steve Horwood, business development manager for the Toronto office of Black and McDonald, which has developed a dozen rooftop solar projects. “It’s not just this neat new green

technology. You’re producing power and it has the potential to start a fire, to burn a building down, to severely injure a worker who’s working on the equipment.” Structural engineers need to determine if the building can physically support the added weight of solar panels and racks. Electrical engineers have to consider everything from transformers to inverters when determining whether a system can tap into the local power supply. Solar developers need to optimize the system’s design, from the racks and panels to the power inverters. The Ontario Power Authority’s Transmission Availability Tables are usually the first step in the process, determining whether local infrastructure can support the added power. “The distribution station might not have enough capacity to take another generator,” explains Sebastian Seyfarth, president of Ontario Solar Power. Without that capacity, breakers could trip and brownouts or blackouts would follow. Available space on the rooftop will usually dictate the potential power output. Equipment that produces 500 kilowatts of electricity, for example, will tend to cover about 100,000 sq.ft. (9,290 m2). But developers need to account for more than the size of the equipment when they consider a layout. A project can involve relocating gas lines, establishing open staging areas for future maintenance work, and working around stacks and vents. Horwood points to issues related to potential other uses for the roof. A future tenant might need to add four 20-ton HVAC systems. “They [building

May 2012

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photovoltaics owners] need to know how they are reasonably going to service that asset and provide some degree of versatility in renting that space,” he adds. The design and condition of the rooftop will determine whether the space can handle the added weight, and the results of these reviews can be surprising. Horwood has seen cases where the open web steel joists appear ready to shoulder the load, until a closer inspection shows several roof decks have been installed on top of each other. “Whatever additional capacity they had in their roof that could accommodate solar is not there now,” he says. Even if an advanced solar system weighs as little as three pounds per square foot, engineers also need to consider any point loads. Unless the system’s supports actually penetrate the roof, a high and windy rooftop

might require ballasted equipment rated at 20 pounds per square foot. Then there’s the matter of the roof’s existing condition. A 15-yearold roof might seem perfectly sound

Building owners have the option of owning and operating the equipment, but most projects involve leasing space. That leaves the solar provider to invest the required capital during

“Horwood has seen cases where the open web steel joists appear ready to shoulder the load, until a closer inspection shows several roof decks have been installed on top of each other.” but it may still need to be replaced before solar panels are installed. It is possible to repair a roof during the life of the solar equipment, Horwood agrees. “But if you’re leasing the roof, you need to plan for it. The [solar] developer needs to take that into account in terms of downtime on the system, which in turn is going to [have an effect] in terms of the leasing rate he’s going to pay.”

an approval and installation process that can last more than a year. “You need to be really mindful of how you are managing this asset because it is a legacy project,” Horwood adds. “You have got to be thinking ahead 25 years before you stick that thing on the roof.” CCE John G. Smith owns WordSmith Media in Ajax, Ont.

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Canadian Consulting Engineer

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engineers and the law

By Aaron Atcheson, Miller Thomson LLP

The rush to capitalize on Ontario’s incentives for generating renewable power has come with unexpected legal complications for building owners.

Rooftop Leasing Hazards

n the last several years there has been an explosion of ac- fixture, and providing rights to the rooftop tenant’s lender tivity in the solar rooftop sector in Ontario. Due almost in the event of a default. Finally, there were issues where exclusively to the feed-in tariff (FIT) regime where the there did not seem to be an easy solution – for example, power procurement agency (the Ontario Power Authority, who is responsible for clearing snow from the rooftop – the or OPA) pays elevated electricity prices over 20 years for party who cares most about the load on the rooftop (the power from systems that meet the program requirements, owner), or the party who cares most about the delicate the quick maturing of this industry has resulted in some suc- equipment (the tenant)? cesses, but also a large degree of confusion and uncertainty. Beyond the contractual issues, practical problems quickWhen the FIT program was launched by the OPA, many ly came to the forefront. Some building owners had to deal domestic and foreign groups began with installers who caused significant signing up large building owners to damage to their roof. The structural There were issues lease option agreements. These agreecapacity of the rooftops often limited where there did not seem ments allowed the power developers the system size, or required the use of to be an easy solution – for to lease the rooftop space in order to lighter, more expensive equipment. install photovoltaic systems and generexample, who is responsible While some systems penetrated the ate power to deliver to the provincial roof membrane to attach to the buildfor clearing snow from grid. The agreements tied up the roofing infrastructure (sometimes resultthe rooftop? tops for a period of time while applicaing in leaks, etc.), other system detions were processed by OPA. signs were non-penetrating; but if Other more adventurous building owners decided to they were installed improperly, considerable damage could hire companies to develop PV systems on their rooftops be done to the building. Besides load and membrane issues, for their own benefit. The program was far more popular there were various electrical problems that occurred in than anticipated, and with the OPA bending over back- some cases, which resulted in damage as well. Add to this wards to allow announcements of projects by politicians, the concerns relating to connection to the local grid and all FIT became less of a European-style feed-in tariff program the time and money spent on lawyers, and some building than groups of similar projects announced periodically. owners reached a breaking point. The dream of a straightforward application and contract So, why did building owners continue to move forward process was quickly twisted into a series of delays and frus- with these projects? In some cases, they did not. However, trating encounters with bureaucrats, followed eventually many did continue with the developments, largely because by the contract being announced with hundreds of others of the opportunity to turn untenantable space (the rooftop) by the Minister. It was obvious that reality did not closely into a good revenue source. For every landlord frustrated reflect the FIT program on paper. with the program and/or their developer, there is another As building owners looked more closely at the lease terms one pleased to see the monthly income generated from the being offered to them, they were often surprised to see the rooftop. Some building owners have even installed screens risks they were being asked to take. For example, many roof- in their reception areas, where a guest can watch real-time top leases provided that part or all of the risk of increased production data from the solar rooftop while they wait for property taxes was to be borne by the building owner. their appointment. Another common term of the leases was to restrict the Overall, the FIT program has had mixed results. It has ability of the building owner to complete roof maintenance expanded an industry and created some jobs, it has begun and replacement work, and if such work was done too often to reduce Ontario’s reliance on fossil fuels – and it has or too slowly there was a requirement to compensate the added some revenue for those building owners willing to rooftop tenant for lost profit. Assuming the building owner deal with the challenges. CCE had a mortgage or a ground lessor, the leases required that the lender and/or landlord execute documentation con- Aeron Atcheson is a partner with Miller Thomson LLP. He is based firming that the solar rooftop equipment did not become a in London, Ontario.

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green energy

By C. Richard Donnelly, P.Eng. and Francois Welt, P.Eng. Hatch

Is an old solution part of the key to making renewable energy a major player?

Pumped Power - Future Hope? Ontario Power Generation

ind and solar energy face two barriers to greater acceptance: the power they produce is not always available, nor is it predictable. As these renewable energy sources become more important to the world’s future, finding a way to store their power and smooth out the variability in the supply is increasingly urgent. While the large-scale commercialization of power storage devices such as flywheels and batteries is still years away, pumped power is a proven technology able to meet large-scale demand, providing the flexibility needed to help "green" our power supply. Pumped power as an energy storage solution goes back over 100 years to Switzerland and Italy, and it is used today in many countries by coal and nuclear power plants to help meet peak demand loads. At low-demand times, surplus electricity is used to pump water from one reservoir to another reservoir at higher elevation. The water flow is then reversed at high-demand times to power a turbine. The only pumped power installation in Canada dates from 1957 and is at the Sir Adam Back generating station near Niagara Falls. It has a modest elevation differential of less than 10 metres, for a capacity of 174 MW. One reason for the slow adoption of pumped power in Canada is that much of the country, particularly in Quebec and B.C., already meets much of its need for "regulated" power to match demand through hydroelectricity. But the growing focus on solar and wind power is breathing new life into the old idea of pumped power. Cur-

Above: The Sir Adam Beck Generating Station near Niagara Falls, Ontario has a pumped power facility dating from 1957. It is visible in the photo to the left of the reservoir, behind the concrete penstocks in the foreground.

rently there are several proposed and planned projects, with renewed interest in B.C. and Ontario in particular. B.C. plans to add several thousand MWs of wind capacity, and thanks to its mountains the province has the ideal terrain to build pumped storage plants with head differentials as high as 1,000 metres. Other proposals include adding pumped storage generating units to existing conventional hydro plants. In Ontario, old mines are being considered as potential sites to provide elevation differentials over 150 metres. Hatch has been involved in a number of studies, looking at the Great Lakes, abandoned mines, and adding pumped storage units at an existing power plant in B.C. Advancements in computer technologies have helped engineers to develop powerful simulation and optimization models to improve the design and operation of future pumped storage plants. The optimal plant capacity

and reservoir size can be determined in relation to the wind energy profile. The effect on the existing generation system can also be evaluated in detail before construction is started. What’s standing in the way? Competing storage technologies such as batteries and flywheels cannot efficiently store large quantities of energy for long periods of time. Compressed air storage is an off-shoot of the pumped power concept but requires specific geological conditions to avoid excessive losses. So what’s in the way of more pumped power projects? Often, capital cost. They require large investments in reservoirs, pipelines, pumps and turbines. But then, like wind and solar power, they can operate for decades without major reinvestments. Then there’s the need to find locations offering a significant difference in height between water bodies. A continued on page 42 May 2012

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products SOLAR

The Lubi wall-mounted solar hot air collector by Enerconcept Technologies of Magog, Quebec, won the 2012 AHR Expo Innovation Award in Chicago. The Canadian Standards Association lists the Lubi as up to 81% efficient with a 1.20 performance factor. It has perforated glazing panels that minimize heat loss and appears aesthetically as a wall of windows. www.enerconcept.com Eaton Corporation’s S-Max Series 250 kW grid-tied Inverter is manufactured in Milton, Ontario. The S-Max Series is designed for largescale rooftop solar installations. Its active front end (AFE) technology operates in harsh environments with 24/7 operation cycles. It includes embedded intelligence for automated commissioning,

operation and shutdown. www.eatoncanada.ca The sleek Avancis PowerMax rackmounted PV modules by CertainTeed/Saint-Gobain consist of

copper–indium–selenide (CIS) solar technology. The panels continue to generate electricity even in partial shading and have a high snow load capacity. www.certainteedsolar.com

The SunSource Commercial Energy System by Lennox is the first commercial HVAC system that integrates directly with solar power. It integrates with the Energence rooftop unit and accommodates up to 21 solar panels. Microinverter technology individually controls the panels. Changes to the building's electrical wiring are not generally required. www.lennoxcommercial.com Conergy has a new aerodynamic mounting system for PV installations that is intended for industrial flat roofs that can hold limited weight. Manufactured in Ontario, the SolarFamulus Air has an aerodynamic shape that reduces wind lifting forces, so that its own weight and minimal additional ballasting hold it in place without needing roof penetrations. www.conergy.ca

Pumped Power continued from page 41

good elevation difference, even with small reservoirs, is economically more viable than large reservoirs with a lower height differential. Pumped power is also not without its environmental costs, and presents similar challenges to conventional hydro generation, such as loss of land for the storage reservoir and effects on existing waterways. On the other hand, the power industry has a century of experience with pumped power projects. To this we can add improvements in variable-speed generators and in the performance of control systems, allowing for quick, precise shifts in power output to compensate for fluctuations in load and demand. Not only can large changes in power output be achieved within seconds, the turbines can be changed between pumping and generation modes in less than one minute. This allows a pumped power plant with a modest size to provide a significant amount of regulating capacity. Despite some drawbacks, pumped power holds great promise for the future. It is a proven technology that is able to meet large-scale demand, providing the flexibility needed to help "green" our power supply. CCE C. Richard Donnelly, P.Eng., is director for water power, and Francois Welt, P.Eng. is a project manager/optimization specialist, both with Hatch at its Niagara Falls, Ontario office. E-mail rdonnelly@hatch.ca; fwelt@hatch.ca. 42

www.canadianconsultingengineer.com

p38-44 CCE May12 Depts.indd 42

May 2012

12-05-10 7:25 AM

book review

Quiet PLEASE! BY ROSALIND CAIRNCROSS, P.ENG.

f you are reading this in an office cubicle while struggling to concentrate against the phone conversation next door; if the very thought of walking into a crowded room makes you cringe; if you think that some of your teammates or your bosses talk too much, and listen or think too little; if you think that the constant demand of social interaction is stifling your creative impulses – try Susan Cain’s Quiet, The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking (New York: Crown Publishing, 2012). Cain makes a powerful plea for the value of quiet, and she challenges some of the prevailing North American cultural norms that favour extroverts over introverts; talk and social interaction over introspection and thoughtfulness. This bias towards extroversion has implications not only for engineers, innovators, creative thinkers, but also for the rest of the one third to half of the population who need some quiet to function well. Using research from studies, historical examples and individual stories, she questions the way our culture values talk and group social behaviour. These extrovert characteristics decide many of the choices we currently make: the people we follow, the workplaces we design, the skills we teach the young and what we expect from the mature. Some currently held truths get critical scrutiny: what makes a good leader, the value of teams, collaboration. Cain has produced a thoroughly researched work which looks at the origins and the consequences of the rise of the extrovert and argues for more respect for the introvert and a better balance between the two.

That talk and social interaction are now prized above quiet and thoughtfulness is hardly a question for anyone in the modern school or workplace. But in case there is any doubt, Cain traces the roots of the current cultural value of extroversion from the “culture of character” – the kind of person you were in earlier agricultural times, to the “culture of personality” – who you are perceived to be in the new industrial times. The new economy needed “a new kind of man – a salesman, a social operator.” In the early 1900s, Ford, Sears Roebuck, Woolworth, J.C. Penny and the like were the new economy and they needed salesmen to sell Model T’s and a host of other products. This new man needed to talk convincingly, socialize easily, operate. Dale Carnegie was one of the early operators. The extrovert characteristics required for this job have infiltrated the rest of society, including schools where more emphasis is placed on talking and group work, and where there is less space for individual practice like trying to solve a math problem by yourself. The parents of quiet children worry, and well they might. One of Cain’s striking examples is the experience of a student at the Harvard Business School, where “If a student talks often and forcefully, then he’s a player; if he doesn’t, he’s on the margins” – apparently even if the student only half believes what he is saying. This is also a place where “socializing .. is an extreme sport.” Harvard Business School prides itself on producing leaders. Here as elsewhere in the culture, verbalization and presentation are prized and rewarded. Cain quotes one of the gradu-

A BEST-SELLING BOOK MAKES A POWERFUL PLEA FOR THE VALUE OF INTROVERTED PEOPLE WHO PREFER TO WORK ON THEIR OWN, RATHER THAN IN TEAMS.

continued on page 44 May 2012

p38-44 CCE May12 Depts.indd 43

Canadian Consulting Engineer

12-05-10 7:25 AM

book review

continued from page 33

the laboratory, alone, moted as an ideal despite clear evidence that perfecting the light at times they can maim, bulb; artists like Michelif not kill, projects and angelo, who spent those ideas and can cause hours dangling under plenty of ill-feeling. The the ceiling of the Sisopen plan office, the tine chapel, know the physical expression of value of individual work the social interaction and persistence. Even a ideal where some 70% teenager trying over of America’s employees and over to throw the are said to work with the Susan Cain, author of Quiet. ` basketball through the aim of promoting teamhoop knows the value work and collaboration, can just as of individual effort and persistence. easily promote irritation and poor But quiet and thoughtful does not concentration due to interruptions – mean silent and speechless. Cain not increased productivity. points to introverts who are excellent The appeal for some quiet, for inperformers as presenters and teachers trospection, for some space to work in contexts where they can prepare alone is perhaps most compelling in and deliver. She is not arguing for the the realm of creativity, where engiopposite bias in favour of introverts, neers, innovators and artists often just for some space for quiet in the spend their days. Here the chatter and culture, for making space in the modinteraction of the social scene can seern institution for both personality riously interfere with the ability to types. She devotes some time to dissynthesize ideas, to dream up new cussing workplaces that have got the message: offices with quiet spaces to which cubicle dwellers can retreat to “Einstein said, “I am a horse for a single harness, concentrate, companies that allow not cut out for tandem or teamwork.” employees to work from home, who ban meetings for all but essential purones, to think. As science journalist, poses, who encourage discussion and of the extrovert bias: the value of teamWinifred Gallagher says, “Neither use presentation in its proper place. work and collaboration, the open plan E=mc2 nor Paradise Lost was dashed off In a world in which we are conoffice -- even brainstorming. She aims by a party animal.” stantly exhorted to become more innot so much at the concepts themSo what kind of animal does it novative if our economy is to thrive, selves but their current application. take? Here Cain has some heavycompanies may want to pay attention Even the apparent success of Internet weights in her corner. She quotes a to providing a physical and social envicollaboration on sites like Wikipedia few giants of creative thinking to ronment that supports innovation are not taken at face value. make the case for some space for inand creativity. Once the new ideas Take the provocatively titled chapdividual solitary thought, deliberate have had chance to germinate and ter: “When Collaboration Kills Crepractice, patience and persistence. In grow, it will be time for the extrovert ativity – The Rise of the New Grouphis memoir, Apple’s Steve Wozniak salesperson to propagate them. At the think and the Power of Working says, “Most inventors and engineers moment the extrovert has the floor, Alone.” Anyone who has worked in but to get the best out of everyone, I’ve met are like me – they’re shy and enough teams knows that some of institutions and companies may want they live in their heads.” Not the them are good, and others so-so, and to provide an environment in which words of a social operator. Einstein still others positively counterproducthere’s some Quiet so that they can said, “I am a horse for a single hartive. Cain delves into psychological release The Power of Introverts in a ness, not cut out for tandem or teamstudies that examine why teams can work.” Newton, reputed to be a great World That Can’t Stop Talking. CCE fail, why individuals go along with introvert, was presumably sitting opinions of the more vocal, why even under the tree alone when the apple Rosalind Cairncross, P.Eng., based in brainstorming with its attempt at elicof legend landed on him to suggest Toronto, is a communications instructor and iting ideas in a non-judgemental way the force of gravity. Inventors like a contributing editor to Canadian Consultcan produce poorer rather than betEdison who spent countless hours in ing Engineer magazine. ter results. These practices are proates of this educational philosophy, a manager at GE: “... you can’t sit down in someone’s office and tell them what you think. You have to make a presentation, with pros and cons and a ‘takeaway box.’’’ Do extroverts make better leaders? Sometimes, and sometimes introverts make better leaders. Cain acknowledges the inviting energy of extroverts but she goes on to look at studies of the leadership styles of acknowledged leaders who are or were introverts – Charles Schwab, Bill Gates, to name two among many. Studies show that introverted leaders tend to lead differently. They are more inclined to listen, to take up suggestions and are more likely to be described as quiet, unassuming. Quoting management “guru” Peter Drucker who has studied effective leaders: “some locked themselves into their offices and others were ultra-gregarious.” Cain also takes aim at a number of other perceived truths which grow out

www.canadianconsultingengineer.com

p38-44 CCE May12 Depts.indd 44

May 2012

12-05-10 7:26 AM

manufacturer case study

wire & cable

It’s no longer important just to talk about sustainability

s costs for energy and raw materials continue to fluctuate, businesses are looking to reduce costs and improve performance while minimizing their overall environmental impact. This has forced businesses to look at all aspects of their operations, from cost of production to deployment. However, one area that can easily address the needs for reducing deployment costs and lessening the environmental impact is the supply chain. As engineers, you have the ability to not only design efficient systems that Above: the trash from 48 cabinets shipped to a single job site. minimize environmental impact, but also you have the ability to influence the supply chain. Through the effective management of the supply chain, businesses can eliminate lead times, which will help to ensure projects are completed on time and will help to divert job site packaging materials away from landfills. By further leveraging your supply chain’s capabilities, you may also be able to improve job-site productivity. As the supply chain has become more global and environmental concerns rise to the top of many organizations’ priorities, Anixter has expanded its READY!SM Deployment Services to address these concerns. Through its READY!SM Deployment Services, Anixter addresses its customers’ needs for reduced deployment costs and improved job-site productivity, while helping to minimize the environmental impact by reducing packaging waste services at the final destination.

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Supply Chain Sustainability in Action A large multinational organization was growing and needed to upgrade its data center to provide consistent and reliable operations to its customers. Central to the company’s concerns was ensuring that the entire construction process achieved its goal of earning LEED Gold status. Anixter used its READY! Deployment Services to preassemble racks and install passive equipment and prepackaged kits to improve on-site productivity. By performing the above services, Anixter prevented more than 1,700 pounds (771 kg.) of cardboard and wood from arriving at the job site. By recycling the material, Anixter helped the customer attain two points toward its LEED certification. In addition, Anixter’s last-mile services allowed for the removal and recycling of the remaining packaging materials required for the protection of materials during delivery. Commitment to Sustainability Anixter believes that protecting the environment is part of its corporate responsibility. Anixter is committed to implementing sustainable programs and best practices throughout its global organization as demonstrated by the LEED Silver Certification of its Edmonton, Alberta, warehouse in June 2011 and by attaining ISO14001 certification at 45 global locations. By focusing on the supply chain, Anixter can leverage its core distribution competencies and technical expertise to reduce your project’s overall environmental impact while enhancing job-site productivity by ensuring your project materials arrive on time. Contact your local Anixter office to help you create a complete material deployment and waste diversion solution for your next enterprise cabling, data center or security project. Anixter produces electrical and electronic wire and cable, enterprise cabling and security solutions, and fasteners. Tel. 1-877-ANIXTER (264-9837), www.anixter.ca May 2012

p45-46 CCE May12 CaseStudies.indd 45

Canadian Consulting Engineer

12-05-09 1:05 PM

ADVERTORIAL

manufacturer case study

pumps

GRUNDFOS

Grundfos Sprouts Up with Green High-Rise Condos on the St. Lawrence

VOLO condominiums located on Nun's Island, Quebec is Pointe-Nord's first highrise building. EVOLO condos is a part of Pointe-Nord's upcoming urban, ecological community. The 30-storey luxury waterfront condos are situated on the banks of the St. Lawrence River, just minutes from downtown Montreal. EVOLO is a LEED-ND project (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design for Neighbourhood Developments) and required an HVAC and booster system that would comply or exceed the LEED standard. The HVAC and booster systems had to maintain constant pressure all the way to the 30th floor and recirculate hot water for radiant floor heating and for water heaters on each floor in a sustainable way. Expert Conseil L’Ecuyer Daoust Inc. was the engineering firm that designed the mechanical systems that Le Groupe Jenaco would install. Local partner Dynapompe sold the idea of working with the Grundfos brand to Le Groupe Jenaco, not only for Grundfos’ reliability, but also because of Grundfos’ ability to provide a solution that requires less horsepower, saving on energy consumption. The Grundfos HVAC system consists of UPS, TP and PACO pumps, with motors ranging from 1/3 hp to 10 hp. This combination of pumps was chosen for the following reasons: • The UPS pumps are maintenance-free, have no bearing, seal or coupling, which will save on future maintenance costs. • The TP pumps are epoxy coated, have a wear ring and SS impeller. The pumps will operate cleanly and reliably for years, and when it comes time to repair a pump, the wear ring can be replaced to return the pump to “like-new” condition. • The PACO pumps have a double volute, which extends the pumps' life cycle and helps by creating less turbulence in the system. They also have a wear ring, inside mechanical seal and suction splitter. Seal repairs will be less frequent, and when they are required, they will be half the cost of a repair for a pump that has an outside mechanical seal. • The PACO pumps have a francis vane impeller which produces 40% more suction, giving more flow with less head, saving energy. The Grundfos BoosterpaQ system MPC-F-2CR20-2 20 hp 105 psi 300 gpm consists of two CR vertical inline multistage pumps for variable speed operation. The BoosterpaQ was chosen for the following reasons: • CR pumps are economical and quiet. They are extremely reliable and have one of the highest efficiencies in the market. • The multi pump controller (MPC) alternates between lead and lag pumps. It enables one pump to run at full capacity and when there is more demand, the second pump will kick in. • The variable frequency drive (VFD) identifies variations in water pressure and allows for the pumps to run only when there is demand, extending the life span of the pumps and reducing energy consumption and maintenance costs. EVOLO is presently under construction and the HVAC and BoosterpaQ systems are currently being installed. There are 27 pumps in total and the project is scheduled for completion in August. Grundfos is the world’s largest manufacturer of pumps and pumping systems. Grundfos’ Canadian headquarters is located in Oakville, Ont. Tel. 1-800-644-9599, www.grundfos.ca

www.canadianconsultingengineer.com

p45-46 CCE May12 CaseStudies.indd 46

May 2012

12-05-09 1:05 PM

Specifier’s Literature Review

ANIXTER IPASSURED FOR DATA CENTER

Anixter ipAssured for Data Centers is an infrastructure assurance program that includes the physical infrastructure products (including network cabling, power and cooling solutions, racks and cabinets, security as well as manage-ment and monitoring) and best practices needed to support current and future data center applications. The program considers maximizing the efficiency, sustainability and profitability of your data center. For ease of planning, ipAssured for data centers addresses three possible scenarios: “Refined” (IP-ClassSM 1+), “Enhanced” (IP-Class 5+) and “Advanced” (IP-Class 10+). www.anixter.ca 1-877-ANIXTER SUPPLIER: ANIXTER

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Delhi Blowers from Canarm are offered in a variety of sizes and configurations. Designed and built in Canada and now available with motors and drives factory installed for easy on-site installation. Whether you require blowers or axial fans, Canarm has what you need. Tel: 613-342-5424 Email: tsutton@canarm.ca www.canarm.com CANARM....providing customers with VALUE, KNOWLEDGE and QUALITY products SUPPLIER: CANARM

The Belimo 6-way characterized control valve is the only one of its kind designed specifically for chilled beams and radiant ceilings. This compact valve has the functionality of up to four 2-way control valves saving on space, material and installation time. Learn more at www.belimo.ca SUPPLIER: BELIMO

The unique modular light blades deliver beautiful, energy-efficient light and a level of optical control that can’t be achieved using traditional lighting. Aeroblades transcends performance expectations while showcasing an aerodynamic design aesthetic that looks as beautiful during the day as it does at night. Learn more about Aeroblades and Cree at www.ruud.ca/cree Ruud Lighting Canada is now Cree Canada SUPPLIER: CREE CANADA

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If you were planning to rout and seal your asphalt joints after they fail, think about the added costs of repairing what you’ve already done. Denso Re-instatement Tape is a polymer modified bituminous strip that is cold applied and designed to seal the joints between asphalt, concrete and steel, the first time. Re-instatement Tape seals around catch basins, manholes, utility cuts and next to concrete curbs prior to paving. Do it right the first time with Denso Road Products. For more information contact: Blair Slessor at 416-291-3435, email: blair@densona.com, or visit our website at www.densona.com SUPPLIER: DENSO NORTH AMERICA INC.

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JOIN THE NEW STANDARD IN BUILDING SPECIFICATIONS

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professional directory

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For information on placing an advertisement in the Canadian Consulting Engineer Professional Directory, contact Maureen Levy, Senior Publisher, 416-510-5111, email: mlevy@ccemag.com Vince Naccarato, Sales Manager, 416-510-5118, email: vnaccarato@ccemag.com

p47-52 CCE May12 LitsHumanEdge.indd 48

12-05-09 1:53 PM

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26,27 37

Viessmann Manufacturing Company Inc. Manufacturer Case Study

19 Pg#

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Anixter Canada

Grundfos Sprouts Up with Green High-Rise Condos on the St. Lawrence

Grundfos

It’s no longer important just to talk about sustainability

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12-05-09 1:53 PM

conversations

Per Drewes was one of the first to advocate for renewable energy in Canada. CCE asked him what he thought of the booming photovoltaics industry today.

Per Drewes - a Photovoltaics Pioneer

graduate in physics and then aerospace studies, Per Drewes worked for 25 years as a research scientist for Ontario Hydro, specializing in solar and wind energy. During that time he drafted new codes and standards relating to photovoltaics. He also designed and installed prototype photovoltaic power supplies for downtown Toronto, Northern Ontario, as well as the Third World. Today Drewes and his partner Rolf Paloheimo have their own company, Sol Source Partners. In Toronto they have designed integrated PV systems for clients such as Sunnybrook Hospital, Bloorview Kids Rehab Centre and the CN Tower.

Q. WHAT KIND OF CHANGES HAVE YOU SEEN IN THE SOLAR INDUSTRY?

A friend of mine, who has been in solar as long as I have, and I were looking back at the solar industry recently. We realized that in the 1980s the chairman of a solar association meeting might be a university professor, or some department head in the National Research Council. We were technical people who were interested in the technology itself. The driving force was “How can we improve it? How can we advance the technology?” Today the industry is dominated by bankers and people trying to promote business opportunities. I suppose that is a sign of a mature industry. Unfortunately, there is a lack of technical knowledge. There is a belief that one simply points a photovoltaic module towards the sun and one can create electricity. While this is true and the conversion process is quite magical, there is a bit more to designing a safe and efficient photovoltaic power supply. I also have to say that with the increasing number of installations, there has been an even larger increase in the number of rules and regulations. Many of these are unnecessary and not based on any technical understanding of photovoltaic technology. Since the Ontario’s Feed-in-Tariff Program, many companies have sprung up or moved to Ontario. While there are some with a solid technical background, many have been formed by “instant experts” who are more familiar with setting up websites than photovoltaic technology. Also as shown recently, it is very dangerous to build a business 50

www.canadianconsultingengineer.com

p47-52 CCE May12 LitsHumanEdge.indd 50

Drewes on site. "Today the industry is dominated by bankers and people trying to promote business opportunities. I suppose that is a sign of a mature industry.

that is dependent on government incentives. Government policies can change quickly and this will have a great impact on the market. Q. WHAT ARE THE LIMITATIONS TO INTEGRATING PV INTO BUILDINGS?

In Toronto there are a lot of trees creating shading – but don’t cut down the trees! There are also buildings shading buildings, and buildings oriented in less than optimum directions. But even then, if you go down to Toronto Island and look back at the city, you will see all sorts of roofs, walls and balconies. They all have full southern exposure. There is potential for roof mounted arrays, façade arrays on the walls, and in the case of the balconies, photovoltaic modules could be incorporated right into the railing. We just need a bit of imagination. Finally I should say that photovoltaics will not solve all our energy issues. There’s not one solution for everything. You have got to have an optimum mix. CCE

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May 2012

12-05-09 1:53 PM

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p47-52 CCE May12 LitsHumanEdge.indd 51

Call 1-866-473-9462 or visit www.ipexinc.com

12-05-09 1:53 PM

p47-52 CCE May12 LitsHumanEdge.indd 52

12-05-09 1:53 PM