New residential heat pump test procedures in place

The federal government aligned heat pump test procedures for residential heat pump products with new U.S. regulations beginning January 1, 2023. As a result of the new procedures, ENERGY STAR/CEE and NEEP directories align with these new requirements. Canada aligns with the U.S. under Amendment #17 to the Energy Efficiency Regulations. This impacts all air-to-air heat pump products imported in to Canada or crossing provincial borders. In addition, products have to meet the new MEPS (minimum efficiency performance standards) test standard, and new metrics – HSPF2 and SEER2 – will be introduced. The Canada Greener Homes initiative will adjust heat pump eligibility criteria to reflect changes in new testing procedures.

nrcan.gc.ca

Nova Scotia launches program to boost skilled trades jobs

Nova Scotia has introduced the More Opportunity for Skilled Trades (MOST) program, which includes an initiative to return provincial income tax paid on the first $50,000 of income earned by workers under the age of 30 in eligible skilled trades and occupations. Eligible workers are defined as those employed and registered as apprentices or certified journeypersons in eligible trades, including plumbers, refrigeration and air conditioning mechanics, gas fitters, and most construction and industrial jobs. The MOST program is in place for the 2022 income tax year, with workers qualifying for their refund in 2023, after they file their 2022 income tax return and receive a notice of assessment from the Canada Revenue Agency. novascotia.ca

ASHRAE to develop IAQ pathogen mitigation standard

ASHRAE has announced its commitment to developing a national indoor air quality (IAQ) pathogen mitigation standard within the next six months. The organization will set up a team of experts to work on an accelerated timeline to develop the standard. The standard will include both design and operation; alternative paths to achieving clean air; and testing, verification, documentation, and re-commissioning.

ASHRAE’s new net-zero global headquarters in Peachtree Corners, GA, which held a grand opening event in November 2022, includes integrated building solutions and sustainable IAQ features. ashrae.org

BC implements Skilled Trades Certification program

As of December 1, 2022 Skilled Trades BC began implementation of the province’s new Skilled Trades Certificate program for seven trades. The trades include refrigeration and air conditioning mechanic, gasfitter A & B, steamfitter/pipefitter, sheet metal worker, construction electrician, industrial electrician and powerline technician. The government announced the new Skilled Trades Certification in June 2021. BC was previously the only province without mandatory trades certification. skilledtradesbc.ca

CHAR Technologies receives $11.3 million investment

Toronto, ON-based CHAR Technologies Ltd. has received $11.3 million in funding from the federal and Ontario governments to help expand its Thorold, ON renewable energy production facility. The expansion will allow the Thorold plant to produce renewable natural gas and biocarbon, creating the largest facility of its kind in Canada and the only renewable natural gas facility in Canada to use exclusively woody biomass. The facility will use a high temperature pyrolysis (HTP) process to convert 75,000 tonnes of woody biomass to 500,000 gigajoules of renewable natural gas and 10,000 tonnes of biocarbon annually. Construction on the facility is set to begin early this year and is expected to be completed by 2025.

chartechnologies.com

ESP celebrates 40 years of innovation

Energy Saving hi-velocity.com

Products Ltd. (ESP), manufacturer of Hi-Velocity Systems, is celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2023. The company's origins date back to 1983 when company founder Leon Prevost set up shop in his garage. Headquartered in Edmonton, AB, ESP has grown to become a supplier of specialty hydronic, forced air, energy efficiency and IAQ products in the North American and international markets.

Canadian firm partners in first of its kind project

Two 20-storey apartment buildings in the Bronx, New York, will soon have the first combined wastewater energy transfer (WET) and geothermal system in the world, according to Vancouver, BC-based SHARC Energy, maker of the WET system. The combined system will utilize thermal energy transfer from the ground and wastewater to provide 100 per cent of the heating, hot water and cooling load for 316 affordable housing units in the buildings. The buildings currently use steam heat from fossil fuels. The project is a partnership between SHARC and St. Petersburg, FL-based Egg Geo and is part of the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority’s Empire Building Challenge. The new system is forecasted to reduce energy use in the buildings from the equivalent of 2,741 carbon tons to zero.

egggeo.com sharcenergy.com

Enbridge Sustain to offer turnkey energy solutions in Ontario

Enbridge Inc. has launched an unregulated energy-asa-service business called Enbridge Sustain that it says will help Ontario customers reduce their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and energy costs. The company manages end-to-end delivery of the service, including design, installation, maintenance, and energy reporting, and will offer technologies such as geothermal heating, solar photovoltaic, hybrid heating, and electric vehicle chargers. The service is available to homeowners, developers and commercial customers.

enbridgesustain.com

St. John’s, NL to host CIPH ABC and anniversary celebration

The Canadian Institute of Plumbing & Heating (CIPH) has announced that its 2023 annual business conference will take place June 18 to 20, 2023 in St. John’s, NL at the Delta St. John’s hotel. The annual event brings together business leaders from across Canada and the U.S., and will feature networking and learning opportunities. This year’s conference also celebrates CIPH’s 90th anniversary. Congratulations CIPH! ciph.com

● Testable. Includes Watco Innovator orange test membrane, testable to 22 P.S.I or five floors. No more test balls, caps or plugs.

● Includes heavy-duty snapon grid—20% thicker than competitive grids.

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● Polycarbonate green cover protects grid finish during construction.

BC contractors now need to include licence number in advertising

Technical Safety BC is reminding licensed contractors that as of January 1, 2023, they must publish their company name and Technical Safety BC licence number on digital sales and marketing materials when advertising regulated services. The changes apply to licensed contractors in electrical, gas, boilers, pressure vessels, and refrigeration sectors. This is the first phase of Technical Safety BC’s three-phase approach for updating advertising materials.

technicalsafetybc.ca

ECCO Group receives HARDI award

ECCO Supply has received the Heating, Air-conditioning & Refrigeration Distributors International’s (HARDI) Talent Pillar Champion Award for 2022. The award, which was presented at the annual HARDI conference in Houston, TX, recognizes companies that show continuous improvement in employee and customer development through training and sharing of best practices in the HVAC industry. eccosupply.ca

Greener homes grant to be delivered through Enbridge in Ontario

Natural Resources Canada’s (NRCan) agreement to co-deliver the Canada Greener Homes Grant in Ontario via a process offered through Enbridge Gas’s Home Efficiency Rebate Plus (HER+) program, started in January 2023. Qualified homeowners in Ontario can receive up to $10,000 in rebates for retrofits, regardless of their heating type or if they are an Enbridge customer. Eligible rebates for retrofits include renewable energy systems designed to optimize energy savings. A rebate of up to $600 can offset the cost of the EnerGuide home assessment.

nrcan.gc.ca

Warrior Plumbing wins Business of the Year award

North Vancouver, BC-based Warrior Plumbing and owner Curt Thomas have won the Business of the Year award in the 11+ person enterprise category at BC Achievement Foundation’s 2022 Indigenous Business Gala and Award Dinner. Warrior Plumbing is a fully owned and operated Indigenous mechanical contractor specializing in the design and installation of plumbing, gas fitting and HVAC systems for multi-family residential construction projects in Metro Vancouver. bcachievement.com warriorplumbing.ca

OSPE reports offer new guidance on COVID

The Ontario Society of Professional Engineers (OSPE) has published three reports containing new research on airborne COVID transmission and protective measures. The reports were authored by OSPE’s Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) Advisory Group. The reports are: How COVID Spreads, which identifies the airborne spread of COVID-19 transmission; Core Recommendations for Safer Indoor Air, which outlines six steps to improving IAQ; and Face Coverings for COVID-19 Prevention, which offers up-to-date guidance on masking. ospe.on.ca

BC’s EPIC Network receives more than $3.3 million in funding

Natural Resources Canada (NRCan), BC Hydro, New Relationship Trust and Fortis BC have invested more than $3.3 million in the B.C. Fraser Basin Council’s Energy Peers in Indigenous Communities (EPIC) Network, a capacitybuilding renewable energy program. The Network will provide BC Indigenous communities with capacity-building funds for renewable energy goals and electrification, as well as funds for eight communities to hire an energy champion and to build expertise related to small-scale (under 100 kW) renewable energy projects in Indigenous on-grid communities.

fraserbasin.bc.ca

Technical Safety BC releases results of ammonia leak investigation

Technical Safety BC has released recommendations for ammonia safety following an investigation into a fatal ammonia leak which occurred at an ice making facility in Kamloops on May 26, 2022. The investigation found that the primary cause of the incident was failure to remove ammonia from the refrigeration system before being disassembled. Ammonia was released when a ball valve holding back pressurized ammonia for the entire system was opened. “Unfortunately, when this equipment was shut down in 2015, the ammonia was not removed. Then in 2022, a licensed refrigeration contractor was not engaged to prepare the equipment for final disassembly,” says Jeff Coleman, director of technical programs for Technical Safety BC.” Other findings show that organizational changes since the equipment was shut down, unclear communication, and incorrect assessments were all factors in the ammonia not being removed, and previous cut piping and disconnected gauges showed the system as being empty. Technical Safety BC has made recommendations based on the findings of the investigation, including when planning for and facilitating the final shut down and disassembly of refrigeration equipment, owners and managers directly engage a licensed contractor to validate that ammonia and oil are removed, and that equipment is ready for safe disassembly and transportation. Technical Safety BC is also recommending that CSA adopt or develop requirements for the dismantling, disassembly and/or decommissioning of refrigeration systems and equipment. technicalsafetybc.ca

Ontario offers free naloxone kits for a limited time

The Ontario government is offering employers an online tool to help them determine if they need a naloxone kit to prevent opioid overdoses in their workplace. For a limited time, the province is providing free naloxone training for up to two workers and a free nasal spray naloxone kit per workplace. Naloxone can temporarily reverse the effects of an opioid overdose. It can be injected or given as a nasal spray. Beginning on June 1, 2023, employers must provide naloxone in the workplace if certain circumstances described in the Occupational Health and Safety Act apply. ontario.ca

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