West 5 Office and Parking Structure

Ontario project demonstrates the possibilities of net zero in energy and carbon

By McMichael Ruth

The West 5 Office Building and parking structure is a Net-Zero energy and Net-Zero carbon project that forms an integral part of the West 5 development, Ontario’s first Net-Zero community.

The four-storey, 4180m2 Class A office and commercial building and adjacent two-storey parking structure connect with surrounding existing buildings to create a self sufficient energy network. The building utilizes 876 solar panels mounted to the façade and roof, which generate more than 89 percent of the building’s required energy. The remaining energy comes from the 1,116-panel solar canopy mounted above the 164-space parking structure. Together, these panels generate 350 mWh of on-site electricity annually. The surplus energy from the solar canopy, which is more than 100 mWh, is fed directly back into the surrounding buildings, helping to offset their energy consumption.

The vertically mounted PV panels on the east, south and west façades of the office building maximize the amount of solar energy harvested, avoiding the snow build-up that compromises the performance of angled panels.