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O C T O B E R 2 0 2 0 | 45 Mechanical & HVAC Systems "Overall there has been a major shift in mak- ing high-efficiency ERV's part of the mechanical design," says Tom Todoruk, national sales manager at Tempeff. "When choosing an ERV it is impor- tant to consider the defrost requirement. Does the equipment require an energy robbing defrost strat- egy? If so, how does this requirement impact the performance of the overall system? Does it lower the supply air temperature during defrost? Does it require any form of pre-heat? These are all areas of concern that will impact overall design." Todoruk adds that if the ERV does not require a defrost, the additional heating requirement can be downsized taking advantage of the high efficiency and consistently high supply air temperature coming off the ERV. "This not only increases systems saving but minimizes long-term energy costs. This are just some of the advantages when using Tempeff Dual Core." This year Tempeff was pleased to announce its new Dual CorePlus Energy recovery, which provides summer latent recovery of up to 57 percent and could significantly reduce summer cooling loads, depending on design conditions. "What's important to note is that the desiccant cores are on the warm side of the equipment and as such will not be prone to freezing. The combination of superior winter and summer performance [without the requirement of a winter defrost strategy] allows the mechanical engi- neer to reduce the size of any additional heating/ cooling equipment and overall systems require- ment. This makes the system less complex and as a result, increases the reliability with the ongoing benefit of lowering long-term operational costs." Another technology that continues to see demand is Thermenex's Thermal Gradient Header (TGH) technology that went through a major redevelop- ment based on lessons learned from monitoring 20 projects for over 10 years. "We recently developed an enhancement we call Single Primary, Dual Secondary piping. It greatly simplified controllability, increased real world performance, and reduced capital cost. The TGH concept is now standard for all buildings. No more one-off complex control sequences that were dif- ficult for operators to manage," says Jeff Weston, principal at Thermenex. The company opted to soft launch the TGH technology on local healthcare facilities, largely supported by their Energy Environmental and Sustainability Team, with funding from the Province's Carbon Neutral Capital Program. The first TGH went in St. Paul's Hospital under the direc- tion of Alex Hutton. Another project where the TGH was stud- ied extensively was at BC Children's and Women's Hospital's Campus, by the engineers at HH Angus. With ambitious goals to reduce carbon, the TGH technology was determined to be the most cost- effective way to reduce carbon. Three TGH's are now under construction, with a fourth in design. "Our success has led to discussions about TGH in new hospitals. It is clear they don't need fos- sil fuels until it is well below freezing outside. TGH allows engineers to design systems that achieve this while automatically minimizing the electrical con- sumption too," says Weston. He adds that working with different consultants as they incorporate the TGH technology into their designs and the transfer of knowledge between teams helps them get com- fortable with the change that is slowly progressing through the HVAC industry. "Thermal Energy is an undervalued renewable resource that is everywhere in everything, we are in it, so we don't see it, like a fish that has no idea what water is. Not everyone is comfortable with changes coming to an industry stuck in its ways. We were called crazy when we first connected heating and cooling together into one pipe. Now, when we sug- gest cooling a boiler with a heat reclaim chiller, or using ice for heating, at least those that have worked with us are willing to listen to the logic before jump- ing straight to 'crazy.'" Looking ahead, Thermenex is excited to see how the next generation of engineers, passionate about sustainability and change, apply the TGH technol- ogy in many different types of buildings and as District Energy solutions as well. It appears that despite the challenges that every- one experienced at the beginning of the year, the mechanical and HVAC sector is as strong, if not stronger than ever, with companies like Broadway (a full-service mechanical contractor who designs, installs, repairs and services heating, ventilation, air conditioning, refrigeration, and plumbing systems for the commercial, multi-residential and institu- tional markets), NDY Canada Management Inc., and Aqua-Tech winning bids on numerous high-end proj- ects to add to their already impressive portfolio. 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