Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/218643
Manitoba Hydro was designed to optimize passive free energy and 100 per cent fresh air year-round in an extreme climate that fluctuates from -35ºC to +34ºC and without compromising the comfort of 2,000 employees. The design integrates tested environmental concepts in conjunction with advance technologies to achieve a "living building" that dynamically optimizes its local climate. Photos: Eduard Hueber. high-rise. Based on a 30-storey, 200-suite tower, the recovered heat could supply around 35 per cent of the domestic hot water, with a cost increment of "under $50,000, and payback in two to three years," adds Steeves. Another option, to further cut new energy requirements in hotels and residential high-rises, involves sewage heat recovery. This would also be applied to heating water. Payback is around eight years. It is costlier than heat recovery from a transformer room, but the good news on this front is that it is becoming "less complicated," according to Steeves. Despite the availability of such relatively low-cost strategies, energy efficient options are still not getting enough airtime, according to experts. "The thing about Green Building Design p14-23Green Building.indd 17 cutting-edge systems or designs is that we don't do many projects where they're used. Projects tend to be budget-driven," says Vaidila Banelis, a senior partner at Zeidler Partnership Architects. He points to some recent projects in Canada with design features that can both improve appearance and energy efficiency. "The double facade of the Manitoba Hydro building in Winnipeg and The Bow in Calgary use a cavity between the inner and outer facade. It's about two feet wide, so there is just enough room for maintenance workability. Both skins are glazed, the inner one is higher performance. The cavity has its own microclimate. The cavity can be used to assist the mechanical ventilation system," Banelis says. He adds that designers see potential for facades december 2013 /17 13-11-15 3:39 PM