Award

50 | august 2015 Mechanical & HVaC systems and other applications requiring low dew point tem- peratures and humidity levels as low as 15 grains per pound of dry air. Compared to conventional mechanical DX or chiller systems, an ASCENDANT provides up to three times more dehumidification capacity, says Tom Rice, direc- tor of sales at SEMCO LLC, a Fläkt Woods company. The company is a specialist in energy recovery technology and was awarded a contract at the Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM), the largest French language teaching hospital in North America. SEMCO is providing 47 energy recovery units, which will supply 2.8-million cubic feet per min- ute of outside air. "In most hospitals, you have a mix of outside and recirculated air. In CHUM, it's all outside air going in, so indoor air quality should be excellent. But using all outside air usually means a heavier load on the system," explains Rice. At the heart of each unit is the SEMCO True3Å heat recovery enthalpy wheels that play a key role in energy savings at the 2.5-million-square-foot health centre by providing exceptional air treatment and the highest level of energy recovery, says Rice. Across the HVAC sector overall, the move toward refrigerant-based systems, which support simultane- ous heating/cooling, coupled with the latest control technologies, is helping to boost performance and save energy and money, says Mark Driscoll, business development director at HTS Engineering. "Also, pas- sive radiant systems for walls and ceilings are at last gaining more acceptance. They use reclaimed energy very efficiently," says Driscoll. Being architecturally part of the interior these systems are more complicated to install and typically need more on-site co-ordination. "There's a 30 to 40 per cent gain in energy savings," explains Driscoll. For cooling and heating, the savings percentage is less, he says, but still around 15 to 20 per cent with today's bet- ter controls. The current focus on fine-tuning efficiency, besides being in sync with many professionals in the HVAC and mechanical sector, is now getting a bigger push from LEED. "It is now mandating early stage modelling of energy and water consumption," says Mitch Gascoyne, manager of sustainable design at MCW Consultants Ltd. A resilient product which ref lects today's inte- grative approach that includes elements like energy recovery and locally-sourced power goes under the generic handle of Smart Energy System (SES). From TR AK International and its affiliate, Trakge Ltd., the SES found a partner in Ontario. "I bought an SES from TR AK International and was impressed with the results and said we need to work together, so we formed a partnership to provide the SES in Ontario," says Fausto Rossetto, an engineer and director of sales and marketing for the partnership, 4e2 Inc. The SES optimizes co-generation (combined heat and power), geo-exchange and automation, and is now integrating solar photovoltaics. The first Ontario SES was installed on a new five-storey, 138-suite condo building. "Now, most of our work is in retrofits of office towers, condos, hospitals and municipal facilities," says Rossetto. He adds that a major attraction of the system for him was that, properly financed, the savings begin as soon as SES starts operating. Rossetto says that with SES the first 138-unit condo building includes a geo- exchange pipe that goes 400-feet deep, yet still saved $250,000 in energy costs in its first year of operation. A Heat pump room of the Smart Energy System from TRAK International. Canada.indd 1 14-11-07 3:20 PM

• Cover