UBC is looking to create one of the country’s largest residential passive house buildings.
Researchers will use the building to study passive house construction performance and then release the results.
The facility was designed by ZGF Architecture and built by Peak Construction Group.
Faculty and staff rental housing at University of British Columbia’s Vancouver campus just leveled up.
Evolve, one of the country’s biggest residential buildings looking to achieve passive house certification, has welcomed its first residents. Passive house-certified buildings consume up to 90 per cent less heating and cooling energy than conventional buildings.
The project was designed by ZGF Architecture and built by Peak Construction Group for UBC Properties Trust. It is managed by Village Gate Homes.
The 110-unit facility will serve as a faculty and staff rental building in UBC’s Wesbrook Place neighbourhood.
Solar panels soak up some sun on top of Evolve. – UBC
Evolve is looking to be one of the most energy-efficient multi-family residential buildings in Canada. The school stated that it will give researchers a unique opportunity to study the benefits and trade-offs of passive house construction, and share the results with the entire industry.
“This is a rarity in Canadian urban development – to have similar-sized mid-rise comparator buildings, constructed by the same developers, on the same grounds, with the same property manager, similar tenancy profiles, and the same investment in research infrastructure,” added Rysanek. “This is an incredible chance for us to evaluate the benefits and potential trade-offs between Passive House and typical construction in terms of tenant experience, costs and building systems data concerning air quality, noise, extreme heat tolerance, energy consumption and carbon emissions.”
Evolve’s passive house design elements include:
High performance windows – triple glazed “tilt and turn” windows that significantly increase natural ventilation rates over typical residential buildings in B.C.
High-efficiency mechanical system – heat recovery ventilation system continuously providing filtered air.
Thermal insulation – a thicker insulation and assembly was required to create a thermal barrier
Building envelope continuity – elimination of cold patches or drafts. The design and construction both account for less air leakage through the structure and the building envelope.
Mixed-mode cooling – ventilation air provided throughout the building is cooled via an energy-efficient heat pump, but sensors on operable windows and patio doors ensure maximum cool air is only supplied to residential suites when their windows are closed– the ventilation will reduce to a minimum but will not fully turn off.
Exterior shading – movable shades to limit heat and exposure of the sun.
Work on the six-storey, 103,000-square foot building began in 2020. Residents began moving in to studio, one, two, three and four-bedroom units in mid-August.
Key Takeaways:
Niverville, Taché, Hanover and Ritchot in Manitoba will benefit from the new facility.
The mechanical treatment facility will allow these cities to shift away from less efficient methods.
Project work includes installing roughly 90 kilometres of effluent pipeline.
The Whole Story:
Officials announced more than $39 million in funding will go towards the construction of a regional mechanical wastewater treatment facility and collection network to service four communities in southeastern Manitoba.
The Red-Seine-Rat (RSR) Wastewater Treatment Facility & Conveyance System will provide the municipalities of Niverville, Taché, Hanover and Ritchot with a new regional wastewater treatment facility to help keep up with current and future population demands.
The work will include the installation of a wastewater conveyance system with approximately 90 kilometres of effluent pipeline as well as new lift stations and pump stations.
Officials say the facility will increase the region’s capacity to treat and manage wastewater and stormwater, improve the environmental stewardship of the region and encourage economic growth.
They added that it will also result in greenhouse gas reductions as regional partners are able to move away from traditional wastewater lagoons to a new mechanical wastewater treatment facility.
Ottawa will contribute $21.6 million to the project through the Green Infrastructure Stream of the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program. The province plans to invest over $18 million and the contribution from the proponent is more than $70.2 million.
“Manitoba is home to some of the largest freshwater bodies in the world, and today, we are acting on our collective responsibility to safeguard their health,” said Terry Duguid, minister of the environment and climate change. “By investing in this novel wastewater treatment infrastructure, we are creating better environmental, economic and social outcomes for all Manitobans. This project is another example of what can be accomplished when all levels of government work together.”
Key Takeaways:
Edmonton plans to build Canada’s largest solar array.
It’s expected to create up to $460,000 in savings each year.
The array is part of a larger, $98-million upgrade at the centre
The Whole Story:
The Edmonton Expo Centre will soon be home to the largest rooftop solar array in Canada. Phase 1 of the $5.03 million project will see 5,754 solar panels installed across 193,735.5 square feet.
“The City of Edmonton is committed to becoming an energy sustainable and climate resilient city,” said program manager Brad Watson. “This rooftop solar panel array will generate at least 2.8 gigawatts of energy annually, equal to that of about 375 homes.”
Based on the design energy models the array is anticipated to yield operational savings in the realm of $290,000 to $460,000 per year.
“Our new rooftop solar installation means that we will be producing our own renewable, clean solar energy right here on top of our building,” said Melissa Radu, director of social & environmental sustainability with Explore Edmonton. “It also acts as a reminder, to Edmontonians and visitors to our city, that Edmonton is a leader for innovative energy technologies in our country and that we are working hard to support a transition to a lower-carbon economy.”
Officials explained that while other buildings in the city have solar arrays or are having arrays built, the Edmonton EXPO Centre presented a unique opportunity to go bigger.
“The Edmonton EXPO Centre is a unicorn of sorts when it comes to rooftop solar panels,” said Watson. “Its size and dimensions, unobstructed sightlines and lack of interfering rooftop infrastructure allowed us to build an array of this size.”
City officials say the solar system is expected to last 25 years and will yield a payback between 10 to 17 years, considering energy prices and whether energy consumption aligns with generation.
If approved, phase 2 will see additional panels installed across Halls A through C, increasing the footprint of this project as well as significant cost savings. Phase 2 will add a production of approximately 1.9 gigawatts to the system and the estimated cost is roughly $3.4 million. Phase 2 would add an additional saving of about $185,000 to $300,000 per year.
Phase 1 is expected to wrap up in November.
This project is one of 11 solar projects currently underway in Edmonton. Six solar arrays in Edmonton are in operation.
This solar installation is part of a $98 million rehabilitation project at the Edmonton EXPO Centre. On top of the solar project, crews will upgrade seating in Hall D and updates to Entrance 6 on the north side of the building. Improvements are also being made to the building envelope, and mechanical and electrical systems, including major equipment replacements in the mechanical and electrical rooms. The Edmonton EXPO Centre will remain open during work.
The report highlights the initiatives that Minto has undertaken during the 2021 calendar year. It’s the company’s 13th annual report and 67th year as a business.
“As we put another pandemic year behind us and look optimistically toward the future, we continue to build on our ESG strategy and make progress in key areas like building our business resilience, impacting our communities, and reducing our environmental impact,” said Michael Waters, Minto Group CEO. “As a conscientious leader in our industry for over 67 years, we’re incredibly proud to be an ethically responsible, forward-thinking business with a clear path toward building a better tomorrow, today.”
A rendering shows the design of Minto Westside, a Minto project completed in 2020. – Minto Group
2020 marked a significant shift as Minto began developing a new ESG strategy. The company stated that in 2021 its team shifted focus to defining priorities so its ESG program could advance. This included clear performance targets, comprehensive reporting frameworks and strong governance.
The report highlighted the company’s inaugural Diversity and Inclusion Survey, a historic $25 million donation to the Ottawa Hospital Foundation and reductions in the environmental impacts of buildings. This included offerent net-zero and net-zero ready options for homebuyers and geo-exchange community energy systems.
Some other environmental highlights included 7 per cent lower energy consumption from 2019 levels, 8 per cent lower carbon intensity from 2019 levels and 81.8 per cent construction waste diversion.
Key Takeaways:
By 2025, new buildings in Victoria, B.C. must be zero carbon.
This is part of larger plans to be completely on renewable energy by 2050.
The move would make it one of the first B.C. cities to have a zero carbon construction standard.
The Whole Story:
Starting in 2025 Victoria will require all new construction to be zero carbon. The city noted that the new goal is part is of its accelerated climate action plan to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 50 per cent before 2050.
The requirement will come on the heels of the the BC Building Code carbon pollution standards that start this year.
The zero carbon standard is five years ahead of B.C.’s carbon requirements. The city stated that the new requirements are expected to significantly cut greenhouse gas emissions from new buildings. By 2050 the city plans to also switch over to 100 per cent renewable energy. The switch could trip up to 7 per cent of the total community emissions needed to reach those 2050 goals.
A chart from the Global Alliance For Buildings and Construction shows emissions from the built environment. – Global Alliance for Buildings and Construction
The city boasted that it is one of the first municipalities to establish a zero carbon polluting standard for construction and steer away from fossil fuels for water and space heating.
The requirements and schedule were set after an engagement process with the local building industry, co-led by the city of Victoria, the district of Saanich and the district of Central Saanich with support from the Capital Regional District (CRD). The engagement focused on how best to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from new construction through the BC Energy Step Code and the forthcoming carbon pollution standards.
According to a report by the Global Alliance for Buildings and Construction, buildings were responsible for 38 per cent of global carbon emissions in 2020. This was followed by the transportation industry, which contributed 23 per cent of emissions. The report accounted for emissions produced during construction as well as operation, including natural gas heating or coal-powered electricity.
