When Conestoga College announced they would be taking over space in the Market Square Shopping Centre in Kitchener, it was a welcome addition to the downtown core. Smith + Anderson (S+A) was hired to provide mechanical design services for the facility. Our team at O’Dell Associates was brought in to address the significant challenges posed by the change in occupant density and the increased ventilation, heating, and cooling requirements.
Challenges
A significant challenge in the project was addressing the change in occupant density from an office space to lecture halls. With this change, there was a large increase in ventilation air requirement, and associated heating & cooling capacities. The existing systems had insufficient capacity to handle the increased load. Initially, S+A had proposed increasing the boiler & chiller plant along with significant piping modifications to handle the increased loads. These modifications came at a large cost to the owner, Europro.
The Solution
Jade Logic, who provides maintenance services for Europro, recommended they consider EnVerid as an alternate solution. S+A was very familiar with the product, having recently designed their own offices in Toronto using the technology.
At the suggestion of O’Dell, the engineer and contractor decided to use enVerid’s HLR technology in combination with the existing equipment to reduce the ventilation requirements using the indoor air quality procedure. The HLR units eliminated the need to replace the other air handling equipment, reducing the cost of the project significantly.
Our Approach
With enVerid’s technology, we were able to provide a 53% reduction in outside air which allowed us to maintain the indoor air quality while increasing the occupancy by more than 600%. Not only did enVerid’s technology provide substantial indoor air quality but also provided additional energy cost savings. The annual energy costs were reduced by over $30,000 while the demand charge reduction was reduced by over $15,000 annually.
Conclusion
This project highlights the importance of innovative solutions in overcoming HVAC challenges in large-scale renovations. By implementing enVerid’s HLR technology, we were able to significantly reduce project costs and improve energy efficiency while meeting the increased occupancy demands. Contact us to learn how we can provide similar solutions for your projects.
Results
- $31,900 demand charge reduction annually
- $15,311 energy cost savings annually
- $41,544 one-time utility rebate
- 86-ton reduction in HVAC cooling peak load
- 53% average reduction in outside air (IAQP using HLR vs. VRP)
- Maintained indoor quality while increasing occupancy more than 600%
