Dive Brief:
- Johnson Controls is implementing a “zero carbon” retrofit pilot program at a 173,546-square-foot city-owned recreation facility in Brampton, Ontario.
- The pilot at the Susan Fennell Sportsplex focuses on operational efficiency updates to major building systems, including HVAC optimization, rooftop solar unit installation, a ground source heat loop and solar thermal pool heating, according to a Wednesday news release.
- When completed, the retrofit is projected to reduce annual utility costs by approximately $195,000 and natural gas use by 99%, Johnson Controls said. It has the potential to set a precedent for municipalities across Canada “on their journey to net zero,” Julie Brandt, president of Johnson Controls’ Building Solutions in North America, said in the release.
Dive Insight:
Brampton’s Community Energy & Emissions Reduction Plan has a goal of reducing communitywide energy use and emissions by at least 50% from 2016 levels by 2041 and slashing at least 80% of emissions by 2050 to meet or exceed federal and provincial targets. The CEERP also aims to ensure that at least $26 billion spent on energy stays within the community by 2041.
The net-zero pilot at the sportsplex seeks to align with those goals and is part of the city’s long-term plan to “revitalize and decarbonize city-owned facilities,” the release states. Johnson Controls will provide digital energy efficiency monitoring through its OpenBlue technology to monitor the facility’s progress toward those goals as well as to meet the Canada Green Building Council’s Zero Carbon Building Performance standards, which require annual verification.
Johnson Controls says it hopes to improve the resiliency of building operations through infrastructure upgrades and backup generation. It expects to generate lifecycle cost savings that can fund ongoing maintenance. In addition to achieving cost reductions and net-zero goals, the project’s heating upgrades and heat recovery optimization are intended to improve tenant comfort.
The project’s funding includes a $15.7 million investment from Infrastructure Canada’s Green and Inclusive Community Buildings program and $10 million from the Green Municipal Fund’s Community Buildings Retrofit initiative, according to the release.
“Johnson Controls will aid in retrofitting the centre to be more energy efficient, reduce greenhouse gases, and provide a comfortable space for the community,” Sonia Sidhu, member of parliament for Brampton South, said in the release on behalf of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Minister Sean Fraser.
