Last Friday, the Carbon Busters Homes team went down to the construction site at the old municipal airport for the soon to be commissioned Energy Centre One (EC-1). This being the first location of the central energy centres that will provide Blatchford residents with comfortable and sustainable heating and cooling.
The community takes an innovative approach at district heating, combining geo-exchange, heat-exchange with sewer mains, and heat pump technology. Over 500 boreholes have been drilled under the storm-water collection pond that feed thermal energy back to EC-1. In addition to this huge pool of energy, the warm municipal sewer mains from Northwest and West Edmonton run under the site. A heat exchanger allows EC-1 to pump back much of the heat.
Currently inside the centre is a massive 1 MW heat pump that can operate with a mind-blowing coefficient of performance of 10! That's 10 units of heating or cooling energy to every 1 unit of electrical energy expended, or in other words, absolutely bonkers. The heat pump conditions water to be sent through a network of pipes laid underground throughout the district. Homes will then use this conditioned water with the help of heat pumps to keep their homes comfy.
The centre itself has been built
with efficiency in mind, boasting
thick walls, high performance windows,
and is topped with solar PV. Not to
mention the beautifully designed
building itself. It will be an excellent
centrepiece for one of Blatchford's
central plazas!
The community takes an innovative approach at district heating, combining geo-exchange, heat-exchange with sewer mains, and heat pump technology. Over 500 boreholes have been drilled under the storm-water collection pond that feed thermal energy back to EC-1. In addition to this huge pool of energy, the warm municipal sewer mains from Northwest and West Edmonton run under the site. A heat exchanger allows EC-1 to pump back much of the heat.
Currently inside the centre is a massive 1 MW heat pump that can operate with a mind-blowing coefficient of performance of 10! That's 10 units of heating or cooling energy to every 1 unit of electrical energy expended, or in other words, absolutely bonkers. The heat pump conditions water to be sent through a network of pipes laid underground throughout the district. Homes will then use this conditioned water with the help of heat pumps to keep their homes comfy.
The centre itself has been built
with efficiency in mind, boasting
thick walls, high performance windows,
and is topped with solar PV. Not to
mention the beautifully designed
building itself. It will be an excellent
centrepiece for one of Blatchford's
central plazas!
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