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Energy retrofit enhances building value at great location – Standard Life

The old system featured ten, 3 million BTU boilers with manual reset controls. The oversized and poorly controlled equipment could not respond quickly to changing heating needs, particularly during evening hours and on weekends. As a result, tenants frequently complained of too much or too little heat.

Solution

Building managers brought in TMP Consulting Engineers, Inc. to study the heating system and present upgrade options. TMP recommended replacing the boilers and adding automated controls. Enbridge Gas Distribution was invited to assess the boiler plant and review the upgrade proposal. EGD strongly recommended high efficiency boilers and upgraded controls to reduce energy use. The installation was completed in 2006 and the upgrades include:

w Ten new high efficiency, fan-assisted combustion boilers, 2.4 million BTUs each

w EML automated boiler controls

w Reconfigured piping of boiler return water to prevent heat losses

The new boilers operate at 87% efficiency and are relatively trouble free. Smaller boiler sizing coupled with automated controls makes the entire system more flexible and responsive. The building

ChallengeStandard Life’s complex at the corner of Yonge and Sheppard enjoys one of the best commercial locations in all of Greater Toronto. Owners and managers are committed to keeping its cost competitive and that means managing energy expenses. Challenges include:

w Size – 594,000 square feet of space

w Multi-use – Two commercial office towers plus the Sheppard Centre retail mall and one of the largest parking garages in the city (2,147 vehicles) are all serviced by a central heating plant

w Entrances – 26 exterior doors, and thousands of subway passengers passing through, all bring cold air into the building throughout the heating season

w Hours of operation – Retailers, cinemas, and restaurants operate on extended schedules while the subway is in use seven days a week for 20 hours out of 24.

By 2005 the boiler plant was over thirty years old and increasingly unreliable. The boilers operated at substantially lower than original design efficiency – representing a significant extra expense with energy prices rising. The cost of maintaining and repairing aging equipment was approaching $50,000 a year.

At their Yonge & Sheppard building, Standard Life managers opted for high efficiency boilers and automated controls – improving operations and reducing natural gas costs by over $125,000/yr.

Benefits w Estimated energy cost savings of over $125,000/

year from boiler changeover

w Further savings expected from new boiler controls

w Substantial maintenance savings

w Fewer tenant heat-related complaints

w Reduced greenhouse gas emissions – estimated at 448 tonnes CO2 per year

w Rapid paybacks

w Enbridge energy efficiency incentive of $16,935

Update Standard Life has 80 buildings in its real estate portfolio. The property firm sees energy efficiency as one of the best ways to maintain the value of their buildings and keep vacancy rates low.

Contact Enbridge Gas Distribution is committed to helping its commercial customers achieve natural gas savings. Contact us for more information on our energy efficiency programs and incentives.

www.enbridge.com/business

Lessons Learned w Energy savings are especially valuable in buildings

with high through-traffic where it is next to impossible to control incoming airflows.

w Fan-assisted, non-atmospheric combustion boilers are substantially more energy efficient than atmospheric boilers. Smaller sized boilers with modulating features provide better flexibility and more responsive heat delivery.

w Automated boiler controls enable night setback and weekend response to outside temperature changes – saving energy and improving tenant satisfaction.

w Boiler retrofits offer a good ROI and paybacks are even shorter when maintenance savings are taken into account.

For more information contact us at:

1-866-844-9994 • Fax: 416-495-8350 • energyservices@enbridge.com • www.enbridge.com/business

managers are able to meet tenant needs in the best and most efficient way; the controls permit night-time setback and automatically match weekend heating to outside temperatures.

Enbridge estimated natural gas savings of 339,000 m3 per year for the boiler replacement and provided a one-time energy efficiency incentive of $16,935. Building managers expect the new controls to deliver additional savings.

Paybacks are impressive. Standard Life can expect to recover the incremental cost of choosing higher efficiency equipment in 1.5 years and will get back the full cost of the upgrade in 3 years.

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“The savings benefit tenants as well as building owners and they free funds for other projects.”

Norman Almeida, Technical and Construction Manager

Bill Chihata of Enbridge Gas Distribution (centre) with Randall Pugg and Norman Almeida of Standard Life.