ISO 50001:2018 is designed to help companies improve their overall energy performance by making better use of energy assets, reducing both cost and consumption. Globally, ISO 50001:2018 is used by both large and small organizations to curb environmental impact and enhance energy efficiency.

The ESAP heating and cooling plants being operated and maintained by EQUANS Services Canada have been awarded the ISO 50001:2018 certification standard for performance. Under the leadership of Tom Burton (General Manager), Noman Shahzad P.Eng., PMP(Director of Quality) and John Samulack (Director of Special Projects) co-lead the Team in obtaining ISO 50001:2018 Certification for the ESAP Energy Management System following in the footsteps of Public Services and Procurement Canada’s initial certification in August of 2020. Thank you to Louis-Michel Desjardins P.Eng., M.Eng (Operations and Maintenance Manager), Thomas Ouellet, Atta Bhatti and Maria Utano-Frigo for support and very special thanks to the Plant Chiefs Pete Chamberland, Brent Mainville, Marc Laprade and all the Operations and Maintenance team members who work together to achieve these outstanding results!

On April 18th, 2023, the Energy Services Acquisition Program (ESAP), the Department of National Defence (DND), the Danish Trade Council, the Danish District Energy Association, and more, gathered together for a Central Heating Plant (CHP) Modernization Workshop. This successful event was hosted in Ottawa by ESAP and DND. ESAP presented the modernization project to the Danish Ambassador and the Director General of Strategic Sourcing a sector within Public Services and Procurement Canada. Topics included (but we’re not limited to) an introduction to Danish solutions, perspectives from Denmark’s District Energy System (DES) Association, DND National CHP studies, plant challenges, performance contracts and financing. The event had over 180 participants from around the globe who encouraged a lively Questions & Answers panel discussion.

Tomasz Smetny-Sowa, ESAP’s Senior Director, remarked, “We are already looking forward to our next collaborative workshop on District Energy System (DES) Modernization with DND and the Danish Consulate from Toronto. ESAP was proud to present our modernization project; a path toward greening government operations in the National Capital Region (NCR). We learned a lot from all the presentations and hope the other participants gained insights from our journey toward the modernization of the NCR’s DES.”

An initiative that’s part of the Energy Services Acquisition Program (ESAP), alongside Innovate Energy, has put shovels in the ground to kick off the construction of the Gatineau Energy Centre (GEC). This Energy Centre is one of four facilities that are being built or retrofitted to provide clean, carbon neutral heating and cooling services through the federal government’s National Capital District Energy System (NCR DES). GEC will be one of the most progressive energy facilities of its kind.

Currently, the PCL site office has been delivered and is currently being fit up before the remaining GEC team move to site to begin the work. What’s more is that the Civil and Earthworks contractor has prepped the site for shoring and excavation works. As part of this construction project, the abandoned steam and condensate duct bank has now been fully removed because it interfered with the construction of the new GEC.

The Tunney’s Pasture Pumphouse is situated next to the Ottawa River by Remic Rapids. This pumphouse has two self-cleaning river water inlet screens and four large electrically driven river water pumps for conveying condensing/cooling water to the main plant. The river water intake facility, or pumphouse, is how the Tunney’s Pasture Central Energy Centre pumps water to the condenser side of the electric chillers that cool the buildings in the summer. In winter months, usually starting mid-November, the river water temperature drops to below 4 degrees and operations switch to using free cooling from the river water. Once the water is used, clean water is fed back into the river through the outflow pipe. As part of preventative maintenance to help the plants operate more efficiently and safely, annual maintenance is performed. Bi-annually in the spring and fall the intake screens at the Tunney’s Pasture pumphouse are cleaned and rid of debris from the Ottawa River. The summer intake screens are located 310 feet out from the pump house and approximately 20 feet below water level enroute to the water intake facility, and the energy centre.

Equans Services Canada & US sub-contracts ODS Marine for all inspections and work to be completed underwater. A diver will enter the water to perform a closed-circuit television (CCTV) video inspection on the conditions of the inlet and outlet piping. The inspection also includes (not limited to):

·       Cleaning & inspection of intake & outfall slide gates;
·       Cleaning, inspection & removal of winter screens;
·       Removing debris from area around intake structure; and,
·       Providing underwater CCTV video inspection unit & raw video files

The data from the river water intake facility are presented to Public Services and Procurement Canada | Services publics et Approvisionnement Canada in a corresponding monthly report and demonstrate how Equans Services Canada & US works with Public Services and Procurement Canada | Services publics et Approvisionnement Canada to operate and maintain the energy centres and the district energy system efficiently and safely. Collaborating in the public-private partnership is how the Government of Canada will achieve their goals of reducing GHG emissions and creating a more sustainable Canada.

Minister of Public Services and Procurement Canada - June 2022

The Innovate Energy team hosted the Minister of Public Services and Procurement Canada, Filomena Tassi and Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister’s Office Greg Fergus at the National Printing Bureau energy centre Thursday June 9th to announce the soon to be built Gatineau Energy Centre.

Representatives from PCL Construction, Equans Services Canada & US Services Inc, Black & McDonald Limited and bbb architects joined members of Public Services and Procurement Canada | Services publics et Approvisionnement Canada and ADM Stéphan Déry MPA, CPA, CMA, FMA, RPA from Real Property Services to hear about the new centre and how it will further the Government of Canada’s goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and create a sustainable landscape for the residents of the NCR.

June 1, 2022

The third in a series about ISO 50001 and the collaboration between Innovate Energy and Public Services and Procurement Canada.

The Tunney's Pasture heating and cooling plant precedes any other development in the area now known as a building and research park. The plant supports 15 User Buildings, including Health Canada. Brent Mainville, a first-class power engineer, started working at Tunney’s Pasture central heating and cooling plant (CHCP) in 2016. With previous experience with ISO 9001 and 14001, Brent set up energy management goals to meet and exceed as Plant Chief of Tunney’s Pasture CHCP. For Fall Maintenance in 2016, some of the boilers were plugged due to poor water quality; the boilers were acid and hydro-pressure washed to clean them out and optimize operating capabilities. Brent’s ISO experience led him to implement maintenance strategies to run the Tunney’s Pasture CHCP more efficiently, like operating the boilers at a lower level in the summer, while meeting the key performance indicators necessary for the User Buildings the Tunney’s Pasture CHCP supports. Another example of Brent’s operating ingenuity references the steam traps at the Tunney’s Pasture CHCP and the User Buildings. The steam trap is an essential part of any steam system as it is the important link between good steam and condensate management, retaining steam within the process for maximum utilization of heat, but releasing condensate and incondensable gases at the appropriate time. At Tunney’s the operating team have implemented a steam eye monitoring system to identify blow through traps. A steam trap catches excess steam in a User Building and turns it into condensate, then returns it back to the plant and boilers. By recouping as much steam as possible in the traps, the plant operators don’t have to reintroduce as much city water back into the system, saving money. ISO 50001 is an effective quality management tool that can help to manage energy more efficiently, subsequently saving money and reducing emissions. The ISO dashboard at Tunney’s Pasture CHCP that allows engineers to see adjustments and energy savings in real time, promoting a desire to be part of the solution. The facilities management team of Innovate Energy, with the support of Public Services and Procurement Canada, work to ameliorate plant operations and reduce GHG emissions.

April 7, 2022

The second in a series about the ISO 50001 Standard and the collaboration between Public Service and Procurement Canada (PSPC) and Innovate Energy (IE).

Carlo Burri had retired from Public Service and Procurement Canada when he was asked to helm the operations at the Confederation Heights Plant located on Heron Road by Black & Mcdonald. Burri had previously been Plant Chief at the National Research Council Plant on Sussex Drive and was familiar with the developing energy policy surrounding efficiency.

Working in the plant proves challenging, especially in hot weather and gauging the capacity of the peak loads. Plant operators are tasked with deciding which equipment to use and when, while maintenance is necessary to keep the boilers and chillers running efficiently.

At the Confederation Heights Plant there is a Plant Chief, Plant Manager, Administrator, Operator and Maintenance Mechanic working at all times. Confederation Heights looks after 9 buildings, a relatively small number compared to the other plants on the district energy system. Burri noted to me that COVID-19 has decreased the load demand significantly as not as many employees are in the buildings.

According to Burri, ISO 50001 Standard hasn’t been difficult to maintain. He attributes this to the equipment (50 year old boilers and 20 year old chillers) and the use of variable speed drive which runs slower and more efficiently. At the plant the boilers and chillers are manually started, with a warm stand by boiler on at all times. The chillers are turned off in October, and tested to prepare for the heat and humidity of Ottawa’s summer months.

Although Confederation Heights is run by Black&McDonald, it is all part of the facilities management provided by Innovate Energy. Clear and accurate communication among staff and management is paramount to maintain the ISO 50001 certification and emphasizes the importance of collaboration through a P3 contract.

March 2, 2022

The first in a series about the ISO 50001 Standard and the collaboration between Public Service and Procurement Canada (PSPC) and Innovate Energy (IE).

ISO 50001 provides a benchmark standard for organizations committed to minimizing their impact and conserving resources through practical and efficient energy management. ISO 50001 provides organizations with a variety of requirements necessary in developing an energy management system, such as developing policies for efficient energy usage, or using data to forecast the way energy is managed and maintained.

Michael Burke of PSPC is one of the authors of the ISO 50001 Standard. While he was the Director of the Industry Programs Division at Natural Resources Canada (NRCan), Mike was responsible for helping Canadian industry become more energy efficient. Energy efficiency, and energy monitoring, were an integral part of the mindset of industry at that time and it has become a necessary part of the Canadian industrial landscape. The development of a standard provided Canadian industry with a systematic approach to continuous improvement in energy performance.

Working with a team of Canadian and international experts, including Georgia Tech in the United States, Burke helped develop an energy standard now globally recognized as ISO 50001. The standard was endorsed by the Canadian Industry Program for Energy Conservation (CIPEC) and catalyzed new growth within the Canadian industrial sector in the form of continuous energy performance improvement. Through the stewardship of the federal government, ISO 50001 became a globally recognized standard for energy management systems, with the goal of achieving energy performance improvement across Canadian infrastructure projects. The Energy Services Acquisition Program (ESAP) is the result of the federal government’s mandate to improve energy performance and has achieved ISO 50001 certification. The ESAP heating and cooling plants being operated and maintained by ENGIE Services Canada will soon receive the ISO 50001 certification standard for performance. ENGIE Services Canada continues the strive towards energy performance improvement in an effort to reach carbon neutral energy production with PSPC.

November 3, 2021

bbb architects Ottawa Inc.

bbb architects Ottawa Inc. (bbb) is a diversified architectural design studio, offering a full range of architectural services, which has resulted in many prestigious commissions. Working to integrate architectural design with sustainable development is at the crux of bbb’s mandate to support and enhance clean energy momentum in the National Capital Region.

The diversity of the firm’s work underpins an understanding of client objectives and aspirations as essential to establishing successful designs; bbb creates custom-made, functional and innovative solutions, harnessing the power of renewable energy and adhering to different environmental certifications in order to reduce their carbon footprint.

Based in Ottawa, the firm’s local work has allowed bbb to understand the importance of sourcing local materials and products to execute their design visions, allowing projects to act as ambassadors for the communities they serve.

Dedicated to sustainable and design excellence, bbb embraces an enduring and steadfast commitment to quality, which has been recognized by numerous awards, including a Governor General’s Medal in Architecture, as well as the Ontario Association of Architects’ People’s Choice Award and Design Excellence Award.

bbb leads the ESAP design team in ensuring that the architectural expression and urban context of each of the sites fosters sustainability, accessibility, and inclusivity. The landscaping and accessibility of these sites are of prime importance to the Government of Canada to encourage visitors and residents of the National Capital Region to experience thoughtful and memorable urban spaces that express the government’s commitment to sustainable development for current and future generations.

December 1, 2021

The Design and Construction Stage for the new modernized district energy system is underway and there are many components involved in engineering such a large, modernized system. One of these components is the U-Loop, used to minimize the stress caused by thermal expansion and contraction in our system’s heating pipes.  Expansion loops, AKA “U-Loops” are used to increase the flexibility of the piping system and to minimize the potential stress that can occur with long, continuous runs of pipe.

The U-Loop is made of pre-insulated bonded pipe that meets the European EN 253 Standard; this is the only viable option that meets the necessary standard for our buried pipe systems and can be used for hot water networks. It is a steel pipe wrapped in polyurethane foam, which is then wrapped in a high-density polyethylene jacket.

For the current work at Tunney’s Pasture, LOGSTOR piping from Denmark is being used.  To build a U-Loop, four 90-degree elbows of pipe are welded together and wrapped in LOGSTOR BandJoint, a specialized product used for joining separate lengths of LOGSTOR pipe together. Each joint can be installed individually within a few hours, or sequentially over several days. Installation is risk free as long as all safety precautions are followed.

The U-Loop is one of the many engineering tools that will optimize Ottawa’s district energy system and demonstrates the Government of Canada’s goal of using the best products to reduce energy consumption. Working in conjunction with the updated heating and cooling plants, the district energy system will be a global example of modernizing municipal operations and minimizing overall GHGs.