Buildings Engineering A Better Canada Award and Award of Excellence
Curé-Paquin Primary School gbi
C
uré-Paquin is the first project in Quebec— and the first school in Canada—to earn the Canada Green Building Council’s (CaGBC’s) Zero Carbon Building (ZCB) Certification. Montreal-based gbi designed its mechanical and electrical systems for energy savings and comfort.
Engineers at gbi worked closely with Montreal-based Leclerc Architectes to design the building envelope to minimize its energy consumption. No fossil fuels are used; all of the school’s energy needs are met by electricity. The site’s 36 geothermal wells, each 300 feet deep, are coupled with an 80-kW energy storage accumulator. The wells meet all of the school’s heating requirements, while the 20
CANADIAN CONSULTING ENGINEER
CCE_SPETOCT21_LAZ.indd 20
In addition to energy efficiency, the school was designed to maximize comfort.
“This is really a project that speaks to sustainable development and what we expect buildings should be in the future.” – Jury
accumulator manages peak electricity consumption. A very high-efficiency energy recovery system recaptures heat from exhaust air and uses it to preheat incoming fresh air. And the PV solar panels, with a capacity of 27 kW, meet 10% of the school’s energy
needs. In addition to being highly efficient, a ZCB produces its own energy and/or uses carbon-free, renewable energy sources. For CuréPaquin, the annual reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is estimated at 2,800 t of CO2. The
PHOTOS COU RT E SY G B I
Energy-saving features Curé-Paquin was built in Saint-Eustache, Que., to meet Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold standards. As such, it incorporates features to reduce energy consumption and environmental impact, including: • A geothermal system for heating and air conditioning. • An electric heat accumulator. • Radiant flooring. • Advanced building controls. • An integrated LED lighting system controlled by proximity and natural light sensors. • Roof-mounted solar panels.
September/October 2021
2021-10-18 10:14 AM
