heating system – BPindex blog

Jaga Clima Canal allows for two additional floors in luxury high rise residential

Building Products Index Ltd May 30, 2019 Heating, Ventilation Leave a Comment

Telus Garden is a mixed-use development located in Vancouver’s bustling downtown area. Comprising two buildings, one is home to a variety of businesses including the national headquarters of telecommunications giant Telus, and the other consists of luxury apartments. With sustainability a critical consideration, the developers needed a heating and cooling system to meet a high level of energy-efficiency. Having considered a variety of systems, including underfloor heating, specifiers struck upon a solution from Jaga which would add an additional two floors of apartments to the building.

Overview

Telus Garden is a 22-storey, one million square foot office mixed-use redevelopment project that was designed to meet high internationally recognised standards for environmental sustainability.

The buildings have an energy-efficient heat-recovery system, solar arrays, and rooftop gardens, among other green features. Its environmental credentials were recognised when the Canada Green Building Council awarded the development the prestigious Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum certification – the highest rating a building can receive.

With energy efficiency a key requirement, the developers needed a solution that could work with the onsite district energy system—meaning it must function at low water temperatures and high chilled water temperatures. Furthermore, a compact solution was required which could still promote lasting comfort for building occupants in the rapidly changing Vancouver climate.

After careful consideration, Jaga was chosen as the ideal partner to deliver a fast, sustainable heating and cooling solution for the building.

Solution

To meet the multiple needs of Telus Garden, specifiers opted to install more than 1900 of Jaga’s Clima Canal Hybrid heating and cooling units throughout the building. The Clima Canals are integrated seamlessly by installing the units into a raised floor around the perimeter of the offices and the apartments. Crucially, the units work perfectly in conjunction with the onsite district energy system to help reduce overall energy consumption.

The Clima Canal Hybrid units feature a continuous aluminum grille with six millimeters of open spacing to prevent even the slimmest high heels from getting caught. Since the unit operates at low-water temperatures, it is able to react quickly to temperature changes, enabling occupants to stay comfortable regardless of internal or external heat loads.

In conjunction with the Telus Garden onsite energy system, the Clima Canals help the building to reduce energy demand by an estimated 80 percent. Additionally, since the Clima Canal Hybrid creates a curtain of air between windows and heat generated by the radiator, overall heat loss and condensation are reduced.

Since the Clima Canal Hybrid units are built into the floor, there is no obstruction of the panoramic views of Vancouver the building offers for its occupants. The space saving design of the Clima Canal Hybrid also allows for additional furniture or conference room seating in offices. What’s more, because the developers opted for Clima, rather than underfloor heating, they were able to add an additional two floors of apartments to the building.

Quote

Cyrus Kangarloo, Jaga engineer and HVAC system advisor, said: “The heating and cooling system used in this project capitalises on the primary strength of the Clima Canal—energy efficiency. The Telus is a great example of how our products work seamlessly with other energy efficient systems.”

Ready, set…EPC

Building Products Index Ltd February 26, 2018 Heating, Radiators Leave a Comment

View the Jaga entry on BPi

Visit the Jaga website

EPC Ratings, why does this matter? The government estimates that almost one-in-five commercial properties currently hold the lowest ratings of F or G. EPCs are legally required for all public and private buildings and assign an efficiency rating from A to G. So, are you ready for the new rules?

The built environment has been identified by government as a major contributor to Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions, contributing around 34 per cent of the UK total.

Non-domestic buildings account for nearly 25 per cent of the UK’s overall carbon emissions and heat in buildings accounts for a substantial proportion of this. As more are built and refurbished, the installation of energy efficient, cost-effective products must be a top priority – especially if the UK is to meet the ambitious carbon reduction targets for 2020 and 2050.

So, are you ready for the new rules?

The regulations will first apply to new domestic and non-domestic lettings and lease renewals from April 2018, to be followed by all existing non-domestic leases by 1st April 2023.

However, savvy building managers are taking steps to not only meet this minimum standard but to exceed it in preparation for a likely future tightening of the regulations.

Here we take a look at the steps you can take to upgrade to your heating system and boost building energy efficiency ratings in the process.

New tech

The latest heating technology can help you achieve some easy wins when it comes to energy efficiency and heat emitters should be a first port of call. When compared to other heating upgrades, such as replacing an old boiler, switching your radiators to more efficient models is relatively low cost and can be done fairly quickly. Low-mass, low water content radiators contain a tenth of the water compared to a standard steel panel radiator, resulting in a faster response time and providing up to a 16 per cent reduction in energy costs. Buildings which are fitted with this technology also produce much lower carbon emissions due to the reduced energy used, helping designers and engineers meet their carbon reduction targets.

Another innovative radiator technology is fan assisted DBE (Dynamic Boost Effect).

This improves airflow and boosts heat output, allowing Jaga radiators to work efficiently with sustainable low-flow temperature systems, such as heat pumps.

Heat pumps are estimated to reduce electricity use (and cost) for heating by around 50 per cent compared to electric resistance heaters. They are extremely efficient and, when utilised properly, can also provide excellent thermal comfort. With added support from the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) tariff payments for ground source and air source heat pumps, it seems inevitable that the uptake of these technologies will continue to grow steadily.

Taking action now

It can often be a challenge to keep on top of the latest energy efficiency regulations but the April deadline for MEES should be seen as a priority. Civil penalties of up to £5,000 will be imposed for breaches, with local authorities also serving compliance notices to ensure properties are brought up to standard.

Investment in a heading system upgrade will not only ensure your building remains compliant but can deliver energy cost savings that will last for years to come.