Regional Municipality of Peel and Peel Living Buildings

Location: Brampton, Ontario

HVAC Retrofit: Detailed assessment of the existing installation and evaluated the feasibility of installing preheat coils to improve energy efficiency. Prepared the mechanical design specifications and drawings for the humidifiers and air cooling coils that included working with vendors to evaluate the special requirements to replace the large cooling coils located in the sixth floor mechanical room. Support the tender call and administer the contract for the construction phase of the project.

Lighting Retrofit: Project scope was the replacement of lighting fixtures. Assessment of existing lighting fixtures, control systems and wiring. Prepared design specifications for replacement of luminaires, lamps and ballasts with more energy efficient alternatives. Coordinated application for government incentives. Provide technical support during tender call. Provided contract administration and construction support for the demolition of existing fixtures and installation of new fixtures.

Fire Alarm System Upgrade Study and Retrofit: Evaluated options for upgrading the existing Fire Alarm system from a single-stage to a two-stage fire alarm system. The goal of the study was to determine what would be required to make Suite A compatible with the new buildings and to bring its fire alarm system in compliance with the current building and fire codes. Detailed site audit of the existing systems and prepared a report outlining the required changes to be made and a capital cost estimate of the total upgrade. Provided design and construction support.

Fifth Floor Renovations (Legal Area): Detailed site assessment and architectural and engineering design. Detailed architectural, mechanical (HVAC) and electrical design specifications (2004 Master Format) and drawings for the renovation. Supported the tender call and provided contract administration.

Ground Floor Renovations: Three-phase renovation of PPSB, Purchasing and lunchroom on ground floor.

Sprinkler Study: Detailed site assessment of the existing sprinkler system in both Suite A and Suite B. Reviewed fire protection as-built drawings for both buildings. Based on current building and fire codes as well as the existing system in Suite B, the appropriate sprinkler system components required for different areas of Suite A were determined. Reviewed and compared the options of incorporating the new sprinkler system.

Peel Living Buildings Building Automation System Study and Design
Feasibility study for installing Building Automation Systems (BAS) for apartment buildings, Derrybrae Place and Gardenview Court. This included a condition assessment audit of existing HVAC systems and suites/apartments temperature controls including garage ventilation system, identifying a list of HVAC equipment, lighting and suite temperature controls that could potentially be connected to and controlled by a BAS and provided recommendations, providing a description of how the BAS would be used to optimize the controls of the systems including the use of integrated thermostat control with occupancy sensors, windows, balcony doors, temperature limiting and automatic night setback, providing cost analysis and cost estimate for installing BAS at each site, providing recommendations for types of systems that would best suit the facilities, providing a conceptual design of new BAS incorporating all HVAC equipment, lighting and thermostats in the facility including a schematic layout showing integration to LAN, identifying demand response to strategies that can be taken using the BAS to reduce operation energy consumption, and identifying potential advantages of integrating the BAS with a web based management system in the future. Assessment and analysis of energy usage, capital cost estimate and life-cycle cost analysis. VIRTUAL provided the design based on the recommendations from the feasibility study.

Peel Living Buildings Ventilation Heat Recovery Study
Feasibility study for implementing ventilation heat recovery for high-rise apartment buildings located at Erindale Terrace in Mississauga and Walker Road in Caledon. This included detailed building envelope audit, HVAC equipment inventory and assessment, analysis of energy usage, capital cost estimate and life-cycle cost analysis and greenhouse gas emission reduction.

Peel Living Buildings Snow Melting Life-Cycle Study
Life-cycle cost-based assessment and feasibility study for ramp snow melting systems at Peel Living buildings: The Redmond, Surveyor’s Point, and The Meadows. This included conducting a detailed life-cycle cost based assessment and comparison of snow melting technologies and options (electrical heating system vs a low temperature hydronic heating system vs a high temperature hydronic heating system; various options for power/fueling the boiler for the hydronic system; asphalt surfaced ramp vs a concrete surfaced ramp), estimating the installation costs for implementing each recommendation, comparing estimated energy consumption quantity and cost for the electrical and hydronic heating options over the life-cycle period of the study, calculating greenhouse gas emissions associated with energy consumption of each heating option over the life cycle period of the study, identifying and providing details on available grants and incentives applicable to the capital replacement of the snow melting systems, and assessing cost effectiveness of installing reflective foil insulation under concrete ramp.

Peel Living Buildings Window Life-Cycle Cost Study
Life-cycle cost-based assessment study of general residential and office building windows. This included comparing options for framing materials, comparing glazing options, summarizing the findings of the analysis and recommending the most cost effective type of window, and identifying differences in typical installation prices, identifying available grants and incentives.

Peel Living Buildings Hydronic Heating and Domestic Hot Water System Boilers
Life-cycle cost-based assessment and feasibility study for the hydronic heating and domestic hot water system boilers for Peel Living properties: Gardenview Court and The Redmond. This included a detailed life-cycle cost-based assessment and comparison of options (energy star vs non-energy star rated equipment; modulating vs non-modulating combustion control, mid-efficiency vs high efficiency condensing combustion, DHW boiler with storage tank vs commercial quick recovery DHW tanks, combustion air venting approach, circulating pump wet rotor type, DHW re-circulating pump, ECM with variable speed type, check temperature sensor location), estimating installation cost for implementing options and life-cycle cost, comparing estimated energy (electricity and natural gas) consumption quantity and cost for each option, calculating greenhouse gas emissions associated with energy consumption of each heating option, identified available grants and incentives, commenting on operational differences between options, commenting on the end of life disposal consequences and environmental impact implications for each option, estimated quantity of material normally sent to landfill and what quantity could be recycled, summarizing the results of the life-cycle cost calculations and identifying the lowest life-cycle cost replacement options, recommending feasibility of implementation of hydronic boiler and DHW heating approach, and preparing high level piping schematic detailing the recommended hydronic boiler and DHW system piping, components and approach.

Regional Municipality of Peel Building Automation Systems for Child Care Centres
Consulting services to perform a feasibility study on the technical options for economic viability of installing a Building Automation System at 4 child care centres. The study took a life cycle approach to the determination of all costs involved (capital, maintenance, operations and end of life disposal). The study included: a condition assessment audit of all the existing HVAC equipment, lighting, and all temperature controls in the centres; identifying a list of all the HVAC equipment, lighting, and all area temperature controls that could potentially be connected to and be controlled by BAS and recommendations; a description of how BAS would be used to optimize the controls of the systems including the use of integrated thermostat control with occupancy sensors, windows, balcony doors, temperature limiting, and automatic night setback; a cost analysis and cost estimate for installing BAS at each site; conceptual design of new or upgraded BAS and schematic layout showing integration to LAN; and identified any demand response to strategies using BAS to reduce operation energy consumption.

VIRTUAL to provide design and construction support services.