Kaizen
Senior Member
I wonder how they are coming along, I would imagine more visible progress?
Anyone have an update?
Anyone have an update?
Winspear Centre Completion Project | 29.87m | 4s | Winspear Centre | Andrew Bromberg
- Thread starter Daveography
- Start date
archited
Senior Member
My contention is still that the foot-dragging relates to building wall and roof elements that are custom-made and need to be imported from ???
_urbanite
Senior Member
Fresh pics from about 45 mins ago
IanO
Superstar
CaptainBL
Active Member
Oh Edmonton. Some of the quotes in here:
"It's not the same leading-edge, energy-efficient thing that we were trying to get to,"
and
"Mayor Amarjeet Sohi also expressed reservations about the changes, but noted that administration is trying to get the private sector on board to make it more financially feasible."
So let me understand, this is another half-baked project by the geniuses at the city and despite knowing that this project will do half of what it was originally intended to do (ironically, which was to improve energy efficiency), the city still expects the private sector to buy in? "Hey private sector, we know this doesnt work like it was supposed to but we need to you to be onboard anyway so we can make it financially feasible."
Sounds very similar to how the city likes to spin doctor Botchford too. An energy efficiency project that isnt being executed how envisioned but we still need the private sector to believe in the vision.
kcantor
Senior Member
if something goes wrong and the system goes down (and something will always go wrong at some point either at the plant or with the distribution), in our climate that could be catastrophic for a building in very short order in the winter. that means the building still needs to install and maintain its own plant with sufficient capacity at which point there isn’t any compelling incentive to add the complexity of connecting to a central plant.
Airboy
Senior Member
District energy systems are used in other large cities. I know TO had one, I worked beside it for a year. And TO has a central cooling system. using deep lake water. The Technology is there. Going into this I don't think the city had a proper plan. Currently there are only a couple of buildings downtown that are ready to tie into the system since they were planned when this project was first discussed. I think the reason the private sector has not bought in yet is because its still a few years away. And they would require running the piping through already built up streets. I know Stantec Tower is ready for the system. The infrastructure was built into the tower. But now you would have to dig a Trench from the DEC to Stantec.
kcantor
Senior Member
they're used here as well as in other cities if we include the u of a and the airport (i'm not sure if the latest upgrades at royal alexandria qualify as a "local central plant")...
i was also involved in the conversion of a couple of buildings in vancouver from internal boilers generating hot water to using steam from the central plant (which is where i learned that a backhoe in the lane can leave you without heat and that when sh!t happens at the main plant the whole system can be down for some time).
my concern, particularly in regard to heat, is the redundancy and fail safes that need to be an integral and reliable part of any central system if individual buildings are not going to require their own back-up systems and if they have to provide their own back-up systems whether it still makes sense to also connect to a central distribution system...
Airboy
Senior Member
I forgot about Uof A and the Alex. Add Nait main campus as well. Hell I've been in all of them. I've walked the tunnels.
Safe to say any building that is going to be added will have its original system set aside for back up. I just wished they would have kept the cooling portion. The airport had a major boiler blowout years ago. we were able to jury rig the system to operate until the blown boiler was brought back on line (6months).
Was at a performance at Winspear yesterday. ESO rusty musicians. (My wife was playing). Anyway they are doing a complete seat replacement and electrical upgrades to the main theater. 1/2 the main floor seats were removed. That is the closest I've ever sat to that stage.
Safe to say any building that is going to be added will have its original system set aside for back up. I just wished they would have kept the cooling portion. The airport had a major boiler blowout years ago. we were able to jury rig the system to operate until the blown boiler was brought back on line (6months).
Was at a performance at Winspear yesterday. ESO rusty musicians. (My wife was playing). Anyway they are doing a complete seat replacement and electrical upgrades to the main theater. 1/2 the main floor seats were removed. That is the closest I've ever sat to that stage.
archited
Senior Member
I have been using Daikin VRV-IV-H system on all of my projects for both Heating and Cooling. The system is very efficient, sustainable, and reliable -- all electric.
Romanov
Active Member
Agree it would likely be supplemental to buildings current heating systems. That is how CHP retrofits I've seen have been implemented. One issue that could arise is that buildings with steam distribution are less likely to benefit with a hot water district energy system - due to required conversion to hot water at the building.
Airboy
Senior Member
I haven't seen them on project here. I've seen the smaller units but not the large ones.
SumAqua
New Member
So how often has the city over-promised something, then under-delivered on a project?
I only know of the Capital Line South Expansion, and the aforementioned Blatchford project.
Canadian 001
Active Member
Claireview
Literally just gave up and built strip malls
Literally just gave up and built strip malls
SumAqua
New Member
Yikes
