ASHRAE Journal - August 2013 - 65

2013 ASHRAE TEcHnology AwARd cASE STudiES

was installed, ensuring the optimal
operation of equipment while providing a snapshot of all operations and
guaranteeing user comfort. The new
digital regulation system, which has
more than 5,000 control points and is
BACnet® protocol compatible, makes
it possible to view system statuses at all
times and facilitates the diagnosis of
problems and system maintenance.

Cooling Tower Water Treatment
The water treatment system for
the cooling tower operates magnetically, which is better for the health
of operators, who no longer have
to wear protective gear to perform
maintenance work, as the system
does not use chemicals and is not
harmful to their health.

Results
Energy Simulations
Table 1 (Page 62) compares the
building’s initial energy consumption with that of the simulated
renovated building (with and without energy recovery measures).
The significance of the energyefficiency measures introduced
and the impact they can have on
energy consumption, primarily in
terms of heating, are clear. Despite
a major increase in fresh air supply
56 634 L/s (120,000 cfm), overall
consumption could be reduced by
14% throughout the existing building and 43% in the upgraded space,
with no additional energy-saving
measures employed.
Taken as a whole, the performance
of all these new innovative systems is
meant to generate recurring energy
savings of 18,000,000 kWh-equivalent (64,800 GJ), compared to a standard electromechanical system without energy recovery components.

Energy Bills
Table 2 (Page 63) presents energy
bills for 2012. Ultimately, thanks to
this energy-saving design, McGill
University is achieving a better savings than expected with a
21,000,000 kWh equivalent savings
in energy consumption. This better
performance translates into energy
savings of more than $816,000 a
year. The cost of installing effective
energy-recovery systems will be
recovered in less than three years.

Environmental Impact
In addition to reducing energy consumption and operating costs, the
exceptional performance of the new
systems, based on energy recovery
principles, reduces the environmental impact of the project. Compared
to standard designs without energyefficiency measures, the customdesigned high-performance systems
reduce greenhouse gas emissions by
4,670 tons a year. Also, the installation of motion detectors on taps and
toilets throughout the building has
reduced potable water consumption
significantly. Furthermore, the water
treatment system for the cooling
tower is magnetic and requires no
use of chemical products.

loads, were the priority energyefficiency measures to implement,
especially for this kind of building.
The McGill University McIntyre
Pavilion renovation project was
successful because of its energy
and financial savings and because
students and researchers enjoy a
safe and comfortable workplace.
Furthermore, all deadlines and budgets were strictly met, thanks to a
flexible accelerated work schedule
adopted by the project manager. The
designers are convinced that the success of the McIntyre Pavilion renovation will serve as a model for similar
projects in the future, which stand to
become more and more widespread
given the amount of aging institutional infrastructure that was built
according to outdated standards.

Conclusion
Design constraints for this project
have led to innovative electromechanical systems that significantly
reduced the energy consumption
of the building. Energy simulations
have proven to be an essential part
of the design and remain the best
tool to figure out where energy consumption goes and how it can be
reduced. These simulations showed
that energy recovery for exhausted
air, and heat recovery on cooling
Au g ust 2013

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ASHRAE Journal - August 2013

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