Mar 29 2010
A new eco-friendly operations centre was officially opened by ATCO Gas in Edmonton, Canada. The official opening of the facility was marked by a celebration.
The operations centre utilizes natural gas fueled geothermal heating, ventilating and cooling (HVAC) technology, making it the biggest commercial building in the country to adopt this renewable energy technology.
President and Chief Executive Officer, ATCO Group, Nancy Southern, said the operations centre by utilizing renewable energy technology in a commercial building establishes the company’s commitment to the environment. While reaffirming the company’s reputation in innovation in technology, a new sustainable building standard has also been set by the operations centre, Southern said.
The new operations centre with 55,000 square feet area uses the cleanest burning fossil fuel, natural gas, to operate the geothermal heat pump system. When compared to a similar size building that uses conventional means for heating, this facility uses about 40% less energy. The savings in energy is equal to curtailing emissions of 60 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide per annum.
In March 2009, a smaller geothermal facility was opened by ATCO in Viking, Alberta. Another operations centre in Airdrie is under construction which will feature geothermal technology. Hydro and solar are some of the green initiatives undertaken by the company.