Humber College receives $1M from feds for HVAC retrofit
October 31, 2023 | By HPAC Magazine
The Toronto-area college is upgrading the heating and cooling systems at its north campus by switching from a steam-based system to a hot water system generating heat using mostly electricity.
As part of Canada’s Low Carbon Economy Challenge, Humber College has been awarded $1 million from the federal government to fund the institution’s sustainable infrastructure project, SWITCH.
This project will upgrade the heating and cooling systems at Humber’s north campus and also reduce its natural gas use by switching from a steam-based system, constructed in 1972, to a hot water system generating heat mostly using electricity.
SWITCH will unify heating and cooling on campus by connecting all buildings to the central plant, decreasing energy use, and reducing Humber’s overall greenhouse gas emissions by 30%.
The new system will recover heat from the cooling system using specialized heat pumps, adding to the project’s efficiency. A battery storage system will be installed to take advantage of off-peak benefits when emissions from electricity are lower and energy costs are reduced.
This November, the first buildings at Humber’s north campus will begin using heat from SWITCH, and the project is expected to be fully operational by the end of 2024.
The project will also serve as a Living Lab for students and will provide work integrated learning opportunities.
