The Canadian GeoExchange Coalition (CGC) recently handed out its 2014 Excellence Awards to regional geothermal heat pump projects that showcased complexity and quality of installation and design. The 2014 prizes of excellence were awarded to R+O Énergie (Quebec) for the Polyvalente La Pocatière and to The City of Richmond (British Columbia) for the Alexandra District Energy Utility.
The Polyvalente La Pocatière is a 30-year old school that was retrofitted with a range of new technologies, including 45 vertical pipe loops and a ground source heat pump system of 500 ft., which operates on four different heating modes. The project resulted in a 60 per cent reduction in electricity consumption and the complete elimination of all fossil fuels.
The Alexandra District Energy Utility (ADEU) is a system that centralizes energy production for heating and cooling, servicing residential and commercial customers in the West Cambie neighbourhood of Richmond, BC. The project was put in operation in July 2012 and the utility uses ground source heat pump technology to extract heat from the ground via a network of vertical pipe loops. The utility provides renewable energy to more than 600 units, which results in the reduction of up to 1125 tons of GHG annually.