New heaters take shine off green building

subscribe

One of PEI's most environmentally friendly buildings has had to supplement its green systems with some old-fashioned electric heaters for the comfort of the people who work there.

When the Jean Canfield Building, a five-storey federal office tower in downtown Charlottetown, opened two years ago it included a number of new technologies to lessen its ecological impact. On its roof sits the largest single solar power system in Canada. It can generate up to 139 kW of electricity.

But now some of that power will be used to operate about 75 new electric heaters. The heaters were installed in the existing floor vents, after employees who work next to windows complained about the cold.

Kerry Taylor, director of Public Works Canada for PEI, said this kind of change in a new building is not unusual.

"This is something that you find when you open a big building like this," said Taylor.

"There are some things you have to add, there are maybe some things you have to take out to make it more efficient, and that's pretty common in any building whether it's government or private sector."

Taylor says the heaters will only be used on the very coldest winter days.

There are still some adjustments to be made with the heaters, with some workers complaining it is now too hot near the vents.

Related News

solar power construction

Coronavirus could stall a third of new U.S. utility solar this year: report

WASHINGTON - About 5 gigawatts (GW) of big U.S. solar energy projects, enough to power nearly 1 million homes, could suffer delays this year if construction is halted for months due to the coronavirus pandemic, according to a report published on Wednesday.

The forecast, a worst-case scenario laid out in an analysis by energy research firm Wood Mackenzie, would amount to about a third of the utility-scale solar capacity expected to be installed in the United States this year.

The report comes two weeks after the head of the top U.S. solar trade group called the coronavirus pandemic "a crisis here" for…

READ MORE
The Four Corners Power Plant

Renewables surpass coal in US energy generation for first time in 130 years

READ MORE

Over 30% of Global Electricity from Renewables

Over 30% of Global Electricity from Renewables

READ MORE

power lines

Power firms win UK subsidies for new Channel cables project

READ MORE

Opinion: The dilemma over electricity rates and innovation

READ MORE