The SolarWall® system at Fred Douglas Place is projected
to offset 228 MWh (820 GJ) of natural gas and
keep over 40 tonnes of CO2 (annually) out of the atmosphere.
The new system is also estimated to save over
$9,150 a year in heating costs.
Fred Douglas Place
Year: 2009
Location: Winnipeg, Manitoba
Background
A SolarWall® system is an easily adaptable solution for some common issues facing multi-residential buildings. Most jurisdictions require common areas and hallways in multi residential facilities (condominiums, apartments, senior living centers, etc) to be continuously ventilated for general comfort. Heating this air with conventional means is expensive, which is why many housing authorities are including SolarWall® systems in both new and retrofit buildings. As an added benefit for older high rise buildings, the SolarWall® system can function both as a rain screen, and as a fresh air ventilation solar pre-heater. Fred Douglas Place is an apartment complex home to a community of active, independent citizens over the age of 55 in the heart of downtown Winnipeg. Designed to provide a quality environment, the volume of ventilation air required during the long cold Winnipeg winters was putting a strain on operating costs. While looking for a solution to lower heating costs the management at Fred Douglas Place decided to invest in a SolarWall® solar powered heating system.
Solution
The final SolarWall®design consisted of 6 columns (5 south-facing, 1 west-facing) integrated into the high-rise building between the windows. The system is metro brown (closely matching the window surround) and spans 3,555ft2 over 14 stories. The total system is sized to preheat 17,000 cfm of fresh air for the corridor make-up ventilation system.
FredDouglas_SolarWallCaseStudy_Y09(PDF)
