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TORONTO, Ontario, CA, 2004-08-25 (Refocus Weekly) One of the world’s largest green heat systems has been commissioned in Canada’s largest city.
Enwave’s Deep Lake Water Cooling system can provide cooling for 130 office towers in the downtown core. The system pumps water of 4°C temperature from a depth of 83 m below Lake Ontario, which is used to chill Enwave's cooling plant before it is distributed to customers for air conditioning.
The earth energy system is used in cooling mode only, after which it is distributed for potable water consumption throughout the city. The project produces enough air conditioning for 20 million square feet of office space, and initial customers include the Air Canada Centre, Metro Toronto Convention Centre, Royal Bank Plaza, TD Centre and Steam Whistle Brewing.
“This is truly the energy of the future, available today,” says Enwave president Dennis Fotinos. “It offers so many benefits to businesses, developers, public sector buildings, the environment and the city of Toronto. It's clean, renewable, reliable energy.”
Compared with traditional space cooling, the system reduces electricity use by 75% and will eliminate 40,000 tonnes of CO2, equal to taking 8,000 cars off of the streets. It also frees 59 MW from the Ontario electrical grid.
“Switching from harmful fossil fuels to clean, renewable energy is one of the biggest challenges of the 21st century,” says actor Alec Baldwin who was invited to open the project. “It's something that every city, every region and every country is going to have to face - sooner if we're smart and can anticipate, or later if we delay and are forced to react. And the way we deal with it might just determine whether our generation is judged for better or for worse by those who follow us.”
“Personally, I believe we can meet the challenge,” he says. “It will take a little will, a lot of imagination and some hard work. I want to congratulate Enwave and the people of Toronto for showing the world that it is possible to take a giant step into a clean and renewable future.”
Enwave is owned by the City of Toronto and the Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System. The opening ceremony included an announcement that $10 million will be invested in the Enwave system by the Green Municipal Fund that is administered by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities.
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