ASHRAE Toronto's March 7, 2011 meeting will be held in the East Ballroom of the Toronto Board of Trade, 100 King Street West, First Canadian Place at 6:30 p.m. with cocktails starting at 5:30 p.m.  Food is going to be catered by Oliver & Bonacini.    The technical tour of the BMO First Canada Place Building will start in front of the elevators for the Toronto Board of Trade at 3:50 pm sharp.

Towering 72 floors above Toronto's Financial District, First Canadian Place has remained Canada's tallest business landmark since 1975.

Brookfield Properties, in partnership with its co-owners, is embarking on a multi-faceted rejuvenation project that will transform this classic corporate icon and redefine its position as the country's premier address for business.

With a brilliant new white glass exterior curtain wall, FCP will once again be a sleek and commanding silhouette on the city's skyline. The newly designed common areas will combine modern aesthetics with urban elegance. A new standard for sustainability and operational efficiency will be achieved with the introduction of the latest electrical and mechanical systems while providing the ultimate in comfort for tenants.

New Office Chiller Plant and HVAC Modernization

FCP will upgrade its HVAC system by investing in new chillers to modernize its existing chiller plant. This important upgrade will enable the building to reconfigure to a consolidated HVAC looped system. Equipped with full back-up chillers, this new system will provide seamless heating and cooling. It also offers the flexibility to operate on a reduced demand basis, equating to increased efficiency and lowering overall energy costs for the property.

Digital Controls

New DDC controls will replace existing pneumatic valves that currently regulate the temperature for the perimeter induction units. DDC controls will allow the tenants to have greater control over the temperature in their space resulting in an improved level of comfort and convenience.

Fresh Air

FCP is implementing a monitoring and upgrading program to create further efficiencies that will rebalance the air in order to ensure an even higher air quality level. Base building design, compliant with ASHRAE, is capable of supplying 30 CFM of fresh air per 150 square feet of leasable space with an air circulation rate of 6.6 air changes per hour.

Motor Upgrades

FCP has taken advantage of the BOMA CDM program that pays up to 40% of the cost of energy Conservation and Demand Management initiatives to upgrade the water pumping and air distribution fans in our HVAC systems. Working with engineers to closely match our fans and pumps to actual system requirements, we are able to fine-tune usage needs using an upgraded automation system and through the replacement of existing equipment with smaller and more efficient units with Variable Speed Drives ("VSDs"). We are able to fine tune to meet changing needs through occupied and unoccupied periods using an upgraded automation system. The energy savings combined with BOMA CDM rebates can result in a return on investment in less than three years.

Tour (BMO First Canadian Place):

The technical tour of the BMO First Canada Place Building will gather in front of the elevators for the Toronto Board of Trade at 3:50 pm on March 7, 2011. The tour will include access to mechanical rooms, architectural features, and electrical rooms of the building. Further information will be provided to the tour attendees closer to the date. There are only 30 places available for this tour therefore it will be required that in order to participate in the tour you must be an Toronto ASHRAE member in good standing and you must also be attending the dinner portion of the evening. Please see below for registration details.

Dinner Topics and Speakers:

ASHRAE Standard 189.1

Standard 189.1 was created in a collaborative effort between ASHRAE, the USGBC, and the IES with the end goal to help reduce the impact of the "build" on the environment. The group undertook an extensive program to develop this standard with input from all segments of industry and the public.

Provisions in this standard can reduce negative environmental impacts through high-performance building design, construction, and operations practices.

Standard 189.1:

• ANSI standard developed in model code language
• Provides minimum requirements for high-performance, green buildings
• Applies to all buildings except low-rise residential buildings                     (similar to ASHRAE/IESNA Std 90.1)
• It is not a design guide and not a green building rating system
• It is included as an optional Jurisdictional Compliance Path in the International Green Construction Code (IgCC)

Standard 189.1 is "green" becoming standard practice or code. Standard 189.1 establishes "mandatory criteria" in all topic areas, whereas existing green building rating systems contain few mandatory provisions.

Donald Stepien, P.Eng. - Speaker for ASHRAE Standard 189.1

Don Stepien, President, Isotherm Engineering Ltd. is a long standing ASHRAE member. He is a member of the PEO and the Building Commissioning Association. He represents Isotherm Engineering at the Ontario Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Association (ORAC) and at HRAI. Mr. Stepien graduated from University of Waterloo with a Bachelor of Applied Science in Mechanical Engineering. From 1977 to 1990, Don worked at Temprite Industries Ltd. (custom packaged HVAC equipment manufacturer) in a variety of leadership positions culminating in the position of Sales Manager. He has worked for the past 20 years at Isotherm Engineering with responsibilities including mechanical design, project management, contract documents, building commissioning, mechanical systems operation and maintenance, and administration. Mr. Stepien has experience coordinating various aspects of design, working with owners, architects, specialty consultants (such as LEED and Code consultants), electrical engineers, and structural engineers. Past projects include commercial, industrial, and institutional buildings.

LEED Green Building Rating System

The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System® encourages and accelerates global adoption of sustainable green building and development practices through the creation and implementation of universally understood and accepted tools and performance criteria.

LEED is a third-party certification program and an internationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings. It provides building owners and operators the tools they need to have an immediate and measurable impact on their buildings' performance.

LEED promotes a whole-building approach to sustainability by recognizing performance in five key areas of human and environmental health:

• sustainable site development
• water efficiency
• energy efficiency
• materials selection
• indoor environmental quality

The Canadian rating systems are an adaptation of the US Green Building Council's (USGBC) LEED Green Building Rating System, tailored specifically for Canadian climates, construction practices and regulations. The rating systems are adapted to the Canadian market through an inclusive process that engages stakeholders and experts representing the various sectors of the Canadian industry.

Event Registration:

We ask that you pre-register for the dinner and tour at your earliest convenience online at www.torontoashrae.com then select "Meetings and Events" from the left tab and the "Register" button for the March Dinner Meeting. You may also still register through the ASHRAE chapter office (Sabrina Tai - 905 602 4714 or stai@hrai.ca). Please indicate at time of registration if you have any specific meal requirements. The food is catered by Oliver & Bonacini. There will always be a vegetarian option, but we need to know how many of these plates to order.

ASHRAE Toronto and BOMA Toronto members pay $40. The charge for Guests Attending this meeting is $65 and Students pay $20. If registering for the tour please first register for the dinner meeting and then contact Sabrina to indicate that you would be interested in attending the tour. She will confirm the availability of spots and send you a confirmation email. As mentioned, due to the restrictions on this tour we will only be able to accommodate Toronto ASHRAE members who will also be attending the dinner meeting. The tour is first come first serve so please register ASAP if you hope to attend the tour.  

Canada Green Building Council - Event Partner:

ASHRAE Toronto would like to thank Canada Green Building Council - GTA Chapter for their partnership on this event. Canada Green Building Council GTA members are encouraged to register for this event through their standard registration process. Further information about this month's meeting with the Canada Green Building Council -GTA Chapter can be found at www.greenbuildingontario.ca

Need Assistance?

Feel free to contact Imtee Baksh (imtee.h.baksh@gmail.com) or Marco Ottavino (marco.ottavino@gmail.com), ASHRAE Toronto Programs Chairs, for further details.