Client

Fraser Valley Regional District (FVRD)

Location

Hope, BC

Prism carried out a low carbon electrification (LCE) study and provided recommended measures to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions on behalf of the Fraser Valley Regional District. The purpose of the study was to identify energy savings opportunities integrated with a supplementary Ground Source Heat Pump System for Hope Recreation Centre. Measures are also proposed to mitigate the increase in electric demand. The arena ice slab is 44 years old and at end-of-life. Prism investigated the replacement of the site’s ammonia ice plant with alternative refrigerants.

The recommended projects provide an opportunity to electrify most of the heating load at Hope Recreation Centre. This include integrating all heating loads into a single water loop, served by the retrofit ice plant, cooling loads (air-conditioning and natatorium dehumidification heat recovery), and a supplemental gas-fired heating plant. Heat recovered can be sent to whichever load requires it, minimizing gas use. It requires replacing the existing AHU heating coils and natatorium dehumidification heat recovery system.

Three retrofit ice plant/heat recovery options were proposed:

  1. Synthetic refrigerant ice plant, supplying 35°C heating water, stepped up to 65°C by a secondary heat recovery chiller (HRC) which also provides chilled water for cooling.
  2. CO2 ice plant, with glycol circulated through the slab, supplying 50°C heating water and serving both the ice slab and recreation centre cooling loads directly.
  3. CO2 ice plant, with CO2 refrigerant circulated directly through the slab, and supplying 50°C heating water, with a supplemental HRC serving the cooling loads.

The first two options are combined with an under-slab thermal storage buffer for demand savings. Through the options provided in this study, FVRD could reduce it GHG emissions by 80%-95%.