Client

Vancouver School Board (VSB)

Location

Vancouver, BC

In 2022, the Vancouver School Board (VSB) contacted Prism Engineering to investigate and develop a solution for malfunctioning heat pump systems at three elementary schools: Charles Dickens, Sir James Douglas, and J.W. Sexsmith.

Built in 2006, Charles Dickens is the oldest of the three schools. Sir James Douglas and J.W. Sexsmith were constructed in 2012 and 2013, respectively. The total floor area is 42,506 (Dickens), 54,390 (Douglas), and 44,020 (Sexsmith) square feet, and their facilities include classrooms, staff rooms, washrooms, multi-purpose areas, a gym, and a library, among others.

Project background

After almost a decade of unresolved issues and research for a viable solution, VSB asked Prism to review the schools’ heat pump system designs and propose solutions to fix them. The study was completed as part of BC Hydro’s Continuous Optimization (C-Op) for Commercial Buildings program.

Prism has extensive experience in recommissioning projects for school districts across British Columbia. Our team reviewed and provided appropriate control sequences for operating and stabilizing the schools’ heat pump systems.

Lower emissions and better indoor air quality

The recommended measures resulted in $27,000 in annual energy savings for the three schools and emissions reductions that ranged from 52% to 80%, depending on the school.

The sites also experienced better indoor air quality by implementing optimal start routines (morning warm-up mode), resulting in more comfortable temperatures and lower carbon dioxide levels inside the buildings.

In addition, the new measures have improved operational knowledge. Building managers understand the importance of avoiding high temperatures in the boiler to prevent heat pump failure and have a greater working knowledge of the HVAC systems. All of these aspects contribute to increasing the lifespan of the equipment.

Ultimately, the measures chosen by the schools for implementation demonstrated exceptional cost-effectiveness, with a payback period of under two years. Moreover, the fuel savings from replacing gas-fired boilers balanced out the increase in electricity consumption.

Award-winning project

The results achieved by this project earned Prism Engineering First Place in the ASHRAE BC Technology Awards for the 2023-24 year.