Red River College’s (RRC) Sustainable Infrastructure Technology Research Group (SITRG) will conduct an air leakage test on one of the most prominent office towers on Broadway. This will be the first in a series of buildings to be tested across Manitoba as part of a new applied research project launched by SITRG.
363 Broadway is undergoing a $4-million renovation to make the building more energy efficient and enhance its appearance – it involves completely replacing the building’s exterior.
“We will be testing for air leakage in the building, pre- and post-renovation,” says Rob Spewak, Research Manager with Applied Research and Commercialization (AR&C) at RRC. “Along with SITRG and Manitoba Hydro, RRC students will take part in this leading edge research using state-of-the-art tools and techniques to assess building energy performance.”
The renovation project will achieve energy savings through the installation of new glass panels that will have a special glazing. This will make them not only more energy efficient, but also allow up to 60 per cent more daylight into the building.
“In addition to high performance glazing, it is also essential to minimize air leakage to maximize energy savings and comfort as well as ensure long-term durability,” says Ken Klassen, RRC’s Centre for Applied Research in Sustainable Infrastructure (CARSI) Research Professional. “ Our test will determine how the new exterior stacks up versus the old, as well as versus Canadian building standards.”
AR&C is excited about the project as it satisfies a critical applied research need in the area of sustainable infrastructure. In 2009, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada awarded RRC $2.3 million to establish SITRG with a focus on improving the energy efficiency of buildings.
“We’ve attracted considerable capital and operational funding to establish RRC and SITRG as a leader in sustainable infrastructure research,” says Ray Hoemsen, Director of AR&C. “This project is a good example of industry recognizing the value we can offer in assessing innovative building technologies and inventions.”
RRC’s CARSI was utilized by Manitoba Hydro to test the advanced curtain wall system installed in its new Downtown Office Head Office Project, one of the most energy efficient office buildings in the world. See this video for more information: http://www.innovationcanada.ca/en/articles/building-smarts.
For more information, please contact:
Brent Wennekes
Technology Transfer and Communications Officer, AR&C
Red River College
204.631.3323
bwennekes@rrc.mb.ca