A grant from the Province of Manitoba is allowing the City of Selkirk to switch from natural gas heating to an air source heat pump at its Transit building, a move that reduces the city’s dependence on fossil fuels in city-owned buildings and reduces costs in the long run.
“Selkirk is continuing to find ways to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions and reliance on fossil fuels for heating and cooling of its buildings,” said CAO Duane Nicol.
“We’ve been innovative in coming up with affordable ways to accomplish these goals, and by switching to a cold climate air source heat pump for the Transit and Mobility building we’re reducing emissions, modernizing equipment and we’re reducing our relative energy costs.”
Reducing fossil fuel use to zero and reducing electrical costs
The Conservation and Climate Fund grant for electrical upgrades to the building, located at 460 Main Street, has allowed the city to move to air source heating quicker than anticipated.
“The city had planned to do electrical upgrades at the transit building this year, but mechanical upgrades weren’t scheduled yet,” said Director of Operations Dan McDermid.
“We’re reducing our use of fossil fuels to zero in that building and we’re reducing our electrical costs by using the air source heat pump, which has lower energy costs compared to an electric furnace.”
According to Efficiency Manitoba, energy-efficient heating and cooling technology like an air source heat pump can reduce heating costs by up to 30 per cent when compared to an electric furnace.
The cold climate air source heat pump works to minus 30 C and beyond that temperature the system switches to a backup electric furnace for the few days of the year that get that cold.
According to Natural Resources Canada, during the cold months, a heat pump uses electricity to extract heat from the outside air and transfer it into your home. The heat pump’s advanced technology enables it, even during Canada’s cold winter days, to extract heat from the outside air to heat your home. Although heat pumps are best known for heating, they also provide cooling by transferring warm indoor air to the outside. In fact, if you have an air conditioner at home, you are already familiar with heat pump technology – they work in the same way.
Transfers heat rather than generates heat
Heat pumps transfer heat rather than generate heat, making them energy-efficient while they provide comfortable temperatures for your home year-round.
Work on electrical upgrades at the Transit building have begun, and the air source heat pump will be operational by the fall.
The pump aligns with the city’s Community Strategic Plan that calls for improved environmental practices and services and its GHG Accountability Bylaw which mandates GHG reduction targets that are consistent with the Government of Canada’s targets.
City’s third building to go fossil-fuel free
Transit becomes the city’s third building to go fossil fuel free for heating and cooling, joining the wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) and water treatment plant.
The WWTP uses captured waste heat and electric heat, and the water treatment plant makes use of a geothermal system where a heat pump transfers heat to or from groundwater to heat or cool air temperature inside the building. In an innovative move, the city used its existing wells, making the switch affordable because the biggest expense in moving to geothermal is installing wells.
With air source pump heating, there’s no need to drill wells. That, combined with the availability of the provincial grant, make it affordable as well.
The city’s GHG reduction targets require the city operations to be net-zero by 2030 and the geothermal system along with the air source heat pump will help accomplish that. The city has reduced it corporate emissions by 15.5% between the years 2018-2023, despite expanding its fleet and increasing the number of city-owned buildings in those years.
The building will be the first in the city to make use of an air source heat pump. Part of the city’s long-term plan is to make all city buildings net zero for emissions, which means all city buildings will eventually transition away from fossil fuel usage.
