Ottawa Construction News staff writer
The Ottawa Hospital (TOH) and Hydro Ottawa will partner to build an energy efficient central utility plant to support the new hospital and expand sustainable energy generation in Ottawa.
TOH President and CEO Cameron Love and Hydro Ottawa President and CEO Bryce Conrad have signed a memorandum of understanding to move forward with planning and construction of the new plant.
The new central utility plant will support emergency power, heating, cooling, steam, and domestic hot water requirements for the new hospital. Its high-efficiency design will implement innovative technology to lower TOH’s overall carbon footprint, with a focus on electrifying thermal loads. The plant will be capable of supplying the new hospital with enough power to ensure that the systems that support patient health and safety will remain operational throughout disruptions to the normal power grid.
“The Ottawa Hospital is committed to environmental sustainability and improving planetary health at all our sites, and this is a core planning principle as we move forward with the design of our new campus,” said Mr. Love “We are incredibly proud to be partnering with Hydro Ottawa on a project that will pave the way for more sustainable energy in health care, support the health of our community and have an impact well beyond the walls of our hospital.”
As development on the site progresses, new buildings will be networked to the plant to ensure their systems are operating at peak performance and to transfer unused energy to other buildings to improve overall efficiency and sustainability on the site.
Over time, the central utility plant at the new campus will become a cornerstone of Hydro Ottawa’s new district energy network, improving access to clean energy in our community.
As it expands beyond the site of TOH’s new campus, the energy network will become more efficient and will create opportunities to incorporate more renewable energy sources.
“By collaborating with The Ottawa Hospital on a new central utility plant, Hydro Ottawa will lower the carbon footprint and create a more sustainable future for our community,” said Mr. Conrad. “With the push for electrification, our deep community roots, and our expertise in energy conservation, efficiency and renewable energy generation, this collaboration is a shining example of the innovative solutions required as we lead the way to a smart energy future.”
Final design of the new central utility plant will take place in the coming year, and construction on the plant is slated to begin in 2025.
