The Smart Sustainable Resilient Infrastructure Association (SSRIA) is here to present its Green Building Technologies Network (GBTN) Spotlight Series. This series will be featuring a project team once every other month until March 2023. The aim is to get to know the projects and teams working in the GBTN and support further collaboration, communication, and knowledge sharing among our members.

Our guest this month is BM Homes Ltd. welcome!

Project Type: Industrial | Retrofit
Project Aim: A new mixed-use commercial building that will house a restaurant on the main floor and residential units on the upper floors
Project Summary: Click here for the complete project summary
Innovation: mCHP application in a mixed-use commercial building

BM Homes is a small in-fill builder and renovator with big dreams! In the past years there has been much development from single-family homes, town houses, condos and office buildings now BM Homes is looking at innovation to stand out from the rest! Can you describe the innovation of mCHP (Micro Combined Heat and Power) being used on this project.

The purpose of this project is to develop and demonstrate a low carbon solution for small mixed-use commercial building utilizing advanced micro Combined Heat and Power (mCHP) technology. Alberta’s grid electricity has the highest carbon intensity in the country. mCHP technology employs a heat engine to simultaneously produce hot water and electricity on-site with high efficiency. Implementation of mCHP technology in Alberta is projected to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by over two-thirds. Furthermore, the building will rely solely on the clean electricity generated on-site, resulting in a reduction of over 40% of GHG emissions from the building’s operation.

The innovation is being applied to a mixed use residential and commercial building in downtown Edmonton.  The proposed building for this project is a 4,700 square foot three storey mixed-use building with two residential units on the upper levels and a restaurant on the main and lower levels. mCHP has it’s place in energy production can you explain why it hasn’t worked in residential and why this context makes sense to explore?

Combined Heat and Power (CHP) technology has been in existence for over a century, albeit in various forms. Approximately 90% of CHP systems are utilized in industrial applications on a large scale. On the other hand, small-scale CHP, specifically micro-Combined Heat and Power (mCHP), is a relatively new concept that is still in its developmental stages. Nevertheless, small-scale distributed CHP is considered to be the main driver for future CHP applications. mCHP systems operate by providing electricity and hot water simultaneously, but consistent hot water usage is required for optimal efficiency. In residential units, where hot water is typically only used for showering, the demand for hot water is insufficient, resulting in inefficient CHP operation. However, commercial and industrial operations that require consistent hot water usage, such as restaurants, hair salons, spas, and milk production facilities, can benefit significantly from the implementation of CHP technology, resulting in a much more efficient operation.

How much of the buildings heat and energy loads can be met by this system?

mCHP can generate 69,783 kWh per year and the total energy load is 128,201 kWh

What was the process to design and size an mCHP system on your project?

The size of the micro-Combined Heat and Power (mCHP) system is determined by the hot water usage requirements of both the restaurant and residential units.

Please describe the cost-effectiveness of this kind of system set-up in the small commercial context and what systems will be monitored to ensure that the design is functioning as intended and validated.

By using this kind of system save about 20% (31,874 kWh) annual utilities cost.

Looking forward to the success of this project, what do you think will be the biggest obstacle in encouraging other developers and property owners to utilize this technology in their projects?

In order to reduce costs associated with this system, it is imperative that the design consultant and related trades possess a thorough understanding of its mechanics.

Will the data collected from this project provide the needed scientific support to attract future projects in embracing these innovations?

Yes, all data will be shared for future projects

In your view, what will be the greatest reward or take-away from this project?

Yes, this project is a good demonstration of the technology and can help attract projects in all types of buildings.

In your view, what will be the greatest reward or take-away from this project?

The purpose of this project is to demonstrate and document the implementation of micro-Combined Heat and Power (mCHP) technology in a mixed-use senior residence and restaurant setting. This implementation can serve as a model for similar mixed-use applications, such as hair salons and spas, that require consistent hot water usage.


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