Arctic College visualizes, then builds, more efficient buildings

Software from Integrated Environmental Solutions (IES) helped Canada’s Arctic College improve the energy efficiency of two of its Nunavut Research Institute (NRI) buildings.

Located in a remote part of Canada with extremely high heating demands and energy costs, the Government of Nunavut Community and Government Services (GN CGS) brought in MCW Custom Energy Solutions to find ways to improve the energy efficiency design for two new research buildings. MCW used IES’s Virtual Environment (VE) software justify design changes that led to a reduction in annual energy use for each building of 12 and 13 percent, respectively, beyond the original design.

“The Virtual Environment allowed us to see the impact our ideas would have on the energy consumption of these buildings,” said Brian Tysoe, mechanical engineer and building simulation specialist at MCW.

“The NRI project presented a unique challenge due to its heating intensive climate and the fact that energy has to be shipped on-site in the form of fuel oil,” added Don McLean, founder and CEO of IES. “Arctic College needed sound advice to tackle extremely high operating costs.”