The Cap Pele public library was built in 2009 as part of the town of Cap Pele’s plan to build a modern and spacious area for its residents. The building features an activity room, a meeting room, a reading corner for children, an outdoor patio, and space for teens.
The public library was constructed as a meeting space and community gathering area, but the village also wanted to make the building as environmentally friendly as possible. After signing up to Efficiency NB’s Start Smart Performance Path Incentive Program (now discontinued), Stephane Dallaire, the general director of the Village of Cap Pele, started to learn more about the different energy efficient technologies available for a building like the public library.
“We spoke about the different systems and possibilities for an energy efficient building, which resonated well with the municipality’s goals for sustainable construction, and it stuck with me.”
In the end, the building boasts in-floor radiant heat, air conditioning, and domestic hot water serviced by geothermal heat pumps. The building also has other environmentally friendly options included such as a heat recovery ventilator, high-efficiency T5 fluorescent lamps using electronic ballasts, and Low-E coated, argon filled double pane windows.
The crowning piece of technology for the public library is, without a doubt, the geothermal units that provide sustainable and highly efficient heating, cooling and domestic hot water for the building. In order to comfortably heat and cool this space, four 16 ton water to water Nordic commercial heat pumps were selected. After a year of operation, Stephane had nothing but positive things to say about the Nordic commercial heat pumps:
“Because of them we aren’t subjected to the fluctuations in energy prices, which is great for our budget as well as the environment.”
The geothermal heat pumps contributed to a 40% decrease in energy usage compared to a similar building with conventional equipment, bringing their energy costs to approximately $10,000 for the year. By installing geothermal heat pumps, the Cap Pele public library was able to save about $6,500 on their energy costs in one year.
Not only do geothermal heat pumps allow for unparalleled energy savings, these machines also offer premium comfort. The staff at the Cap Pele public library were pleasantly surprised to find they could control the temperature in many different parts of the building, allowing for maximum comfort.
By selecting commercial geothermal heat pumps, residents of Cap Pele know that the public library helping the environment, saving them money, and providing a comfortable space for the community to gather.
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