With traditional energy sources becoming increasingly costlier, the scope of alternative energy is rapidly becoming the object of attention for several progressive business owners looking for sustainable, cleaner, and reliable energy solutions. Using renewable energy not only provides businesses and organizations with monetary benefits but also provides long lasting positive impact on the environment. In this article we take a look at what renewable energy entails and how businesses can leverage it.
WHAT IS RENEWABLE ENERGY?
Renewable energy refers to energy that is harvested from natural resources, which are inexhaustible in nature and can be easily replenished. This comprises carbon neutral sources like solar, wind, water, tides, geothermal heat as well as photovoltaic and biomass resources.
On the other hand, non-renewable energy resources which include fossil fuels such as oil, coal, natural gas, and others are consumed at a much faster rate than they are replenished. Because of the finite nature of non-renewable resources, renewable or alternative energy has been gaining a lot of momentum in many industries in order to fill in the energy gap created as these non-renewable resources get exhausted.
APPLICATIONS
Renewable energy is used to provide energy in four important areas including electricity generation, air and water heating or cooling, off-grid energy generation and transportation. It offers comparatively safer, cleaner, cheaper, and efficient energy than non-renewable energy as well as plays a critical role in replenishing non-renewable energy sources as well as mitigates the risks of climate change resulting from use of fossil fuels.
With the demand for efficient and reliable energy as well reduced environmental impact, alternative or renewable energy promises to be part of any sustainable energy management system for a business.
Here are some of the ways your business can leverage renewable energy.
- Environmental benefits: Renewable energy provides a clean source of energy compared to conventional energy generation sources. For example, a recent study revealed 29 percent of global warming emissions in the US results from the electricity sector from burning fossil fuels like oil, coal, and natural gas. However, most renewable energy sources generate little to no global warming emissions at all. In addition, by reducing carbon footprint, it also helps to improve overall air quality and public health. Due to air pollution and poor air quality, people all over the world suffer from serious health issues including respiratory diseases, neurological disorder, cardiovascular diseases, cancer, premature death, and a host of other health risks.
- Reliable energy: Most of the time non-renewable energy generated has to be distributed from source to usage area. During this process, a majority of the energy is wasted and there are also power disturbances. On the other hand, renewable energy is produced locally. As a result, it saves energy, prevents wastage, and mitigates the risk of power outage or fluctuation problems, thus benefiting your business.
- Cost-effective – Many traditional business owners tend to think renewable energy is costly and not at all financially feasible for their business model. However, in reality this form of energy is economically viable as it provides a safety net against increasing cost of electricity which is a major overhead cost for many businesses. For example, a study reveals that commercial property owners can reduce their electricity bill by 75 percent by simply installing solar panels.
- Get incentivized – Many governments all over the world including Canada, in order to mitigate climate change, have introduced several energy programs that provide significant incentives, tax rebates and grants for participating in clean energy programs and helping the world to be a safer and cleaner place. Your organization can benefit financially from this too. For Canadian organizations, you can find more resources here.
- Goodwill and brand recognition – Not only organizations and people working in the environment sector, but common people as well are becoming aware of the effects of climate change and the need to participate in cleaner, environment-friendly energy generation and consumption. As a business that employs sustainable business practices including using alternative energy sources, you can benefit from the goodwill of mass people and reinforcement of a positive brand image, which will reflect in increased sales and ROI.
- Employee loyalty– Studies have also shown that 64 percent people will not take up a job in a company that does not participate in corporate social responsibilities. As a result, by investing in alternative energy solutions, you will also be able to recruit and retain a team of talented employees that are loyal to your organization.
- Employment opportunities – The renewable energy sector is labor intensive and by investing in it, your organization will be creating more job opportunities in the market and contributing to overall socio-economic development.
Investing in renewable energy solutions can help your businesses beyond just significantly reducing energy bills and improving efficiency. Conventional energy solutions are increasingly becoming more costlier and disruptive day by day and the trend is likely to continue. Switching to alternative energy solutions will not only help your business alone but also have a positive impact for the future generation. A-TECH Engineering – a leading energy company based in Toronto provides innovative energy solutions including CHP, solar energy and more to help your business become sustainable while saving energy and reducing carbon footprint. Connect with us to learn more today.
A-TECH Engineering Ltd. a leading energy company based in Toronto is excited to announce that recently we have completed Building Controls Upgrades for new Rooftop Condensing Unit by Daikin at Angus Glen Community Centre with City of Markham and Sharpline HVAC Inc.. We successfully integrated the upgrade with existing BAS Control System onsite that included Siemens Desigo as well as completed the electrical work.
For any building automation and controls query or discuss the energy savings potential of your building, feel free to connect with us.
Technology has advanced by leaps and bounds over the years and has surely revolutionized many industries. The building system is also not so far behind that is set to see an all-new transformation. Whether it is residential or commercial or facility, modern buildings have undergone massive transformation in more than just appearance. They are no longer simply boxes with roofs and walls. Today’s buildings are intuitive, reactive, and preemptive in nature not only to external stimuli but also to internal stimuli, thanks to building innovation technologies. According to a study, smart building technology had been expected to reach 36 billion USD by 2020. In this article, we take a look at what AI or Artificial Intelligence is and how it is reshaping building automation and HVAC systems and creating smarter buildings for tomorrow.
AI and smart buildings
“Intelligence is not skill itself, it’s not what you can do, it’s how well and how efficiently you can learn new things.”- Francois Chollet, AI researcher at Google.
AI or Artificial Intelligence refers to creating intelligent machines, computers or programs that are capable of self-learning, adapting, and improvising in a new environment while applying that knowledge for various tasks and functions in an unfamiliar scenario without human intervention.
AI and buildings are a match made in heaven that has enabled streamlining, optimizing, and revolutionizing the functionality of buildings, thus resulting in smarter buildings for the future.
Before, we already had a prevalence of technologies that added to building functionality and provided better experience to occupants such as CCTV system, fire alarms, smoke detectors and so on. However, today, the building technology industry has grown exponentially and includes a plethora of systems and sensors such as temperature, humidity, co2 monitoring and so on. These are able to store a wide range of data, perform a myriad of tasks that not only add to the occupant experience and comfort but also benefit various stakeholders such as facility managers, property managers. These results in ensuring that the buildings are running efficiently without any hiccup and provides maximum energy savings.
With the triple power of AI, IoT and building systems, the future buildings are set to be smarter and a lot more intelligent than ever.
AI in Building Automation
With the aid of incredibly advanced IoT solutions, massive volumes of insightful data are continuously collected from every system of a building. This data gathered provides a great resource and has the potential to help facility managers or building owners with meaningful, actionable insights in making better informed decisions to improve efficiency, reduce carbon emission, improve occupant comfort as well maximize energy savings by 25-35%. As such, AI plays a significant role in transforming the raw data into actionable insights without any human intervention at all. Without this powerful AI technology, the data gathered is rendered meaningless or at least will require a host of other resources, making the entire process costly and cumbersome.
However, with AI, building managers can make sure operational efficiency is much higher, utilize resources reliably, and improve the overall comfort level of occupants.
AI in HVAC system
The HVAC system is without any doubt an important component of any building system and also known to be one of the major energy consumers, sometimes accounting for about more than 50% of the building’s energy use. As a result, it makes sense to integrate AI into HVAC systems making them more efficient, intuitive as well as environment friendly. Although AI technology has been largely employed in smart buildings as well as other industries, its involvement in the HVAC system has been fairly less. In addition, HVAC system use depends largely on external environment factors like temperature, weather and season. However, it is generally built for a stable or static environment which not only disrupts the performance of HVAC systems but also overtime reduces their efficiency and increases energy bills despite having regular service and maintenance.
Now with the addition of AI in HVAC system, such as Brainbox AI, makes the HVAC system from reactive to preemptive in nature, relying on a combination of deep learning, cloud-based computing, and a process that enable a continuously self-operating system without any human involvement and provides maximum system efficiency as well as significant energy savings. With the power of AI, facility managers, property owners can also leverage data from various point sources and utilize those data to make better informed decisions seamlessly.
The world is changing exponentially nowadays with the advancement of technology and modern facilities and building managers are increasingly becoming aware of not only providing exceptional value to occupant experience but also using resources in a smart and reliable way, and this is only possible with the integration of AI and IoT into building automation and control systems.
A-TECH Engineering Ltd.- a leading building automation and HVAC controls provider based in Toronto – offers IoT-enabled building automation as well Brainbox AI reselling services to ensure not only optimum efficiency but also a seamless and hassle-free user experience that requires the least human intervention. Connect with an A-TECH team member today and find out how we can take your building automation to the next level of efficiency, energy savings and occupant comfort.
STER-OL Infection Control Specialist and A-TECH Engineering Ltd. today announced the availability of sterilization packages aimed at solving current emergency disinfection needs while addressing poor ventilation as a superior preventive measure for COVID-19 transmission.
STER-OL Infection Control Specialist, currently used in both healthcare and commercial settings in and around Toronto uses state-of-the-art technology, SteraMist® developed by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) in response to the 2001 Amerithanx attacks to neutralize anthrax. It was further developed to terminate hard to kill airborne and surface pathogens with a 99.9999% success rate. The system was then used to eradicate MERS in Seoul Korea, and in the global fight against Ebola in 2015. STER-OL Infection Control is now using the system to sterilize any type of environment in various sectors, including healthcare/ambulances, commercial, residential and transportation.
A-TECH Engineering Ltd., an advanced energy company with their vast experience in Building Automation and HVAC Controls, provides the necessary skills and expertise to evaluate, diagnose and implement necessary building ventilation improvements needed to reduce potential future transmissions of COVID-19. A-TECH Engineering employs a unique process that can penetrate HVAC coils at any depth and provide superior disinfection that can kill germs and microbes efficiently. The process is completely safe, fast, and requires no downtime. It not only improves indoor air quality and reduces COVID-19 spread and transmission, but also increases HVAC efficiency and lifespan. Additionally, A-TECH Engineering provides access to tailored indoor air quality (IAQ) monitoring solutions allowing real-time tracking and alerts directly to building personnel enabling faster action to be implemented.
Together, STER-OL Infection Control Specialist and A-TECH Engineering Ltd. deliver a fully integrated complete solution when addressing COVID-19 in any building creating enhanced safety for all occupants.
For more information, please contact:
Cory McCracken
VP – Sales & Marketing
A-TECH Engineering
cory.mccracken@atecheng.ca
647-556-5544
Natalie Weber
VP – Business Development
STER-OL Infection Control
nataliew@ster-ol.ca
416-999-2026
About STER-OL Infection Control Specialist
STER-OL Infection Control Specialist provides superior disinfection/decontamination services using the most advanced technology on the market. The touch-free application of SteraMist®, is the world’s most effective disinfection system which allows us to safely sterilize any environment, with minimal to no interruption. No clean-up is required before or after treatments, and no residues or odours are left behind.
- First developed by Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) in response to the 2001 Anthrax Attacks
- Further developed for the purpose of neutralization of hard to kill spores
- International used in the global fight to eradicate Ebola 2015 and MERS in Seoul South Korea
- SteraMist is proven to kill all known bacteria, spores and inactivate all known viruses on surface by a “six-log” or 99.9999% reduction
About A-TECH Engineering
A-TECH Engineering is an advanced energy company that works to create smart, efficient and healthy buildings with innovative IoT-empowered building automation and integrated HVAC systems in addition to providing power and emission reduction solutions.
- Building controls and automation
- Data analytics and monitoring via smart cloud
- IoT and AI energy solutions
- Smart building optimization and system integration
- Ventilation and indoor air quality improvement
Several organizations today are inclined towards sustainable business practices with the aim to conserve the environment. In addition, the need to reduce exorbitant energy costs and enhance efficiency drives organizations in every industry. This is why many progressive organizations actively look for alternatives to traditional energy use such as electricity and heat. As such, one of the widely used energy generating methods is using CHP or commonly known as combined heat and power. This method provides organizations with a number of benefits in comparison to the traditional thermal and electricity production. However, before going into that, let us delve deeper into what CHP is, how it works and its many advantages.
WHAT IS CHP?
Combined heat and power, also known as cogeneration, refers to the combined use of a heat engine or power station to generate electricity and heat concurrently. Cogeneration offers a much more efficient method to use energy as it generates electricity and converts the excess heat which can be used in a productive way such as for heating water, the space itself, or something else. In this way, it does not waste the excess heat produced. Cogeneration or CHP have been prevalent for decades during the earliest development of electrical generation. Before power stations were in use, industries producing local power used exhaust steam in heating. Large commercial and residential buildings, facilities like hotels, and stores usually generated their own power and used the waste steam for heating systems.
There are a number of CHP systems available, however, two of the most common CHP systems are:
- Combustion turbine, or reciprocating engine, with heat recovery device
- Steam boiler with steam turbine
There is also trigeneration, also known as combined cooling, heat, and power (CCHP), which refers to the concurrent production of electricity and useful heating and cooling from a single heat source such as fuel or solar energy.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
CHP units such as combustion CHP systems usually work by burning fuel to turn generators for producing electricity and using a device to store heat that can be reused or by producing steam that can be used to turn a turbine to run a generator for producing electricity as is the case of steam turbines. The steam is then used to generate additional thermal energy for some other use.
CHP units can come in various sizes and can provide service to large residential buildings as well as
generation plants used for running factories or warehouses.
APPLICATIONS
CHP has been widely prevalent in many industries since the 1900s as it is looked upon as a more efficient form of energy production. It Is used widely in several industries, facilities and buildings including:
- Commercial buildings—office, hotels, health clubs, nursing homes
- Residential buildings—condominiums, co-ops, apartments, gated community
- Facilities—schools, colleges and universities, hospitals, military bases
- Power —wastewater treatment facilities, district energy systems
- Industries—chemical, refining, paper, food processing, glass manufacturing, etc.
In addition, they are typically installed in facilities or locations that require both electricity and thermal energy. This is also called combined heat and power district heating since the energy generated is used locally and the process minimizes loss of energy and increases efficiency. Although the biggest advantage of using the CHP system is its efficiency, it has a number of other benefits as well.
Increased Efficiency
Usually, traditional electricity production allows heat to escape into the environment. This results in almost two-thirds of the energy to be lost. On the other hand, combined heat and power generation reuse the heat eliminating waste. As a result, CHP enabled systems can effortlessly have efficiencies higher than 90% whereas traditional electrical and thermal generation provide only up to 50% efficiency.
Reduces Carbon Footprint
Many organizations today are extremely conscious towards employing sustainable solutions that are highly environment friendly. Combined heat and power enabled system generally consumes less fuel than methods of electricity production. This reduces greenhouse gas emissions and other harmful pollutants, enabling your organization to reduce its carbon footprint.
Provides Uninterrupted Power Supply
Since CHP systems are highly efficient, they also reduce energy costs for buildings or facilities. In addition, as the source is installed on-site, it provides energy generation even during local power disruptions, thereby ensuring there is no downtime in your operations. Usually around 7% of energy can be lost when a grid is used to transfer energy from the source of power generation to the end user, thereby increasing the overall efficiency of CHP.
Although the CHP system requires installation and maintenance cost, the benefit it brings to your organization largely offsets the cost with increased efficiency and energy savings as well as reducing energy waste and carbon footprint. A-TECH Engineering – an advanced energy company based in Toronto provides innovative energy solutions including cogeneration or CHP systems. There are several criteria to assess before a CHP unit can be installed in your building or facility to suit your goals and needs. Connect with an A-TECH specialist to discuss the scope of work for your building and transform your building into an energy saving one.
