News
Launch of an Important Energy Efficiency Project in Matane
The CISSS of Bas-Saint-Laurent kicked off the project aimed at optimizing the energy efficiency of its buildings located in Matane: the hospital, the CLSC and the CHSLD.
Once completed, the work will help reduce energy consumption by 34% and greenhouse gas emissions by 66%. In order to achieve these results, the project promotes renewable energy in the form of air-source energy produced mainly by heat pump systems. The installation of these thermal pumping systems will enable to collect energy from the heat found both in the external environment and the buildings’ internal sources. In addition to these measures, more than 3,000 fluorescent lighting fixtures will be replaced with more efficient and environmentally friendly devices. Moreover, new ventilation system control strategies, renewed domestic hot water production equipment and other mechanical infrastructure will have an immediate effect on the operating costs, while improving the comfort of users.
« The project will reduce unit energy consumption from 1.73 GJ/sq. m/year (per gigajoule) to 1.24 GJ/sq. m/year, making Matane buildings a model of energy performance », stressed Mr. Martin Legault, Technical Services Director at the CISSS of Bas-Saint-Laurent.
The $3.5 million required investment benefited from significant financial support from the Ministry of Health and Social Services (regional budgets) and Hydro-Québec, for a total of $1.3 million. Thanks to the $345,000 recurrent annual energy savings and to financial support, the project will be self-financed over a period of 6 years.
In order to promote the project and to raise awareness among the community, a communication campaign is on its way. « We are fortunate to be working in collaboration with Philippe Giroux, a renowned artist of our region. He has accepted the challenge of producing a mural, inspired by the theme of energy efficiency, which will be exposed in Matane hospital this fall », mentioned Mr. Francois Dubé, Coordinator of services for the operation and maintenance of physical facilities and capital project – East Pole of the CISSS of Bas-Saint-Laurent.
A strict selection process, started in spring 2014, led Énergère to be awarded this major energy optimization contract. With the support of local contractors, the company will conduct the work and assist the institutions involved until March 2016, while monitoring the project’s performance until 2022.
Check the project and the mural’s progress by heading to the CISSS of Bas-Saint-Laurent’s Flickr account at the following address: flickr.com/photos/installationsdematane or directly on Philippe Giroux’s Facebook page.
Francois Dussault, Main Project Director, institutional sector at Énergère and François Dubé,
Coordinator of services for the operation and maintenance of physical facilities and capital project,
East Pole of Bas-Saint-Laurent’s CISSS.
