On the roof of Edmonton’s Windermere Fire Station No. 31, 3865 Allan Dr. S. W., the first of 382 solar panels has been installed.
According to Shannon Fitzsimmons, facility planning & design director for the City of Edmonton’s integrated infrastructure services department, “this is the first building we’ve designed and completed as a net-zero building.”
That implies that the structure produces energy. It produces the same amount of energy that it consumes in a year.
“We have a lot of experience planning and constructing fire stations. We collaborate extensively with our partners, and we are aware of how to operate a structure like this, Fitzsimmons added.
In addition to the solar array, there is a geothermal area where ground-source heat is used for both heating and cooling.
Inside the station, an insulated floor acts like a thermos, keeping the heat or cold in the building.
“To capitalize on the area that we have within the site, we dropped 35 boreholes 75 metres down which allows the exchange of — in the summertime, keep the building cool and in wintertime keep building warm,” said Jesse Banford, facility infrastructure delivery director with the city.
This pilot project has a roughly $18 million overall budget.
In a capital project like this, we invest in improved systems, but we also benefit from lower operational expenses over time, according to Fitzsimmons.
The idea is intriguing, according to Tiffany Edgecombe, deputy fire chief for training and logistics at Edmonton Fire Rescue Services (EFRS).
Edgecombe added, “We’re excited for the chance to live and work out of the city’s first net-zero building and it’s getting close.
The new station will also enable EFRS to boost the quality of its services.
Back in 2017, this section of the city was noted as having needs.
Edgecombe explained that it will provide “a wider coverage area, better capacity to satisfy our service level requirements in the neighbourhood.”
We already know that the Terwillegar and Heritage Valley stations currently provide service to this area. ”
By the spring of next year, the Windermere station is anticipated to be open for business.
Beginning with Edmonton’s first net-zero energy fire station, the installation of solar panels
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