HÂþ»­

Skip to main content

Existing building upgrades

Learn about retrofits and upgrades that have been made to existing campus buildings to increase sustainability.

How we are improving our building efficiencies

HÂþ»­ is improving the energy and water efficiency of our existing buildings through annual facility renewal projects, specific sustainability projects, and deep whole building retrofits. In the last decade, many projects have been completed including:

  • campus-wide lighting and water fixture upgrades 

  • solar installations

  • house energy retrofits 

  • HVAC upgrades

  • commercial kitchen upgrades 

  • compressed air leakage audits and remediation

  • high efficiency pumping 

  • building controls setbacks

  • °ù±ð³¦´Ç³¾³¾¾±²õ²õ¾±´Ç²Ô¾±²Ô²µÌý

  • urinal tank sensor retrofits

  • active transportation infrastructure upgrades 

  • full building deep retrofits

  • storm water retention such as permeable pavement 

Low-carbon energy

HÂþ»­ has two district energy systems (DE), also called low-carbon thermal energy networks, that connect over 95% of our built environment.  

Upgrades have included:

  • converting the DE system from steam to hot water at two campuses  

  • upgrading the biomass boiler at the Agricultural campus to a biomass co-generation system with a biomass thermal oil heater and Organic Rankine Cycle turbine

Future sustainability projects

A number of projects are in the planning and implementation phase including upgrading more of the steam systems to hot water, implementing more whole building deep retrofits, adding more solar pv, reducing once through water cooling, optimizing building controls and DE systems, making major Halifax Central heating plant upgrades, equipment upgrades and more.

HÂþ»­ University Tupper Building Efficiency Upgrades

Watch a video about the Tupper Building, an example of a deep building retrofit on the Dal campus