ATCO Centre
Edmonton, Alberta
September 15, 2016
- Rating System/Standard
- LEED v1
- Certification Level
- Gold
- Building Type
- Office
Constructed in 1983, the ATCO Centre is located west of the central downtown core in Edmonton between the government and financial districts. In September of 2016, the 20 storey, class A office building achieved LEED® EB:O&M Gold certification.
Triovest Realty Advisors Inc. has managed the property since January 2009, at which point the owners and managers made a commitment to their employees, tenants, and investors to take a proactive and aggressive approach to incorporating sustainable business practices in the operations and management of their buildings.
The following case study was written using responses previously provided for a LEED Spotlight in January 2017, and is the result of an interview with Triovest’s Veronica Argueta, Property Manager, and Ana Julio, Director Property Management.
Project Team
- Project Owner/Developer
- HOOPP Realty Inc. | Canada Post Corporation
- LEED Consultant
- WSP Canada Inc.
- Air Quality Consultant
- Precision Air Ltd.
- Mechanical Consultant
- Reich Mechanical Ltd.
- Controls Consultant
- Integrated Innovations
- Green Cleaning Services
- Bee-Clean Building Maintenance
- Project Manager
- Michael Bombard
- Green Pest Prevention
- Orkin Canada
- Commissioning Agent
- WSP Canada Inc.
- Waste & Recycling Haulerr
- City of Edmonton
- Lighting Supplie
- Wesco International
LEED contributes to energy efficiency and minimizes impact of carbon tax
Energy conservation practices are considered a top priority for both the ATCO Center’s owners and Triovest as third party property management. Due to their ongoing focus on sustainability, energy efficiency and environmental risk reduction, the property is ranked as the most efficient in the owner’s portfolio. In the fall of 2015, five year targets were set for ATCO Centre versus a 2014 baseline. In comparison to the baseline of 2014, energy has now decreased by 28% and water by 38%.
“With Alberta’s Climate Change Leadership Plan and associated carbon tax, it is forecast that Alberta’s most energy efficient buildings will see an additional $0.30 per square foot in 2017 and an additional $0.45 per square foot in 2018,” says Ms. Julio. “A carbon price of $20 per tonne will be applied to all electricity consumed in 2017 and $30 per tonne in 2018.”
“With the high energy efficiency rating of ATCO Centre, the impact of this carbon tax will be minimal, and initiatives like LEED EB:O&M certification will further offset this impact through improved operations and higher building performance standards.”
EB:O&M sets ATCO Centre apart from other commercial buildings
Through the investment of $230,000 for an intensive two-year retro-commissioning process with LEED consultants, WSP Canada, and the introduction of 11 new best-in-class sustainable operations policies, Triovest obtained LEED EB:O&M Gold certification for ATCO Centre with 67 points.
In addition to energy conservation and environmental risk benefits, LEED EB:O&M certification provides an evolving benchmark against which to maintain the building’s energy efficiency through ongoing commissioning and re-certification every 5 years.
“By achieving LEED EB:O&M Gold certification, ATCO Centre joins an elite group of certified buildings in Edmonton providing further market differentiation and appeal to a growing number of sustainability-conscious tenants,” says Ms. Argueta.
The benefits of certification
With LEED EB:O&M certification comes multiple benefits to staff, tenants, owners and the local community, including:
- A 260 CO2e tonne reduction in GHG emissions per year, which equates to taking 55 cars off the road for a year.
- Energy savings of 270 eMWh per year, equivalent to the energy use of 27.5 single family dwellings.
- $18,000 lowered annual operations costs predicted resulting in more capital available for further building improvements.
- Green Cleaning Program to protect occupants from harmful chemical toxins.
- 86% of waste diverted from landfill.
- High Efficiency Air Filtration to promote improved indoor air quality.
- ENERGY STAR score of 98 – performing better than 98% of similar facilities nationwide (updated monthly as Triovest receives the utility billings).
Health and well-being of tenants is front of mind
Triovest places high importance on indoor air quality asserting that the quality of the environment is directly proportional to productivity and well-being of the tenants in their buildings.
As part of a proactive testing initiative, operators conduct ongoing air quality testing throughout the tenant spaces on a rotational basis. The testing is completed year round with a calibrated air quality testing unit and test results are monitored for irregularities that may require further action. Furthermore, independent annual indoor air quality assessments are a requirement for all Triovest managed buildings in Edmonton.
Tenants are also responsible for indoor air quality and thermal comfort, with some areas equipped with tenant operated zone thermostats to control the temperature. In order to protect indoor air quality, occupants are required to inform the property manager or building operator before modifying an office space or adding new equipment that could affect the indoor environment. When any building renovation takes place, air balancing of the space is then carried out by Triovest’s preferred HVAC contractor to ensure optimized ventilation rates.
In addition, Triovest has launched a Green Cleaning Policy that specifies the use of Green Seal or Environmental Choice-certified cleaning products, certified floor cleaning equipment, microfiber cleaning materials and cleaning practices and services that have a reduced environmental impact. Janitorial vacuums are also equipped with HEPA filters in order to reduce dust and particulate recirculation.
LEED SCORE CARD
Certification Level | Gold |
Rating System | Rating System: LEED Canada for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance 2009 |
Total Points earned | 67 |
Sustainable Sites | 15 out of 26 |
Water Efficiency | 8 out of 14 |
Energy & Atmosphere | 25 out of 35 |
Materials & Resources | 3 out of 10 |
Indoor Environmental Quality | 7 out of 15 |
Innovation | 5 out of 6 |
Regional Priority | 4 out of 4 |