Launched for the 1976 Summer Olympics, Montreal’s Olympic Park now hosts three million visitors annually. The park’s highly variable heating and cooling loads added complexity to an essential HVAC infrastructure upgrade. The project became an investment in the future of the park with a focus on asset renewal. Measures included a major steam to hot water conversion of the heating system, along with improved heat recovery and a completely redesigned chilled water system.
In this project, Ecosystem integrated various asset renewal needs into one holistic approach. This approach allowed optimal sizing of the new chillers, cooling towers, and other components, significantly increasing the overall efficiency and reducing energy consumption. In addition, Ecosystem completed in 30 months what would have taken the Olympic Park staff seven or eight years.
For the Olympic Park, continuing to hold major events during construction was a top priority. Ecosystem’s ability to carry out the project while adhering to tight timelines and maintain operability was crucial. For instance, the Toronto Blue Jays were scheduled to play three months after the contract was signed. The games would attract 40,000 spectators and require cooling. To ensure that a new cooling system would be operational for the series, Ecosystem agreed to work with equipment purchased ahead of the final contract signing and then operated the system manually during the games. Energy savings reached $1.7 million during the first year of M&V, well above expectations.
Steam to hot water conversion
Control of peak electric demand
Lighting conversion
Ventilation system optimization
Heat recovery
Cooling system upgrade
Chiller replacement
Controls upgrade
