Ecosystem’s retrofit of the Montreal Biodôme is the cover story of the April edition of the ASHRAE journal, the international publication of the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers. Click here to read the accompanying case study of the $8.1 million deep energy retrofit that cut the Biodôme’s energy costs by 52% and greenhouse gas emissions by 80%.

An office block in Montreal belonging to Landmark Properties Inc. is about to have quite the makeover.

Ecosystem solutions are slashing operating costs by 31%, all while updating the building’s mechanical and electrical equipment.

Ecosystem is guaranteeing the cost of the project, savings generated by the improvements, incentive amounts, and the payback period.

Built in 1991, the building is 171,000 square feet over 12 floors.

Ecosystem and Space for Life are honoured to learn that their energy efficiency project at the Biodôme is to receive the 2013 ASHRAE Technology Award for the public assembly building category. The project—part of a broader energy savings program that includes the Insectarium and Botanical Garden—was the sole Canadian entry to earn a first-place finish for the international prize presented by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers in recognition of the successful application of outstanding building design.

The $8.1 million deep energy retrofit, designed and implemented by Ecosystem in close partnership with the Montréal Space for Life, cut the Biodôme’s energy costs by 52% and greenhouse gas emissions by 80%. All project costs, including extensive heating, cooling and lighting equipment upgrades, are being repaid by the energy savings and $1.6 million in government and utility incentives.

Some of the most innovative measures involved recycling energy from one ecosystem to the other; for example, heat from the Sub-Polar Regions ecosystems is now being used to keep the Tropical Rainforest warm. In addition, after ground water was found under the Biodôme it was integrated into a cutting-edge open-loop geothermal system now used to heat and cool the building. Better quality and more energy efficient lighting was also part of the project.

“This project is a wonderful example of how best practices translate into exceptional, concrete results,” said Andre Rochette, Ecosystem’s President and C.E.O. “Our firm’s compensation was dependent on reaching the Ville de Montréal’s ambitious energy savings and GHG reduction targets. The interests of client and supplier were thus perfectly aligned, laying the groundwork for a creative deep energy retrofit. The city led the way with a model that generates significant value for building owners from any sector of activity.”

This is the fifth award for the broader energy-saving program at the Space for Life, which comprises the Biodôme, Botanical Garden and Insectarium.

October 29, 2012

On October 25, Ecosystem’s president and C.E.O. was presented with his award at the annual black-tie gala honouring “game-changing entrepreneurs.”

“Ernst & Young is doing such important work by encouraging entrepreneurship, one of Canada’s most important natural resources,” said Andre Rochette during his acceptance speech. “It’s especially critical in the field of building energy efficiency. North Americans need to catch up to the Europeans—the economic, employment, health and environmental benefits are too good to pass up.”
Rochette also expressed his gratitude to the Ecosystem team, saying that while he was “getting the recognition, this story is really that of an extraordinary team turning an ordinary guy into a winner.”

Two key members of the Ecosystem team, his mother and father, received special thanks. Ecosystem’s first corporate headquarters were located in the basement of Pierrette and Jacques Rochette’s family home and they have remained actively involved in the firm over the last 20 years.

Under Andre Rochette’s leadership, Ecosystem has grown from a basement start-up to a flourishing industry leader with offices in Quebec City, Montreal, Toronto and New York City.  The firm’s trademark out-of-the box thinking and holistic approach to energy management have generated more than $150 million in savings for its diverse range of public- and private-sector clients.

Read more about Andre Rochette and Ecosystem in a recent Postmedia News feature.

November 1, 2012

Against the backdrop of a beautiful sunset, and under the watchful eyes of Ecosystem project staff, cranes recently hoisted 48 photovoltaic (PV) solar panel arrays to each rooftop of three Lakeridge Health hospitals.

The Oshawa, Bowmanville and Port Perry sites are now equipped to cleanly generate nearly 10 kW each, power that Lakeridge Health will sell back to the province’s electricity grid as part of the Ontario Power Authority’s microFIT (Feed-in Tariff) program.