Pacific Tank & Construction has always been committed to the protection of the environment since it started in 1992. And just recently, we have yet again completed another project – the TES tank at the University of Guelph (U of G) – that strengthens that promise of environmental sustainability through innovative technology and solutions.
Our company is very proud to be a part of the university’s thermal energy storage system project which was partly funded by the Government of Ontario’s incentives and U of G’s Green Gryphon Initiative. It highlights the leadership of the university in energy conservation and sustainability. U of G is the only campus in Ontario to have installed a TES tank as an advanced energy-efficiency solution. In fact, it is the only one of its kind in the entire province.
The 30-meter tall TES tank sits monumentally on the eastern side of the campus. It holds up to 22 million liters of water that is chilled at night when the cost of energy is low. Chilled water is piped to the central utility plant to cool the different facilities in the campus during the daytime when the temperature is high. Then the water is returned into the tank to chill during the nighttime.
Because of the promising results and hugely positive impact of the system, it was recognized as a major energy-saving achievement by Ontario’s minister of Energy, Glenn Thibeault, and MMP for Guelph, Liz Sandals, on the 19th of September 2016. Such recognition also came with a $5.8 million incentive which the university will use to offset the project’s construction costs.
“Congratulations to the University of Guelph for being a leader in energy innovation,” Thibeault said in a news release. He continued, “Energy conservation remains one of the best ways for families, businesses and institutions to reduce their electricity costs. I’m happy to see communities like Guelph celebrating initiatives like this one that will contribute to Ontario’s green energy future.”
The energy storage system is said to pay for itself in five years, and since its operation which started last summer of this year, it has reduced the university’s energy costs for about $2.5 million.
“The University of Guelph is committed to an energy future that is sustainable and reliable,” said president Franco Vaccarino. “It’s a win-win for the University and the province. We reduce energy use and costs, which helps our bottom line. The province lowers daytime electricity use and reduces dependency on power plants and imported electricity.”
Apart from the huge cost-efficiency of the project, one of the project’s most notable benefits is the mission to help preserve what’s left of the environment.
Vaccarino added, “But the most important winner is the environment, as using less energy preserves natural resources and cuts down on pollution.”
The success of the system is not only an achievement for the U of G and the community of Guelph in general but also for our hard-working team at Pacific Tank & Construction. Again, we are proud to be part of such a project that aims for environmental sustainability.
Pacific Tank & Construction has a long, exceptional history of designing and building TES systems that help businesses, universities, and several other industrial companies save millions of dollar in cycle cost while doing something good for the environment. If you are ready to take this same path, we are always ready to be your partner. Give us a call at (494)240-7902 for more details.
