The Federation of Canadian Municipalities officially announced a $20 million loan to the City of Moncton to increase the energy efficiency of the Downtown Centre.
Moncton Mayor Dawn Arnold says the Downtown Centre is being built on a “brownfield” site which is land contaminated by industrial or commercial use when CN occupied it.
She adds instead of spending years removing contaminants, they took an innovative approach.
“Part of the solution included the construction of a vapour mitigation system which eliminates the exposure to the volatile organic compounds detected in the land’s soil,” says Arnold.
According to the FCM, the anticipated reduction in greenhouse gas emissions is 741 tonnes per year, or the equivalent of taking 159 cars off the road for a year.
Other environmental benefits include a design for the building following “Green Globe” standards, which is estimated to achieve a reduction in water use of 35-39%.
Energy reduction measures are also in place like using LED lights, outdoor air demand control ventilation in densely occupied spaces,heat recovery from the ice rink, and specialized HVAC systems.
The building is designed to be 45% more energy efficient than what is required under the National Energy Code for Buildings.
