Energy Loops: Buildings Sharing Their Energy

The concept of energy loops is based on a simple principle: making the most of every energy source. In our buildings, energy is mainly used to heat or cool spaces.

Minimizing Energy Consumption

First, minimizing the amount of energy required to heat or cool buildings involves reducing transfers between the inside and outside. This is achieved by choosing building materials with good insulation, paying special attention to the number and orientation of windows, and so on.

Obviously, most buildings will still need to be heated or air-conditioned, i.e. to dissipate heat at certain times of the day or year. This is where energy loops come into play.

Transferring Energy Between Buildings or Spaces

When a building is too warm, its heat that would otherwise be evacuated outside could be transferred to another building through an energy loop network. This transfer can also occur within the same building if different spaces have opposite energy requirements at specific times.

The energy is transferred through large water or air ducts, either cold or hot. For example, a loop of warm air from one building could be paired with a second loop of water, which would be heated with a heat exchanger. The heat stored in the water loop can then be transported to other buildings.

Take, for example, a data centre where servers generate a lot of heat that must be dissipated. Instead of ventilating/conditioning and evacuating the warm air outside, the heat could be recovered to heat a greenhouse.

Environmental Benefits

Energy loops can give a second and even a third life to an energy source. The energy requirements of the receiving building are minimized, which in turn reduces greenhouse gas emissions. Case in point, the Énergir thermal power plant in Montréal currently supplies one third of downtown buildings.