Week 38 - July 21, 2011 Example of how team members work together by Greg McMillan of TheGreenHub.ca

It had already been decided that Northern Clean Energy Ltd. would be involved in the green reno at 87 Alexander Drive.

What hadn't been decided, however, was the exact contribution the Caledonia-based company would be bringing to the table.

Fast forward, then, to a meeting between Justin Hay of NCE and Dara Bowser, the technical advisor for the This Really Old House Goes Green (TROHGG) project.

Their give-and-take serves as an example of how TROHGG team members are working together to create a ground-breaking sustainable home, utilizing goods and services available right here in our own backyard in The Green Hub, which includes Brantford, Six Nations, Brant, Norfolk and Haldimand counties.

The bulk of NCE's business relates to geothermal heat pumps, but the firm also services and installs radiant in-floor heating systems, indoor air quality products and gas heating appliances.

So Bowser and Hay, paying close attention to the energy model already in place for the TROHGG house, put their heads together to devise the best fit for NCE.

And they left no stone unturned.

Bowser, of Bowser Technical Inc., came up with a detailed list of issues to consider, including whether a ground source heat pump should be used; why duct sealing is important for high performance duct work; equipment selection, the general approach to the HVAC systems at the TROHGG house; and discussion of more advanced approaches to ductwork and heating and cooling zoning.

"NCE actually seals all of their ductwork," said Bowser. "This is a superior level of duct installation. NCE is more than capable of doing the work required at TROHGG.

"The approach will be to see how much of the equipment and materials can be contributed by suppliers. NCE would be supplying mostly labour."

The bottom line, then, is that the geothermal component will not be included in TROHGG. But Bowser said a detailed system design incorporating other NCE expertise will be devised once the right mix of compatible materials and equipment is confirmed.
"In another situation, with other fuel choices, geothermal might be the right choice," Bowser said. "But not in this case."

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Photo by Tae McIntosh of Tae Photography