Energy Efficiency in Real Estate: Montreal Building Case Study Report

This report examines the significance of energy efficiency in the real estate industry, emphasizing its potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and lower costs. The core of the report focuses on a case study of a Montreal building, originally a distribution center, converted into a net-zero energy office. The building's design incorporates innovative features such as photovoltaic panels, energy storage systems, advanced lighting and HVAC controls, and triple-glazed windows for natural ventilation. The modifications implemented by Lemay significantly reduced energy consumption compared to conventional buildings. The report highlights the importance of these modifications to meet energy efficiency requirements in buildings and suggests the potential for further improvements to enhance energy efficiency and sustainability within the real estate sector. The references include multiple academic papers on net-zero energy buildings and energy efficiency in the built environment.

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Energy efficiency account for about 40 per cent of the reduction potential of the
greenhouse gases that may be attained at relatively reduced costs for every metric ton of carbon
dioxide. Energy savings from efficiency of energy went beyond the cumulative final
consumption from any given source of fuel in the year 2011. Energy efficiency provided an
elaborate low cost energy resource even though only if cases where innovative business models
may be developed to remove the entire ability. Energy efficiency is normally still not given the
requisite acknowledgement by the various public institutions as well as businesses besides
encountering numerous and persistent barriers that ought to be tackled to allow the large scale
adoption of energy efficient incentives (Charron & Athienitis, 2006).
The selected article for this paper is “Montreal firm converts industrial building to net-
zero office” authored by Louis Lemay discussing the attempts and successes made in the
attainment of sustainable development through net zero annual consumption of energy. The
concept is described as fully innovative. The architectural design and construction of buildings in
Montreal house which acts as his office has been done in such a way that the building is very
energy efficient. The building uses just 15% of the energy spent by the conventional buildings of
the same size (Leckner & Zmeureanu, 2011). The consumed energy is generated by photovoltaic
panels having heat recovery channels. This renders the systems fully independent with regards to
energy.
The building was initially a distribution center that was used by Simpson’s department
store catalogue and Lemay moved into the structure to attain centralization of the 350 employees
within Montreal. Among the major adjustments made by Lemay to attain net zero include
inclusion of an energy storage systems which is responsible for the management of the demand
of power during the peak periods that occur in winter. An elaborate controls system is used in

ascertaining the electric lighting systems as well as the HVAC systems work in harmony with
the occupancy periods of the building (Zubair, Bilal Awan, Al-Ahmadi & Abo-Khalil, 2018).
The building as well incorporates a state-of-the-art LED lighting that uses almost no
energy. In the presence of adequate lighting, the motion detectors switch on or off the lights and
such lights will not be turns on in case there is adequate natural lighting. During summer when
the range of temperature is between 15 degree and 22 degrees, the triple glazed windows are
designed in such a way that they open to offer natural ventilation. Air conditioning takes over
when the temperatures exceed 22 degree.
The modifications done by Lemay on the industrial building has rendered it more energy
efficient through a reduction in the cost of lighting as well as inclusion or adoption of passive
cooling and heating methods (Kapsalaki & Leal, 2011). The design of the windows as well
serves a fundamental role in attaining the very needs of energy efficiency and thus sustainability.
These modifications meet the minimum requirements with regard to enhancing energy efficiency
in buildings. However more modifications or redesign may be conducted to attain even higher or
greater energy efficiency in the once industrial building.

References
Charron, R., & Athienitis, A. (2006). Design and Optimization of Net Zero Energy Solar
Homes. ASHRAE transactions, 112(2)
Kapsalaki, M., & Leal, V. (2011). Recent progress on net zero energy buildings. Advances in
Building Energy Research, 5(1), 129-162
Leckner, M., & Zmeureanu, R. (2011). Life cycle cost and energy analysis of a Net Zero Energy
House with solar combisystem. Applied Energy, 88(1), 232-241
Zubair, M., Bilal Awan, A., Al-Ahmadi, A., & Abo-Khalil, A. (2018). NPC based design
optimization for a net zero office building in hot climates with PV panels as shading
device. Energies, 11(6), 1391