Joseph M. Brillhart Innovation Award Presented to Enwave at the International District Energy Association’s Annual Conference & Trade Show
Enwave Energy Corporation is proud to announce that it has been awarded the Joseph M. Brillhart Innovation Award at IDEA2024, the International District Energy Association’s (IDEA) annual conference and trade show, which was held in Orlando, Florida in June.
IDEA selected Enwave for its submission, Royal York Hotel District Decarbonization, highlighting its efforts to help decarbonize the Fairmont Royal York Hotel. This award represents the best in public and private collaboration, where members share emerging best practices, new technologies and techniques, and the tremendous value of collaboration within the industry.
In February 2022, Enwave - the district energy system owner and operator, and Continual - the design builder - were contracted to develop a new heating and cooling platform for the nearly 100-year-old Royal York Hotel in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The team collaborated to create a solution that leverages year-round waste heat from Enwave’s Deep Lake Water Cooling (DLWC) network and Ontario’s clean electricity grid and replaces an existing on-site chiller plant with a new DLWC plant and an advanced oil-free modular heat pump system.
This new system uses return chilled water, converting it into two grades of heat for space heating and domestic hot water. The hotel has now significantly reduced its steam consumption, which avoids more than 7000 tons CO2e/year (the equivalent to removing 1,558 cars from the road). This innovative district heat pump solution has also allowed the historic hotel to receive the prestigious Zero Carbon Building Performance standard, which is a significant feat for a building of this vintage.
“By repurposing waste heat from cooling customers in the district, we have unlocked a sustainable solution that defies convention,” said Carlyle Coutinho, CEO of Enwave Energy Corporation. “Our approach tackles the pressing issue of carbon emissions and underscores our commitment to being a catalyst for positive change. In essence, this district heat recovery solution represents the next frontier in urban sustainability.”
IDEA also awarded Honorable Mention designations to three other excellent submissions, Urban Cooling Improved Energy Efficiency Through Integrated Metering Solutions and MV VSD Retrofit Project at BB2 DCP submitted by Empower, and City Waterfront Building Energy Retrofit, submitted by Ecosystem and the City of Toronto.
This is the first year the award was given out as the Joseph M. Brillhart Innovation Award, named after the beloved former IDEA Board Chair and Executive Committee Member who launched the award 10 years ago. Brillhart passed away in 2023 and the IDEA Board unanimously voted to name the award after him.
About Enwave Energy Corporation
Enwave is one of the largest commercial operators of community-based thermal energy systems in North America. They develop reliable, commercial, and sustainable energy solutions at scale tailored to the unique needs of municipalities, commercial developments, universities, hospitals, and residential communities. Enwave provides energy efficient heating and cooling services over 90 million square feet of mixed-use space across Canada, using a variety of technologies including Deep Lake Water Cooling. Customers include governments, hospitals, commercial, industrial, and institutional buildings, residential buildings, and data centers. Enwave has also designed and installed a new thermal battery facility underneath The Well – a mixed-use development at Wellington & Spadina – that provides low carbon heating and cooling to Enwave’s customers and reduces pressure on the electrical grid.
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