ENERGY MANAGEMENT Michelle O’Brodovich


Alternative energy solutions for rural areas


With its northern border running along Algonquin Park, Haliburton County is surrounded by some of Canada’s most breathtaking natural landscapes and vital ecosystems. Its residents have, historically, had a keen interest in sustainability and the environment, and so they were very supportive of Haliburton Highlands Health Services ground-breaking energy efficiency project which involved solar panels, and geothermal heating and cooling.


Construction on the $2,238,000 project took place from 2010 to 2011. Today, Haliburton Highlands Health Services (HHHS) is able to boast energy consumption rates that are 50% below the average of similar facilities. Located some way north of Toronto,


HHHS serves around 17,000 people, consisting of residents, cottagers, and visitors to the area. Being located in a rural area, without


access to natural gas, HHHS was particularly sensitive to changes in unregulated and volatile oil prices. Rates can vary considerably – in 2011 alone for example, oil climbed from $0.68 to over $1.00 per litre. Before completion of the project, oil represented two-thirds of the hospitals’ total energy consumption. “We had to handle a couple of problems,”


explains Paul Rosebush, HHHS president and CEO. “We needed to find a cost-effective solution to meet our heating and cooling needs in the future. In addition, we operate in a very green community which made us want to explore some alternative types of energy systems.” Following a competitive tender call, HHHS partnered with Ecosystem, a performance-


‘We wanted to make sure that our energy solution didn’t have a negative impact on HHHS’s surroundings.’


IFHE DIGEST 2013


based firm of energy specialists, to bring the project to life. As part of an energy performance contract in which annual energy savings, construction costs, and government incentives are guaranteed, Ecosystem and HHHS worked together to redesign and optimise the energy infrastructure at both Haliburton and Minden hospitals. Both HHHS hospital sites were considered


to be good candidates for geothermal energy measures due to high oil prices and the unavailability of natural gas. However, there were some initial concerns regarding the implementation of newer technologies. “The challenge for the organisation was that the geothermal solution looked good on a theory level, but would it actually work? Would our lakes be adequate? Would it be practical?” questioned Mr Rosebush. At Minden Hospital, 15 wells


were drilled to a depth of 540 feet. Engineers discovered that the


area’s overburden was about 60 feet, which is quite deep. As a result, the wells had to descend further in order to increase the solution’s heat transfer capacity. At the Haliburton site, 15 loops of


400-foot pipe were sunk into the lake using weights. The pipes run from the hospital penthouse to the lake in a trench located six feet deep, below the frost level.


Michelle O’Brodovich


Michelle O’Brodovich is a writer and French-to-English translator living in Quebec, Canada. After completing her studies in international relations at Montreal’s McGill University, Michelle began her writing career with an international medical humanitarian organization. In addition to a keen interest in sustainable development and energy efficiency, Michelle enjoys helping Quebec’s business leaders bring their stories to English-speaking audiences.


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