Project Highlights

• Executives at Mountain Equipment Co-op (MEC), a retail chain specializing in outdoor sportswear and equipment, wanted their new 45,000-square-foot facility to align with corporate objectives to have a minimal impact on the environment.
• Engineering design firm Pageau Morel and Associates (PMA) incorporated several energy-saving measures into the new store, including an Uponor radiant heating and cooling system.
• Upon completion, the new facility was 69 percent more energy efficient than similar structures built by traditional means, translating into energy-cost savings of approximately $100,000 a year.

Background

Mountain Equipment Co-op (MEC) — a large Canadian retail chain specializing in outdoor sportswear and equipment — had energy-efficiency as their number one goal when designing their new 45,000-square-foot facility.

“Our goal was to be the first commercial building in Quebec to obtain Canada’s C-2000 integrated design certification and to be at least 50 percent more energy efficient than Canada’s Model National Energy Code for Buildings (MNECB),” says Marie-Eve Allaire, sustainability coordinator for MEC.

The engineering design firm of Pageau Morel and Associates (PMA) incorporated several energy-saving measures into the new store, including Uponor radiant heating and cooling.

“Ventilation and air-conditioning fans are one of the greatest consumers of energy in a typical building,” explains Frederic Genet, chief design engineer for PMA. “To avoid this, we chose a radiant floor system, since it is much more energy efficient than forced air.”

The plumbing contractors, The Rojec Group, recommended Uponor for the radiant system. “Uponor’s Wirsbo hePEX™ plus was not only our first choice, it was our only choice,” says Stanley Katz, president of The Rojec Group. “The tubing is more preferable to metal piping because of its installation flexibility and lower cost, as well as for its corrosion resistance and environmental friendliness.”

With the help of the Uponor radiant system and the other energy-saving methods, the new facility exceeded the lofty conservation expectations.

“We now consume about 69 percent less energy than a similar, traditionally built structure,” says Allaire. “That has translated into a savings of approximately $100,000 a year in energy costs.”

 Related Documents

• Uponor Commercial Systems Brochure