Pacific Sands Beach Resort

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The need

For over 30 years, Pacific Sands Beach Resort has been known as a luxury resort on the west coast of Vancouver Island, near Pacific Rim National Park. When the resort's owners, the Pettinger family, decided to add 22, two-storey waterfront villas in 2002, they wanted to continue their commitment to sustainable building practices and environmentally sound operation.

Selection of a heating source in this remote location, however, presented constraints. Natural gas is not available in the Tofino-Ucluelet corridor. Both oil and propane heat were costly and posed delivery problems. Owner Dave Pettinger knew about geoexchange technology, and when TRAK Canada, a Kelowna-based geoexchange company, presented a sound business case for a geoexchange installation, Dave agreed.

The geoexchange project had to meet exacting requirements:

• The villas' design had to compliment the natural surroundings, with as few environmental impacts as possible,
• The geoexchange system had to be able to accommodate future expansion,
• The buildings had to provide comfortable heat to mitigate the area's damp climate,
• Since guests tend to track beach sand into the villas, a durable floor covering such as stone was required; so, to make the floors warm and comfortable, in-floor radiant heating had to be installed
• The geoexchange system had to provide a viable payback, with a target of 50% energy savings compared with a conventional electric baseboard system.

The technology

Geoexchange systems take advantage of the sun's energy stored in the ground, where the earth's temperature remains at about 12°C throughout the year. In the winter, heat pumps are used to extract heat from the ground or ground water and transfer it into buildings for space heating or hot water heating. In the summer, the heat pumps reverse the process, removing heat from the building and returning it back to the ground, thus cooling the building. In other words, the ground or water acts as a heat source in winter and a heat sink in summer.

A geothermal heat pump system consists of pipes buried in the ground, a heat exchanger and ductwork into the building. The series of pipes, commonly called a "loop," is buried in the ground, either vertically or horizontally, near or beneath the building. The loop circulates a fluid (water, or a mixture of water and antifreeze) that absorbs heat from, or relinquishes heat to, the surrounding soil, depending on whether the ambient air is colder or warmer than the soil.

The project

Working closely with Cornerstone Architecture of Vancouver, designers of the villas, TRAK Canada was the primary contractor on the project, providing engineering, project management and geoexchange installation services. Bertram Drilling of Alberta drilled the boreholes for the geoexchange loop, and local tradespeople were subcontracted to install the mechanical systems.

TRAK Canada designed a closed vertical ground loop designed for a 90-ton load with six 15-ton heat pumps. The loop was buried in 16, 122-metre vertical boreholes beneath a parking area, with the mechanical room located nearby.

A central plant with district distribution – the first of its kind in Canada – services the villa clusters. Careful trenching ensured that the foreshore was protected and that no trees were injured during the installation. The system is fully automated and can be monitored or adjusted at any time from the computer system at the resort or remotely by TRAK Canada.

Features of the mechanical system include radiant in-floor heating, increased ventilation rates, space cooling, and instantaneous, unlimited hot and cold water. The circulation system has automated valving complete with backup pumps if required. A combination fan coil automatically heats and cools each unit, adjusting the temperature. A heat recovery function on the cold-water return lines adds further efficiency.

The benefits

Operating cost savings

Pacific Sands Beach Resort's geoexchange system uses 62% less energy than an electric baseboard system with individual hot water tanks in each villa. Installation costs came to $171,722 more than for a conventional system, but this is offset by the air conditioning and radiant floor heating provided by the geoexchange system. When energy savings are factored in, the project achieves a six-year payback.

Enhanced comfort

The villas are kept at a constant temperature, and the heated floors and unlimited hot water add to guests' comfort.

More efficient use of space

Because the central geoexchange system uses a remote hot water tank and heating components, all equipment required for each villa fits under the stairs, freeing up more space for guests.

Environmental and social benefits

The geoexchange system has a minimal environmental impact and zero emissions, supporting Pacific Sands' commitment to sustainability.

A practical model

Pacific Sands has set an example for others in the hospitality sector, and three other resorts are now considering geoexchange installations.