Enwave Energy Corporation has broken ground on a new heat pump facility at the Pearl Street Energy Centre in downtown Toronto, to provide low-carbon heating equal to converting over 10 million square feet of office space to net-zero.

The Toronto-based energy company and district energy operator calls the offering ‘Green Heat,’ which will be connected to Toronto’s district energy grid.

In a release, Enwave says the low-carbon heating system will help buildings attain Toronto Green Standards and Zero Carbon Building certifications from the Canada Green Building Council.

“The addition of a low-carbon heating facility to our Pearl Street Energy Centre is a significant milestone for us and Toronto’s district energy grid, because it allows us to provide decarbonization at scale,” Carlyle Coutinho, CEO of Enwave Energy Corporation, said in the release.

“As leaders in the energy transition, we are always looking at innovative ways to expand our positive impact and serve even more of Ontario’s residents, institutions and businesses.”

About Green Heat 

Green Heat is described as a system that recycles waste heat to help produce hot water through electrified dual-use heat pumps, electrical feeds and generators. This is optimized from the “scale and magnitude of buildings connected to Enwave’s heating and cooling district.”

The new system is connected to Enwave’s district energy system, which connects buildings such as hospitals and office towers to a shared heating and cooling network. The company says it increases energy efficiency and reduces capital costs.

The district energy system is linked to Enwave’s Deep Lake Water Cooling (DLWC) system and a geothermal energy offering called GeoCommunities, which are used in Toronto to heat and cool buildings. The DLWC alone displaces 55 MW of energy a year from Toronto’s electricity grid and is linked to over 100 buildings throughout the downtown including City Hall, Scotiabank Arena, Toronto General Hospital, hotels and a brewery.

Enwave says when fully operational, the new three-storey facility will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 11,600 tonnes of carbon dioixide equivalent annually.

The facility’s expansion was supported by a grant from the Champions stream of Canada’s Low Carbon Economy Fund and a $600-million loan commitment from the Canada Infrastructure Bank.

The Pearl Street Energy Centre is expected to be in service by late 2024.

“District energy projects align with our priority to invest in clean energy infrastructure which reduce greenhouse gas emissions," Ehren Cory, the CEO of the Canada Infrastructure Bank, said in the release. "As world leaders focus on global climate action, our innovative investment is a tremendous opportunity to make urban communities greener and more sustainable.”