‘Go beyond what you can imagine’: Green energy grows at Canadian Mennonite University

Canadian Mennonite University is unveiling a new “district geothermal energy system” — a first on a post-secondary campus in Manitoba — this weekend.

CMU has scheduled a ribbon-cutting ceremony for Saturday afternoon to celebrate green-energy upgrades at the faith-based university in Winnipeg.

The project is estimated to cost $8.4 million.

The initial phase, which involved installing a ground-source heat pump network, was complete for back-to-school season.

The energy-efficient system is located underground, hidden far below CMU’s practise soccer field.

Roughly 16 kilometres of buried pipes will now use the relatively constant temperature of the earth to transfer heat to and from buildings via fluid that circulates inside them.

University president Cheryl Pauls said making the Shaftesbury Boulevard grounds “net zero” has long been a goal.

“I like the idea of committing yourself to things that go beyond what you can imagine,” said Pauls, who has been at the helm of CMU since 2012.

(She admitted she has no clue how to transform Assiniboine Castle, its landmark building — a 103-year-old facility she called “a monster of a heritage, vintage building” — to achieve that goal.)

Senior administration contracted an external entity to do a “greenhouse gas inventory” of CMU in recent years.

Pauls recalled being in shock to learn 85 per cent of carbon emissions are related to heating, cooling and keeping both the lights on and taps running.

“We have to put major effort, initiative, commitment and money into buildings,” she said as she reflected on her reaction to reading Climate Smart’s initial findings in 2021.

Poettcker Hall, a 120-bed dormitory and dining hall facility that opened in 1958, was found to account for 17 per cent of emissions.

Charlie Peronto, vice-president of student life and campus operations, said making the residence located at 2316 Grant Ave. more energy- and cost-efficient with geothermal technology was a no-brainer.

When CMU opened Concord Hall (2318 Grant Ave.) — one of its three student residences — in 2005, the geothermal-powered facility was touted as “the most-energy efficient building in Manitoba.”

Concord Hall has since lost that title, but it remains an internal success due to its efficient operations, Peronto said.

The school’s new geothermal district is anticipated to move energy to and from multiple buildings with different needs south of Shaftesbury Boulevard.

The massive dig and subsequent laying of heat pumps started last fall. That work was finished in the spring, at which point construction workers began restoring Poettcker Hall and hooking it up to the underground system.

Peronto said the south-campus network will allow CMU to reduce “at least 25 per cent of our carbon output.”

“As we use the system and optimize it, we’ll be able to see the (financial) savings,” he said, adding that the reduced energy costs will be “substantial.”

The South Hall administrative building (600 Shaftesbury Blvd.) is in the process of being connected to the geothermal district. The president said others will follow suit.

“What you model really matters to students,” Pauls said. “The institution as a whole is committed to actually practising sustainability or care that goes beyond our own (lifetime).”

Ed Lohrenz, founder of GEOptimize, a green-energy company headquartered in the Exchange District, led the design of the geothermal system.

The province contributed $351,000 through the merit-based Low Carbon Economy Fund — a green-energy grant program managed by the Canadian and Manitoba governments.

Combined with contributions from about 240 donors, CMU has raised $3.2 million as part of its capital campaign.

The rest of the project’s tab is anticipated to be covered by a 20-year mortgage.

maggie.macintosh@freepress.mb.ca