The Adisoke Connection to Cliff West District Energy System - 555 Albert Street, Ottawa, Ontario
The Energy Services Acquisition Program (ESAP) is a federal greening government program initiated to modernize the National Capital Region (NRC) District Energy System (DES), which provides heating services to over 80 buildings and cooling services to nearly 70 buildings in the National Capital Region. The ESAP program is a demonstration of the Government of Canada leading by example in the context of climate change, by making its own operations greener and adopting technologies that significantly reduce carbon emissions, improve energy efficiency, increase safety and reliability, and ensure a safer future for our children and generations to follow.
The Ādisöke ESAP Ottawa Expansion project sets out to connect ESAP heating and cooling services to the new Ottawa Public Library and Library and Archives Canada (OPL-LAC) Joint Facility, currently under construction at 555 Albert Street, Ottawa, Ontario. The initial Ādisöke heating and cooling needs for construction will begin when the building envelope is near completion in the Fall of 2024 and will continue until the building is ready for occupancy in the Spring of 2026.
The Ādisöke early requirement for heating and cooling services is in advance of the ESAP substantial completion of the NCR DES in October 2025. Therefore, a temporary and permanent provision for heating and cooling services is necessary and is being managed by ESAP. The Ādisöke connection to the NCR DES will be completed in two stages. The first stage (Stage 1) is the Interim Energy Center (IEC) and buried service piping to the Ādisöke building with design and construction work completed Fall 2024. The Interim Energy Center and buried service piping will be constructed on Commissioner Street in Ottawa through an agreement with the City of Ottawa. The removal of the IEC is scheduled for Early 2026.
The second stage (Stage 2) will be the permanent lateral connection to the NCR DES, which will be covered under this project as shown in Figure 1. The connection to the ESAP DES requires the installation of low-temperature hot water and chilled water direct buried piping. In total, there are four pipes, one supply and one return for each service and a communication conduit. These pipes are 250mm and 150mm in diameter and cover a distance of approximately 260 meters. The final connection to the NCR DES will take place on the lands near and on parts of the NCC multi-use pathway between Wellington Street and Albert Street partially running through a green space near parallel to Commissioner Street.
The Ādisöke Direct Buried Lateral Connection Piping to the NCR DES project is subject to Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC), the National Capital Commission (NCC) and a limited City of Ottawa review and approval. A majority of the proposed project will take place on NCC lands and is subject to a federal land use, design, and real estate transaction approval under the National Capital Act. In addition to the NCC, other Federal Authorities may be identified during the project development process, and if so, will be coordinated with them.
Figure 1: Proposed Stage 2 direct buried lateral connection piping.
The Stage 2 connection of the ESAP DES energy distribution system piping will be implemented in three phases starting in late Spring 2025 with completion in late Fall 2025. Phase 1 of the work will take place at both the north and south end of the proposed routing per Figure 2 with upper Commissioner Street closed. Detours for access to the multi-use pathways will be established, and Traffic access where Fleet and Commissioner Street merge will be restricted to one lane using traffic lights for control. The Fleet Street Pumping Station will be restricted to the lower Lett Street laneway.
Figure 2: Phase 1 proposed work area and detour of the multi-use pathway.
Phase 2 will continue to progress the direct buried piping from both the north and south end of the proposed routing per Figure 3. Adjustments to the multi-use pathways detours will be made as shown. Traffic access where Fleet and Commissioner Street merge will be shifted and will continue to be restricted to one lane using traffic lights for control. The Fleet Street Pumping Station east access lane-way will be reinstated.
Figure 3: Phase 2 proposed work area and detour of the multi-use pathway.
Phase 3 will continue the direct buried piping installation along upper Commissioner Street and on the southeast side of the Fleet Street crossing as shown in Figure 4. Adjustments to the multi-use pathways detours will be made as shown. Traffic access at the crossing of Fleet Street will be shifted as required. Vehicles access will be restricted to one lane using traffic lights for control. Once the work on the southeast side of Fleet Street is complete, a temporary road will be constructed to shift traffic to permit the installation of the piping under Fleet Street. Final connection to the ESAP distribution piping on the south side of Kichi Zībī Mīkan Parkway will be completed late Fall 2025.
