October 11th, 2018

The Joyce Centre for Partnership & Innovation

Posted in: All News

The Joyce Centre for Partnership & Innovation at Mohawk College recently certified as Canada’s largest institutional net zero building when it opened its doors to students this September.

Buildings account for nearly 40% of greenhouse gas emissions. It is vital that projects like The Joyce Centre showcase the state-of-the-art environmental technologies available that significantly reduce carbon emissions. The building’s technology includes:

• A high-performance building envelope which maximizes natural light in the building and significantly reduces the building’s heating and cooling loads
• Solar photovoltaic panel arrays generating 721,000 kWh of clean, renewable electricity per year
• A solar thermal system that provides heat for the domestic hot water system
• 28 geothermal wells
• A variable refrigerant flow heat pump system
• Storm water harvesting of up to 228,000 litres
• Sensor-controlled LED lighting
• A green roof with extensive planted areas
• High-efficiency plumbing fixtures

The facility also serves as a living lab for students. Students have access to every part of the building, from the solar thermal array on the roof patio to the mechanical penthouse and the sub-basement water room. Students will get hands-on learning inn how to operate, and maintain a net zero building plus monitor real-time data on the energy being generated and consumed by The Joyce Centre.