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e-mail: general@agviro.com
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Achievements
2005 CSBE/SCGAB John Turnbull Award
The Canadian Society for Bioengineering presented Ron MacDonald with the 2005 John Turbull Award for his outstanding contributions to Building Systems Engineering through his consulting engineering activities.
Ron has completed research projects for firms developing new energy efficient products. He has been heavily involved with the development of radiant tube heaters. He is also recognized for his 12-year service to CSAE/SCGAB as Treasurer and as Regional Director in 1985-86
2005 Canadian Energy Efficiency Awards
Natural Resources Canada presented Agviro with Honourable Mention for both the Comprehensive Projects - Small Energy Users and the Comprehensive Projects - Large Energy Users categories.
The award for Small Energy Users was for Agviro's work at a facility that was facing energy cost increases of ten times. Recalibrating the ventilation system and training staff at this location cut annual heating costs in half, eliminated almost 300,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
The most impressive thing about these results is that they were achieved without any significant equipment upgrades. Instead, efficiencies were gained by making sure that the ventilation system was operating as efficiently as possible. The project took place late in 2003.
The award for Large Energy Users was for Agviro's work at SunCrest Colony, near Castor, Alberta. Agviro instituted seven energy-efficient measures, which together reduced its total energy use by almost two thirds. Natural gas consumption alone dropped by 70 percent. Annual greenhouse gas emissions were reduced by about 45 tonnes. The seven improvements were:
- Installing new control systems to precisely monitor and manage exhaust and fresh air intake.
- Installing energy-efficient exhaust fans.
- Conserving large amounts of otherwise wasted heat by removing an attic duct system.
- Installing infrared radiant heat systems, where ceiling heights permitted.
- Outfitting areas with low ceilings with properly sized and located forced-air heaters combined with air intake and distribution systems.
- Replacing all the lights with high-efficiency T8 fluorescent lights.
- Bringing everything together with staff training and a standard operating procedures manual.
Other environmental benefits included an increase in productivity levels.
ASHRAE Poster Award, 2004
The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) presented Ron MacDonald,the president of Agviro, with an award given to the peer reviewed technical papers with the best visual and technical information presented at ASHRAE meetings during 2003.
Ron received the award for the paper, Evaluation of an Infrared Two-Stage Heating System in a Commercial Application. The paper provides the results of a study conducted over three winter seasons to evaluate a two stage infrared heating system in a commercial building with a frequently used, large overhead door. The results indicate that the infrared system provides a satisfactory alternative to the more conventional fan-forced space heater.