A message from Triovest, a Colliers Company:
After earning its place among Canada's most energy-efficient office buildings, ATCO Centre Edmonton isn't resting on its laurels. The tower at 10035 105 Street NW, managed by Triovest since 2009, is looking toward cutting-edge technology — namely artificial intelligence (AI) — to redefine continuous improvement in energy performance.
The immediate future involves integrating AI into the building's operations, starting with its lighting system. Ashwin Iyer, the building operator, says his team is working with their building management system (BMS) contractor to deploy AI components.
The goal is to move beyond the current programmed schedule and allow the AI-integrated system to learn and predict occupant behaviour. By analyzing real-world usage patterns and office habits, the AI can precisely determine the most effective times and locations for dimming or turning off lights, minimizing energy use beyond what a static schedule can achieve.
To support these advanced systems and improve overall efficiency, Iyer plans a significant upgrade to Triovest's network within ATCO Centre Edmonton. Currently, the building relies on multiple separate connections for its various technologies. The strategic move is to consolidate building management, security cameras, lighting, and other core systems onto a single, unified network platform. This will streamline data flow, maintenance, and the integration of future smart technologies.
While the existing chillers and boilers are already optimized for efficiency, the operations team is planning for the long term. Building operations and the property management team are actively investigating modern, low-carbon heating alternatives to replace the traditional boilers at the end of their lifecycle. Though a ground source heat pump system would be ideal in our cold climate, installing the necessary boreholes for a geo-exchange field in the middle of downtown Edmonton would present a significant practical challenge.
Triovest's commitment to efficiency underpins this forward-looking strategy. Chris Barry, Triovest's senior energy manager, emphasizes the dedication of the long-standing operational team following the latest ENERGY STAR award announcement.
"We have always had a strong operational team going back many years, and every year we try and beat what we did the previous years," Barry said. This culture of constant improvement and innovation ensures that ATCO Centre Edmonton remains one of the top buildings in Edmonton when it comes to energy use intensity.
Learn more about ATCO Centre Edmonton's journey to award-winning energy efficiency by reading the whole series.