This project involves BETAC working alongside Manitoba Hydro and Manitoba Housing to monitor the energy usage of Donwood Manor – a 119-unit personal care home located in North Kildonan that recently completed major upgrades to its building envelope and mechanical systems (heating, cooling and ventilation).

Our Research

• Energy models for both the pre-retrofit and post-retrofit design were developed to determine how the new building changes would contribute to the overall building energy profile.
• Sensors, meters, and gauges will be installed this summer to monitor, measure, and verify the energy and water performance of the building for at least one continuous year.
• Finally, a comparative analysis of the modelled energy usage and the actual energy usage of the building will be performed.

Results

Findings from this project will be of benefit to others in the building industry; therefore, a presentation of these results will be developed to share at industry association meetings, seminars, and speaking engagements (e.g. Manitoba Building Envelope Council, Building Energy Management Manitoba, Manitoba Chapter of the Canada Green Building Council, ASHRAE Manitoba Chapter), and events such as the annual Better Buildings Conference in Winnipeg.

WHAT YOU WILL LEARN

• Differences between residential and commercial tests
• Building science and driving forces of air leakage
• Testing standards and code requirements
• Test considerations and planning
• Required materials and equipment
• First-hand experience with setup and use of blower door equipment
• Trouble-shooting common problems encountered during testing

This workshop concludes with a full live test at the Centre for Applied Research in Sustainable Infrastructure (CARSI) at Red River College, which will incorporate diagnostic tools and data analysis.

INSTRUCTORS

Cory Carson
Cory is a Mechanical Engineering Technologist with over five years of experience in applied research related to energy efficiency, who has tested over 40 large buildings for airtightness.

Kevin Knight
Kevin is a building envelope authority with over 30 years of experience in field observation and testing, commissioning, research, education and training.

Gary Proskiw
Gary is a mechanical engineer with 40 years of experience; he has conducted hundreds of airtightness tests on houses and commercial buildings and has been active in code and standard development.

COURSE DATE AND COST

Location: Red River College, 2055 Notre Dame Avenue, Winnipeg, MB CA
Dates: September 27-29, 2017
Times: 8:30am-4:30pm (will end at 2pm on Sept. 29 to allow travel time)
Cost: $1,495 + GST (Cost includes parking, lunch and morning coffee)

REGISTRATION

Registration Form: TechSolutionsRegistration

Call or Email:
Cory Carson (204-631-3325 | ccarson31@rrc.ca)
Louise Wood (204-632-3017 | lowood@rrc.ca)

ADDITIONAL COURSE INFORMATION:
Rob Spewak, TAC Manager
204-632-2357 | rspewak@rrc.ca | rrc.ca/betac

Aileen Lopez is a second year Culinary Arts student currently doing her second co-op placement with the Culinary Research & Innovation program at Red River College. We chatted with Aileen about her path to culinary arts and research.
What got you interested in Culinary Arts?
I got interested in Culinary when I moved here to Canada with my two sisters. None of us knew how to cook meals that we usually eat back home in the Philippines. Since none of us was trying hard enough to make “good” dishes, I decided to step up and watch videos online on how to prep ingredients correctly.
I also read different recipes everyday so I can incorporate it into the dishes I wanted to make for my sisters. As time went by, I gained more interest in cooking, and I was seeing improvement on the dishes that I was creating. The biggest factor that made me want to pursue Culinary was seeing the happiness and appreciation for the meals I have prepared. That was reason enough for me to enter Culinary school. Read More →

On April 6, 2017, industry leaders, students, instructors and researchers came together for our first-annual Applied Research & Innovation Day to celebrate student applied research and our research partnerships at Red River College. Thank you to the eTV team for putting this video together. View here:

The Canadian En[tour]preneur Experience is an exciting new initiative for young Canadians, aged 18 to 24, with an interest in entrepreneurship and tourism.

Young Canadians from across the country are encouraged to apply to join the initiative in Ottawa from August 13 to 15, 2017, to share ideas on tourism and learn about entrepreneurship in the sector, as well as network and engage with tourism operators and industry partners.

Read More →

Oyedele Ola, Manager, Technology Access Centre for Aerospace and Manufacturing at Red River College, published this article in the latest issue of the Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters.
It is no news that robotics will play a pivotal role in the imminent 4th industrial revolution. With the rapid expansion and evolution of robotics, it is essential for manufacturing to stay ahead of the curve. There is a plethora of technology and knowledge gaps across industries, so Red River College is working to bridge this gap with applied research and partnerships, technology demonstration and specialized training programs to help with successful technology adoption and implementation. Robotics is fast-changing the manufacturing landscape, so let’s collaborate to keep up with this rapidly changing environment.
Read full piece here.

Sean Audet will be leaving the Culinary Research & Innovation team to launch a project of his own. We caught up with Sean for this brief Q&A, and to wish him well on his next culinary adventure.
You’re an expressive character and we love that about you. Do you have any fun or funny stories during your time at the College?
Read More →

Cypher Environmental and Red River College are marking the launch of a new product line developed by Cypher in collaboration with RRC students.
Read More →

Red River College has a term position opening for an Applied Research Professional in Advanced Materials and Manufacturing.
Reporting to the Manager of the Technology Access Centre for Aerospace and Manufacturing (TACAM), School of Transportation, Aviation, and Manufacturing (STAM) of Red River College (RRC), the Research Professional will support, enhance and grow applied research and technology development activities at the College for the aerospace and manufacturing sectors.
Closing Date: June 30, 2017
Full job description here (PDF).

York Factory First Nation is collaborating with BETAC to perform an air leakage test on a nursing station built in 2000 that has since encountered some roof damage due to ice damming.

Background

Based on site visits performed by Tower Engineering Group, GW Architecture Inc., and QCA Building Envelope Ltd. in November, 2016, it was discovered that significant amounts of insulation had been missing, moved, or become detached in the attic space, causing substantial amounts of heat to travel into the attic and melt the snow on the roof – resulting in ice damming.

In order to rectify this issue, the nursing station will be undergoing an envelope upgrade that is projected to begin in July, 2017.

Services provided

The objective of this applied research project is to capitalize on BETAC’s abundance of knowledge and recent experiences in conducting air leakage tests on larger buildings, and conduct testing of the existing building prior to any renovations.

• The pre-renovation test will use smoke machines and infrared thermography to identify the major leakage paths and air barrier deficiencies, particularly focusing on the leakage paths to the unconditioned attic space; however, diagnostic testing will identify other problem areas throughout the entire building as well.
• While there, BETAC staff will provide one training session for any interested persons from York Factory on the basics of building science, with an emphasis on the impact of air leakage and its testing.
• Afterwards, any training session attendees from York Factory are encouraged to witness and assist with the building test, with specific engagement during the diagnostic testing of the building.
• A post-renovation test is recommended after the work has been completed, to ensure a reduction in air leakage has been realized, especially for major leak paths.