History
Enwave Energy Corporation was established more than 20 years ago as a non-profit cooperative. At that time, it was known as the Toronto District Heating Corporation and its original mandate was to provide efficient, environmentally-friendly heating to institutional and government buildings in downtown Toronto.
In the two decades that followed its creation, the company tried to keep pace with the burgeoning growth of Toronto's downtown core by expanding its steam service to include users in the commercial and entertainment sectors. However, its not-for-profit corporate structure and restrictive legislative covenants made it difficult for the company to raise the capital needed to finance growth.
In 1998 the company's Chairman, Dennis Fotinos, initiated a restructuring plan that ultimately gave rise to the private, for profit entity called Enwave. Privatization brought the capital and resources to develop Deep Lake Water Cooling (DLWC) – an innovative method of air-conditioning buildings– and the financial discipline to make the company profitable.
By the time DLWC was commissioned in 2004, Enwave had become a market leader in sustainable energy. With the financial support of its new shareholders, the City of Toronto and the Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement Savings System (OMERS), Enwave was no longer just a district heating company but a fully-integrated energy services provider.
Today, the company owns and operates three modernized steam plants and a new state-of-the-art cooling plant in downtown Toronto. Enwave also manages a large district energy plant in Windsor, Ontario.
With 40 kilometers of pipes buried deep in the municipal rights-of-way, Enwave distributes steam and chilled water with unsurpassed reliability to more than 51% of the potential market in Toronto and to a significant portion of the Windsor market as well.
Enwave's customers include government and institutional buildings; sports, convention, and entertainment facilities; hotel, residential, and commercial complexes; telecommunication hubs; and the Windsor Casino.
The Enwave Timeline
1964
Toronto Hydro begins supplying district heating from its newly-constructed steam plant at Pearl Street.
1968
Provincial Air Pollution Control Service approves a small expansion to Pearl Street Steam Plant and city council authorizes the construction of a new steam plant from a consortium of hospitals at Walton Street by a consortium of hospitals.
1969
City council commissions a study to chart the potential expansion of district heating in downtown Toronto.
1970
Commissioning of Walton Street Steam Plant.
City council commissions a study to chart the potential expansion of district heating in downtown Toronto.
1974
Recommendations of District Heating Study adopted by council:
- Integration of the six steam distribution networks operating in Toronto to be managed by a new corporation.
- Construction of a combined refuse-fired and fossil-fuel fired steam plant outside of downtown to provide base load for integrated system.
- Decommissioning of Pearl Street Steam Plant.
1976
Five district energy systems operating in Toronto – UofT, Hospitals Steam Corporation, Toronto Hydro, Queen's Park (ORC) and the Toronto Terminal Railways Corporation – agree to integrate their respective systems into one entity that will serve the heating needs of downtown Toronto. The new district heating network will ultimately be supplied with steam from a refuse fired steam plant which will incinerate Toronto's garbage and produce both power and heat from the refuse – a vision promoted by Works Commissioner, Ray Bremner.
1977
TTR pulls out of developing consortium.
1979
City council authorizes $2.7 million purchase of Gulf Oil site at Cherry Street and Lakeshore Boulevard as the site for the proposed refuse-fired steam plant.
1980
Provincial Government approves of consortium's plan for an integrated steam network. The Toronto District Heating Corporation Act, 1980 receives third reading in legislature.
1981
Metro council approves Waste Management Master Plan which includes City of Toronto proposal for a refuse-fired steam plant, however, Keele Valley Landfill site is purchased and Metro decides to divert waste to landfill rather than incinerate at Portlands.
1982
Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation presents results of a study of "Free cool" described as "the concept of pumping water from the bed of Lake Ontario through a hydraulic heat transfer system to cool major downtown buildings." Study suggests that it is "technically and financially feasible" to displace 137,000 TR of electrically-generated cooling capacity in downtown Toronto. Estimated cost of project $680 million.
1982
The Toronto District Heating Corporation (TDHC) Act, 1982 is proclaimed by the Ontario Legislature. The non-share capital corporation or non-profit entity, which will operate the new district energy system for the benefit of the founding partners, is thus created. The steam networks of the University Avenue hospitals, Toronto Hydro, and Queen's Park are amalgamated. UofT declines to cede its system to the new company but, nevertheless, takes two seats on the Board of Directors. Toronto Hydro takes an additional two years (1984) to finalize the transfer of its assets to the TDHC.
The TDHC legislation is very prohibitive in order to mitigate financial risk for the founding non-profit entities. However, risk mitigation comes at a high business cost. The TDHC legislation restricts long term borrowing and requires the company to seek approval from the City for many business transactions. It severely inhibits the company's growth resulting in many missed business opportunities. Plans for a refuse-fired steam plant are abandoned.
1985 - 1987
Queen's Park plant decommissioned and TTR plant demolished with customers from the latter system being transferred to TDHC.
1995
TDHC begins supplying steam for absorption cooling. Queen's Park Plant is re-commissioned, adding 15% capacity to system.
1996
TDHC installs a new low Nox boiler at the Walton Street Plant adding 18% more capacity to the steam system.
1997
TDHC opens Chilled Water Plant in the south building of the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. Unique design locates the wet well of the Chilled Water Plant in the center of the parking ramp making use of otherwise wasted space. Because of the restrictive TDHC legislation, the company is forced to sell receivables to finance the construction of the plant.
1998
New TDHC Chairman, Dennis Fotinos, secures the financial backing of Borealis (a wholly owned subsidiary of OMERS) and begins the process to reconstitute the TDHC as a private, for-profit company in order to pursue expansion.
Environmental Assessment for the Deep Lake Water Cooling project receives approval.
1999
International District Energy Association (IDEA) recognizes TDHC as the "System of the Year."
December 1999
Corporate restructuring of TDHC is completed and company is reconstituted under the Ontario Business Corporations, Act as a private, for-profit company with Borealis Penco and the City of Toronto each owning 50% of the new company. The company is re-named Enwave District Energy Limited and officially begins operations in January 2000.
2002
Phase II of DLWC design work is completed with plans to expand the chilled water distribution system north on York Street to Wellington Street.
2003
Company is re-branded as Enwave Energy Corporation to reflect its new vertically integrated and customer focused business strategy.
Enwave Energy finalizes plans to build a cogeneration plant at its Walton Street Steam.
Three 5 km pipes are lowered into Lake Ontario in preparation for the Deep Lake Water Cooling system.
2004
Enwave's Deep Lake Water Cooling system is launched on August 17, 2004.
Enwave Awards
1999
International District Energy Association's System of the Year Award
District Space Awards
District Energy Space is a publication that showcases the district energy's growth by featuring those buildings that have committed or recommitted to district energy service during the previous calendar year. The awards are presented at the International District Energy Associations Annual Conference.
2003
Silver – 17 buildings; Gold – 12,712,641 sq ft
2004
Gold – 22 buildings; Gold 10,152,782 sq ft
2005
Gold – 30 buildings; Gold 12,802,367 sq ft
2006
Silver – 20 buildings; Silver 7,596,357 sq ft
2005
Green Toronto Awards – Resource Conservation Award
2006
Leonardo da Vinci Award – Creativity & Innovation in Business
