Enwave breaks ground on a new low-carbon heating facility to supply ‘Green Heat’ to Toronto

May 9, 2023

TORONTO, May 09, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Enwave Energy Corporation (Enwave) broke ground for their new low-carbon heating facility at their Pearl Street Energy Centre in downtown Toronto. This groundbreaking marked the beginning of a milestone expansion and renewal of their facilities which will enable Enwave to provide low-carbon heat (Enwave ‘Green Heat’) to Toronto’s world-renowned district energy grid.

As the real estate development industry and downtown institutions race to decarbonize, Enwave’s new low-carbon heating facility will be a game changer for buildings that are targeting to reach the highest level of Toronto Green Standards as well as Zero Carbon Building certifications from the Canadian Green Building Council. When fully utilized, Enwave’s low carbon heating facility will provide enough low-carbon heating to reduce emissions in Toronto by approximately 11,600 tCO2e, which is the equivalent of converting over 10 million square feet of office space to net zero.

Enwave’s ‘Green Heat’ offering will be made possible by the installation of new assets that recycle district waste heat to produce hot water via electrification using dual-use heat pumps, electric feeds, and generators. This technology is optimized due to the scale and magnitude of buildings connected to Enwave’s heating and cooling district.

“The addition of a low carbon heating facility to our Pearl Street Energy Centre is a significant milestone for us and Toronto’s district energy grid, because it allows us to provide decarbonization at scale,” says Carlyle Coutinho, CEO of Enwave Energy Corporation. “As leaders in the energy transition, we are always looking at innovative ways to expand our positive impact and serve even more of Ontario’s residents, institutions, and businesses. Adding this state-of the-art heat pump facility to provide ‘Green Heat’ demonstrates our commitment to this city and province, the development community, and our stakeholders.”

“Buildings in Toronto generate more than half of our city's greenhouse gas emissions. New technologies, like Enwave's expanded heat delivery system, will play a critical role in the reduction of our cumulative carbon footprint. The City of Toronto is proud to partner with Enwave to help fulfill our TransformTO Net Zero Strategy and reach net zero by 2040,” says Toronto Deputy Mayor Jennifer McKelvie.

Three men wearing hard hats are digging a hole in the ground

Left-right: Sashen Guneratna (Managing Director, Investments, Canada Infrastructure Bank), Carlyle Coutinho (CEO, Enwave Energy Corporation), and Todd Smith (Minister of Energy, Government of Ontario).

The groundbreaking of the Pearl Street low-carbon heating facility also marks the beginning of Enwave’s broader low carbon energy transition plans in Ontario. For nearly 20 years, Enwave has provided reliable and affordable green district energy to Toronto’s downtown hospitals, campuses, and office buildings through their globally recognized Deep Lake Water Cooling system. Now they are building out new district systems that utilize other sustainable technologies and sources, such as wastewater heat recovery and geoexchange, to service large scale communities in the GTA. For example, Enwave recently launched Enwave GeoCommunities, a new platform which use the near-constant temperatures from the earth to act as a battery to store thermal energy, to provide low-carbon energy to buildings that are outside of their existing districts.

“Our government is building an energy system to support our growing population and thriving economy,” says Government of Ontario Energy Minister Todd Smith. “I’m pleased to see Enwave doing the same with the expansion of their Low-Carbon Heating Facility, which will provide a zero-emissions heating solution for new buildings in Toronto’s downtown core.”

Engaging with Toronto’s downtown landscape was critical for the design of the new three-storey low-carbon heating facility. At street level, bold graphics and educational displays will articulate Enwave’s vision for efficient, affordable low-carbon energy delivery, and their commitment to net zero. There will also be select glazed areas of the building to display the latest equipment at work.

In addition to the new facility, Enwave will be updating their existing 60-year-old building at 120 Pearl Street with a complete recladding of the façade, using modern materials such as black metal, aluminum, and windows with a frittered glass pattern.

The Pearl Street Energy Centre expansion and renewal project is supported financially by a grant from Canada’s Low Carbon Economy Fund, Champions Stream and a $600 million loan commitment from the Canada Infrastructure Bank (CIB) to accelerate the scale and build-out of Enwave’s low carbon systems in Toronto and Mississauga.

“District energy projects align with our priority to invest in clean energy infrastructure which reduce greenhouse gas emissions. As world leaders focus on global climate action, our innovative investment is a tremendous opportunity to make urban communities greener and more sustainable. The district energy projects will benefit those who live and work in Toronto for generations to come,” says Ehren Cory, CEO, Canada Infrastructure Bank.

The groundbreaking for Enwave’s new low-carbon heating facility took place on May 9, 2023. The new facility is anticipated to be completed and in service by late 2024.

For more information, interviews or high-res images please contact:

Julia Jolly, Argyle
jjolly@argylepr.com
(416) 937-9714

Riva Finkelstein, Argyle
rfinkelstein@argylepr.com
(416) 858-3482

Media Contact

Amy Jacobs

SVP, Commercial Operations

An aerial view of a large building next to a body of water.
May 12, 2025
TORONTO, May 12, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Enwave Energy Corporation (Enwave) has announced today the commitment to build a new waste processing facility in Prince Edward Island, beginning this fall. The facility will be in operation by 2028 and will replace the existing end-of-life system. Enwave, in partnership with the Province of Prince Edward Island, has proudly undertaken this expansion to address the growing need to identify sustainable waste solutions in the province.
A group of people standing next to each other with shovels.
October 21, 2024
MISSISSAUGA, Ontario, Oct. 21, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, the City of Mississauga , Lakeview Community Partners Limited (LCPL), Enwave Lakeview Corporation and the Region of Peel celebrated the groundbreaking of a new district energy system at Lakeview Village. Once fully operational, the Lakeview Village district energy system is positioned to be the first of its kind in Ontario and the largest in Canada.
August 29, 2024
TORONTO, Aug. 29, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Enwave Energy Corporation (Enwave) commissioned the Deep Lake Water Cooling (DLWC) System’s fourth intake expansion during a ceremony at their John Street Energy Centre today. Enwave, in partnership with Toronto Water, is proud to provide more buildings, owners, and operators in the city the opportunity to connect to Enwave’s sustainable energy system.
June 16, 2024
Our team at Enwave believes in the importance of bringing people and organizations together to develop partnerships that can drive positive impact on the world. Each year, we attend the International District Energy Association (IDEA) conference, which brings together industry leaders in the energy transition to share, learn, and collaborate together. This conference presents an opportunity for Enwave to learn about innovative low carbon technologies being deployed across the world, how we might be able to apply new models in deploying low carbon energy systems, but also gives Enwave an opportunity to share learnings from our projects and our vision for the future. 
A blue circle with the word olg on it
November 14, 2023
TORONTO, Aug. 29, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Enwave Energy Corporation (Enwave) commissioned the Deep Lake Water Cooling (DLWC) System’s fourth intake expansion during a ceremony at their John Street Energy Centre today. Enwave, in partnership with Toronto Water, is proud to provide more buildings, owners, and operators in the city the opportunity to connect to Enwave’s sustainable energy system.
A group of people holding shovels in front of a sign that says mpv2.
February 16, 2023
TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Daniels Corporation (“Daniels”), one of Canada's pre-eminent builders and developers, today unveiled its sustainability framework entitled, Daniels’ Decarbonization Roadmap. With a history of going beyond mandated minimum requirements to ensure more accessible and affordable communities, Daniels is now setting a new standard for low-carbon development. The roadmap outlines Daniels’ clear action plan for its next two development cycles, setting the path to becoming the leading low-carbon builder and developer in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). 
October 25, 2022
TORONTO, Oct. 25, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Enwave Energy Corporation, a leading provider of district energy and known for its world-renowned deep lake water cooling network, has entered entered an exclusive energy partnership with RioCan Real Estate Investment, to advance their low carbon objectives by exploring sustainable energy solutions at certain RioCan developments. One of the first projects to be deployed is at the RioCan Leaside Centre development project, in Toronto, where a district scale and energy-efficient geoexchange solution is being implemented for the 1.3 million square foot mixed-use development project. This solution will produce significantly fewer greenhouse gases than traditional HVAC systems, and perfectly meets the high demand, green energy needs of this future community. Earlier this year, Enwave launched a new platform to pursue off-district, low carbon geoexchange projects called Enwave GeoCommunities, which will pursue projects similar to that of the Leaside project with RioCan. Since the launch, Enwave has also partnered with another two development projects in the Toronto area to deploy stand-alone geoexchange solutions for residential towers and are now under construction. Enwave GeoCommunities will accelerate the adoption of low-carbon energy and advance the supply chain specifically for geoexchange technology across the industry. This expansion allows Enwave to offer a greater span of available solutions to aid partners in achieving their decarbonization goals. Enwave currently operates off-district geo solutions to several single building sites. The success and reliability of these solutions has led the team to scale up resources to focus on the growth of Enwave’s off-district solutions and partnerships. According to Enwave CEO Carlyle Coutinho, “Today, our communities and partners have bold sustainability and resilience goals - our solutions are deployed to meet those needs and targets.” Enwave has extensive partnership experience and a proven track of achieving demanding carbon reduction and resiliency goals. This expertise has led to their recent initiative with the Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA) to deliver innovative and holistic energy solutions to help reach their ambitious decarbonization objectives. Teaming up with AECOM and Alectra Energy Solutions, this program will lead to reduced energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions by planning, designing and delivering decarbonization solutions at GTAA’s facilities including lighting systems, clean heat energy services at its central utility plant, and deployment of on-site solar photovoltaic and electric vehicle charging at Toronto Pearson International Airport. Part of Enwave’s holistic approach to energy planning, design, and implementation, is its full-service partnership, offering developers financial assistance and system management to make the transition to sustainable energy faster and easier. “We’re committed to developing proven clean, low-carbon, affordable energy, which can provide greater savings, more flexibility and higher levels of sustainability,” says Coutinho. About Enwave. Enwave is one of the largest commercial operators of community-based thermal energy systems in North America. It develops reliable, commercial, and sustainable energy solutions at scale tailored to the unique needs of municipalities, commercial developments, universities, hospitals, and residential communities. Enwave also launched Enwave GeoCommunities in 2022, specifically focused on the development of low-carbon solutions for single-building and community residential developments. The company’s management team has extensive experience in designing, operating, and/or managing a variety of low-carbon, efficient thermal and electrical technologies including lake water cooling, geoexchange, energy from waste, clean biomass, energy from sewage, thermal ice batteries, ambient loops, wind, solar, and combined heat, and power. Elizabeth Kriarakis Elizabeth.kriarakis@enwave.com
October 12, 2022
In this role, the firms will support the GTAA's ambitious program to reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions by planning, designing, and delivering an optimized and comprehensive approach aimed at achieving the GTAA's facility decarbonization goals across three areas – lighting systems, clean heat energy services at its central utility plant, and deployment of on-site solar photovoltaic and electric vehicle charging at Toronto Pearson International Airport.  "The GTAA has a long history of employing innovative infrastructure updates aimed at conserving energy, maintaining state of the art facilities, and acting as good stewards of the environment. This is a commitment we share, as demonstrated in the continued advancement of our Sustainable Legacies strategy," said Marc Devlin, chief executive of AECOM's Canada region. "We're excited to align our forward-thinking companies and world-class technical expertise with Canada's largest airport facility to implement the cutting-edge solutions that will help evolve and adapt the sustainable future of the aviation industry." AECOM, Alectra, and Enwave are industry leaders with a history of successful collaboration. The initial phase of the project has commenced, with the team employing a unique energy master planning and financing approach focused on understanding the technical, financial, and greenhouse gas impacts for numerous facilities across the three scope areas. Through this approach, the GTAA will be presented with three prioritized scenarios which will be further assessed and analyzed to arrive at a preferred option, which will then be scoped for the next phase of development. "Strategic initiatives like this with key customers like the GTAA demonstrates Alectra Energy Solutions' commitment to working closely with customers and partners alike," said John Matovich, executive vice president, Energy Solutions and Growth at Alectra. "As one of the first energy distribution companies in Ontario to commit to a target and timeline for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, Alectra fully understands the need to have a variety of players actively engaged to help customers reduce their carbon footprint and become more sustainable. We take great pride in building these relationships and collaborating to achieve our collective goals." "We seek to partner with companies who have ambitious decarbonization goals and a proven track record of best-in-class operations in their respective industries," stated Carlyle Coutinho, chief executive officer of Enwave. "The opportunity we have here with the GTAA, Alectra, and AECOM holds true to this aspiration and presents a unique chance to collaborate and share innovative and scalable commercial models that will continue to elevate the GTAA within the aviation industry while leading the way to a more sustainable future for our community." "We're looking forward to working with this group of companies in this unique partnership as a way to help advance our emissions reductions," said Todd Ernst, Director, Aviation Infrastructure, Energy and Environment for the GTAA. "Toronto Pearson is already an industry leader when it comes to sustainability and we believe that by having the expertise of AECOM, Alectra and Enwave on our side, we'll be able to continue making gains towards our energy and GHG emission goals." Advancing greenhouse gas emission reductions and reducing energy consumption are key to achieving the GTAA's targeted Carbon Neutrality and Emissions Action Plan and Strategic Energy Master Plans, which outline its objective of achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. These goals, which align with Canada's national commitments as part of the Paris Climate Accord, demonstrate the GTAA's industry leadership in decarbonization on the national and international stage. The program incorporates alternative financing models to leverage the GTAA's existing operating budget and utilize dollars saved from reduced energy use or monetization of reduced greenhouse gas emissions. About AECOM AECOM is the world's trusted infrastructure consulting firm, delivering professional services throughout the project lifecycle – from planning, design and engineering to program and construction management. On projects spanning transportation, buildings, water, new energy, and the environment, our public- and private-sector clients trust us to solve their most complex challenges. Our teams are driven by a common purpose to deliver a better world through our unrivaled technical expertise and innovation, a culture of equity, diversity and inclusion, and a commitment to environmental, social and governance priorities. AECOM is a Fortune 500 firm and its Professional Services business had revenue of $13.3 billion in fiscal year 2021. See how we are delivering sustainable legacies for generations to come at aecom.com and @AECOM. About Alectra Serving more than one million homes and businesses in Ontario's Greater Golden Horseshoe area, Alectra is now the largest municipally-owned electric utility in Canada, based on the total number of customers served. We contribute to the economic growth and vibrancy of the 17 communities we serve by investing in essential energy infrastructure, delivering a safe and reliable supply of electricity, and providing innovative energy solutions. Our mission is to be an energy ally, helping our customers and the communities we serve to discover the possibilities of tomorrow's energy future. About Enwave Enwave is one of the largest commercial operators of community-based thermal energy systems in North America. We develop reliable, commercial, and sustainable energy solutions at scale tailored to the unique needs of municipalities, commercial developments, universities, hospitals, and residential communities. We also launched Enwave GeoCommunities in 2022, specifically focused on the development of low-carbon solutions for single-building and community residential developments. Our management team has extensive experience in designing, operating, and/or managing a variety of low-carbon, efficient thermal and electrical technologies including lake water cooling, geoexchange, energy from waste, clean biomass, energy from sewage, thermal ice batteries, ambient loops, wind, solar, and combined heat, and power. About the Greater Toronto Airports Authority The Greater Toronto Airports Authority is the operator of Toronto – Lester B. Pearson International Airport, Canada's largest airport and a vital connector of people, businesses and goods. Toronto Pearson has been named "Best Large Airport in North America serving more than 40 million passengers" for five years in a row by Airports Council International (ACI), the global trade representative of the world's airports. In recognition of its Healthy Airport program, ACI has also awarded Toronto Pearson the "Best hygiene measures in North America" award for two years running, and Toronto Pearson was the first Canadian airport to receive ACI's global health accreditation for its response to COVID-19. SOURCE Greater Toronto Airports Authority For further information: AECOM Media Contact: Rachel Weiss, Senior Communications Manager, 212.708.6746, rachel.weiss@aecom.com; Alectra Media Contact: Ashley Trgachef, Media Spokesperson, 416.402.5469, ashley.trgachef@alectrautilities.com; Enwave Media Contact: Elizabeth Kriarakis, Employee Experience & Enterprise Projects Manager, 416.951.3555, elizabeth.kriarakis@enwave.com
Show More