Sustainability, Enwave and Beer!

When customers at the Steam Whistle Brewery in Toronto lift their pints of beer, they probably don't realize Enwave Toronto helps make it possible. But it does!

Steam Whistle Brewery – a champion of the environment and energy efficiency – long ago chose Enwave Toronto as an energy partner. The two came together again in September 2017 as part of “Green Energy Doors Open,” a program of the Ontario Sustainable Energy Association (OSEA).

The brewery hosted the event, and Enwave’s Mark Quattrociocchi, a featured presenter, shared how Enwave is helping Toronto meet its sustainability goals through district energy, particularly the use of Deep Lake Water Cooling technology.

Deep Lake Water Cooling. When used in more densely populated areas, district energy systems can be more cost-effective than separate boilers and chillers in each individual building.

Enwave Toronto draws ice-cold water (38 degrees F) from the depths of Lake Ontario, transferring the water’s cooling energy to its own closed district cooling system. While the lake water flows on to be used in Toronto’s potable water system, Enwave uses the cooling energy to air condition buildings in the downtown core. Enwave’s Deep Lake Water Cooling system is one of the largest sustainable cooling systems, using Lake Ontario to recycle energy from more than 70 buildings in downtown Toronto to the city’s potable water system. Currently, this system reduces peak electrical demand in the downtown core by 61 MW, with plans underway to expand.

Enwave Toronto generates even more sustainable benefits. The system reduces a building’s electricity usage by 90% over traditional cooling equipment; reduces annual electricity consumption by an equivalent of 7,000 homes; reduces annual water use by the equivalent of 280 Olympic size pools; and reduces CO2 emissions because using Deep Lake Water Cooling is equivalent to taking 16,000 cars off the road each year.

The Process. Steam Whistle Brewery uses Enwave’s chilled water when Steam Whistle’s beer is refrigerated for 3-4 weeks during the ‘lagering’ process to make its Pilsner. It also uses chilled water for air conditioning.

In addition, the brewery taps Enwave Toronto’s district heating system, using its steam for space heating, washing beer bottles, boiling water in the brewing process, and sounding the functioning steam whistles in its plant.

Enwave Toronto was honored to be a part of OSEA’s sustainability event and is proud to serve Steam Whistle, one of Canada’s greenest breweries.