Ricardo Haddad, Director of Engineering, and Daniel Robert, Senior Vice President – Special Projects at Kolostat, presented this example of a promising project at Concordia University’s ASHRAE student chapter seminar on sustainability and innovation .
Better energy use for complex buildings: heat recovery as a performance lever
Reducing a building’s carbon footprint doesn’t always mean consuming less energy. In some projects, the real solution is to make better use of the energy already produced.
As part of a presentation to Concordia University’s ASHRAE student chapter, Kolostat shared its approach to energy performance applied to complex buildings. This article draws on that discussion, highlighting concrete solutions particularly suited to the indoor greenhouse and farm sector, where energy performance and financial viability must go hand in hand.
Greenhouses and indoor farms are buildings that operate day and night, all year round, and must maintain very precise conditions to ensure plant growth. These environments generate a great deal of heat, notably from humidity, lighting and production equipment – energy that is all too often wasted.
Energy too often wasted
In a conventional building, air-conditioning systems reject heat to the outside, while other systems produce heat in parallel. The result: cooling on one side and heating on the other.
At Kolostat, we take a different approach. The idea is simple: recover the heat produced by cooling and reuse it where the building needs it. Gas-fired systems then become back-up solutions, used only in extreme conditions.
More efficient… and more resilient buildings
This way of designing mechanical systems significantly reduces greenhouse gas emissions, while improving building stability and reliability. Even during periods of intense cold, buildings remain comfortable and efficient, thanks to intelligent energy management.
But performance doesn’t stop at the environmental aspect.
Energy performance and financial performance go hand in hand
For Kolostat, a successful project must also respect the customer’s financial objectives. That’s why each solution is designed to offer a balance between :
- long-term energy savings,
- installation costs,
- available financial assistance programs,
- and profitability expectations.
This approach enables us to deliver projects that are sustainable, efficient and financially responsible.
Results of an energy efficiency project in an indoor greenhouse :
Expertise applicable to several sectors
While this approach is particularly relevant for greenhouses and indoor farms, it also applies to other complex buildings such as industrial facilities, data centers or healthcare facilities.
Energy efficiency is not a one-size-fits-all solution: it involves analysis, integration and optimization.
And this is precisely where Kolostat’s expertise makes the difference.
References :
– Event: https: //ashrae.ecaconcordia.ca/fr/innohvac-beyond-2026-recap/