Bruce Langereis, of Delta Land Development Ltd., shows off model of 30-storey Coal Harbour tower.   CREDIT: Ian Lindsay, Vancouver Sun

Marketing of what is believed to be Canada’s first condominium tower featuring an ecologically friendly geothermal system for air conditioning and heating water is about to be launched in Coal Harbour.

The $100-million, energy-efficient 30-storey concrete building, called Cielo, will also recycle heat given off by the huge refrigeration system of an upscale Urban Fare grocery store situated at street level.

The combined measures are designed to dramatically reduce energy consumption — particularly costly natural gas — for the project’s 140 condo units, as well as being substantially more gentle on the environment.

The geothermal system, provided by Richmond-based Earthsource Energy Inc., will cost Delta Land Development an extra $300,000 to $500,000 to install compared to conventional systems, but Delta president Bruce Langereis said Friday it will be money well-spent.

“We decided to do this out of a feeling for being environmentally responsible,” Langereis said in an interview. “We’re trying to embrace the concept of sustainability.”

Designed by Downs Archambault Architects, Cielo is being built at Hastings and Bute streets, on one of the last remaining Coal Harbour sites. It will be directly behind two other luxury waterfront towers — called Carina and Callisto — previously developed by Delta Land.

Earthsource president Lynn Mueller said to his knowledge, a geothermal system has never been installed in a residential highrise building in Canada, although it has been used in the U.S.

Mueller explained how the system works:

A series of holes are drilled about 100 metres into the warm ground below the building for water exchange pipes, with the holes refilled with soft clay. The water is at 10 C when it’s pumped through the building.

The water then flows into one or two electrically operated heat pumps installed in each condo unit that raise the water temperature up to 82 C, generating heat for the suite as well as domestic hot water.

Earthsource’s system will also recapture heat given off by Urban Fare’s constantly running refrigeration system and channel it into the condo tower, providing “free” heat for the building.

“This combination will take care of an estimated 80 per cent of the building’s heating requirements, although we’ll still need to use a small traditional gas furnace for peak loads,” Langereis said.

According to Mueller, the geothermal system will slash the expense of heat and air conditioning to a quarter of what natural gas would cost.

“As well, you would avoid 500 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide annually being pumped into the atmosphere,” Mueller said. “That would be the equivalent of planting 100 acres of trees a year for carbon dioxide reduction.”

Besides offering water, mountain or city views and the efficient low-cost heating and cooling systems, Langereis said each unit at Cielo will include quality interior finishes and high-end stainless steel appliances, along with “entertainment-sized” balconies and electric fireplaces.

Common amenities feature a rooftop spa, including a state-of-the-art fitness centre, and a 280 square metre (3,000 square foot) rooftop sundeck with jacuzzi, high-speed Internet connections, landscaped gardens, and a separate dedicated service elevator.

“You can buy a one bedroom unit but feel like a penthouse owner,” Langereis said.

The Cielo units are priced from about $300,000 for a 780-square-foot one bedroom suite, to $1.9 million for a 2,500-square-foot penthouse.

“We wanted to provide an affordable luxury product and I think we’ve done that,” Langereis said. “The market response has been overwhelming. It’s been a very positive experience. I wish we had more sites down in Coal Harbour.”

© The Vancouver Sun 2004