Toronto’s iconic Fairmont Royal York hotel has achieved the Canada Green Building Council’s (CAGBC’s) Zero Carbon Building (ZCB)-Performance Standard certification after a $65 million retrofit project led by KingSett Capital.
Completed after nearly five years of meticulous planning, the initiative is set to annually reduce more than 7,716 tons (7,000 tonnes) of carbon emissions, which is equivalent to removing 1,558 cars from the road or 80 per cent of the hotel’s annual carbon output. The building attained the CAGBC’s ZCB-Performance certification through a comprehensive process, including:
- An in-depth analysis of the building’s energy load to achieve substantial efficiencies.
- Transitioning heating and domestic hot water systems from steam to electric heat pumps utilizing Enwave’s district energy network.
- Shifting cooling methods from electrical/chillers to Enwave’s Deep Lake Water Cooling system.
- Enhancing energy efficiency through a centralized building automation system and smart technologies.
In addition to its carbon reduction efforts, the hotel has implemented various sustainability initiatives, including eliminating single-use plastics, reducing food waste with artificial intelligence (AI) technology, and supporting local ecosystems with rooftop honeybee gardens.
The Fairmont Royal York decarbonization project, a testament to public-private collaboration, aims to remove more than 181,881 tons (165,000 tonnes) of carbon emissions from 2023 to 2050, generating more than 35 per cent utility savings in the first year. All project impacts are independently verified through the CAGBC’s Investor Ready Energy Efficiency (IREE) certification program, with ongoing monitoring and verification by third parties mandated by the CIB and CAGBC. The initiative has not only demonstrated environmental responsibility but also provided valuable job opportunities, with more than 70,000 hours of labor employed in the process.
Jon Love, founder and CEO of KingSett Capital, emphasizes the project’s environmental, social, and economic impact, showcasing the potential for large-scale, environmentally responsible endeavors. Love highlights the collaboration with Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, the Canada Infrastructure Bank (CIB), PCL Construction, and Enwave Energy Corporation as essential to the project’s success.
