Ford Motor Company of Canada Limited Energy Conservation /Automotive

This story and others can be found at: www.ec.gc.ca/pp/english/stories/listing.html Pollution Prevention Pays! Ford Motor Company of Canada Limited Energy Conservation /Automotive The Oakville Assembly Plant and Ontario Truck Plant are located on a 487 acre site in Oakville, Ontario. The Oakville Assembly Plant manufactures the Windstar minivan for the global market and employs approximately 3,200 people. The Ontario Truck Plant manufactures the F-Series light trucks and employs approximately 1,200 people. DESCRIPTION OF PROJECT: Since 1952, Ford Motor Company of Canada Limited’s Oakville Assembly Plant and Ontario Truck Plant have relied upon the boiler house to supply steam heating. Although innovative in 1952, the 50-year-old steam heating system had now become inefficient compared to new technologies, which require less energy and reduce carbon dioxide emissions and other greenhouse gases (GHG) that are known to contribute to climate change. The objective of this project was not only to replace an aging system, but also to increase energy efficiency and reduce GHG emissions. To fulfill this objective, an energy service company was contracted to install a new direct gas-fired heating and ventilation system. A total of 13 rooftop gas-fired air-heating units, known as Big Foots, were installed. Each unit contains a direct-fired gas burner and two 100 horsepower fans. The fresh outside air is heated by the burner and mixed with return air to provide building air balance. The tempered air enters the building by the ceiling and pushes the hot air towards the ground creating a comfortable temperature of 21oC at floor level. This process therefore avoids the use of ducts for air distribution. A central computer controls the system by monitoring the building and atmospheric conditions, as well as the energy consumption. Although this new technology had successfully been installed in the U.S., Ford of Canada was the first company to implement the technology in Canada. BENEFITS: Environmental: The new system is expected to reduce energy consumption of both plants by approximately 225 MMBTU (one million British Thermal Units) each hour at peak usage. In terms of emissions, the following maximum annual reductions are expected: 6.6 metric tonnes of particulate, 102 metric tonnes of nitrous oxides, 0.5 metric tonnes of sulfur dioxide, 13 metric tonnes of carbon monoxide, and 4.4 metric tonnes of volatile organic compounds. Economic: This new direct gas-fired heating and ventilation system costs approximately $40 million. It will save an estimated annual amount of $8 million in energy and maintenance costs. CONTACT: Gary Conrad Ford Motor Company of Canada Limited Periphery Road P.O. Box 1300 Oakville, Ontario Tel: (905) 845-2511 ext. 3312 Fax: (905) 845-9228 E-mail: [email protected] The purpose of this sheet is to give recognition to this specific activity in pollution prevention. Environment Canada does not per se endorse the company. For more information on pollution prevention visit: www.ec.gc.ca/cppic .

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