MONTREAL — The first commercial building in Quebec designed to meet Canada’s standards for high-performance building through integrated design has received the Award of Engineering Excellence from the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers.

To meet Canada’s C-2000 building certification program, Mountain Equipment Corp. had to be at least 50 percent more energy efficient than a building following Canada’s model National Energy Code for Buildings. Frederic Genest’s design resulted in a 68 percent energy savings.

Genest Engineering was honored during the ASHRAE winter meeting Feb. 5-9 in Orlando, Fla. The award recognizes the most outstanding project receiving a first-place Technology Award. The ASHRAE Technology Award recognizes achievements by members who have successfully applied building design in areas of occupant comfort, indoor air quality and energy conservation. Genest was honored because it incorporated ASHRAE standards for effective energy management and IAQ.

The building features a geothermal-exchange system using ground-source heat pumps, radiant slabs for heating and cooling, a combination hybrid ventilation system and dedicated outdoor-air units, a high-performance envelope and natural lighting. The building also includes thermal energy storage with night pre-cooling and heating, heat recovery from exhausted air and uses rainwater.