Government awarded a contract today, Nov. 17, for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) for the Dartmouth General Hospital expansion project to MMM Group Limited.
Along with providing high quality services to meet the future health needs of Nova Scotia, government is ensuring new additions to the QEII redevelopment project are energy efficient.
“Incorporating energy-efficient measures in a building’s design is one of the better ways to minimize energy use which helps to save costs throughout the life of the building,” said Terry Smith-Lamothe, senior architect with Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal. “We are targeting a LEED gold rating for all new additions in the QEII redevelopment project.”
LEED is a widely accepted rating system recognized as the mark of excellence for green buildings in 150 countries.
Certification includes an independent review and verification of the building’s energy systems to ensure all equipment is properly installed and operating as specified. Benefits include reduced energy use, lower operating costs, better productivity and reduced contractor callbacks.
Hospital staff will receive training to operate equipment efficiently. Monitoring equipment will be used for the first 12 months of operation to detect any deficiencies that may require adjustments and make corrections to ensure equipment runs properly and efficiently over the longer-term. The contract is valued at $257,000.
It is already government practice that new provincial buildings such as schools, hospitals, court and corrections facilities, and office buildings meet a high energy-efficiency standard. Government buildings must meet a minimum LEED silver rating as determined by the Canada Green Building Council.
For more information on LEED and updates on the QEII redevelopment project, go to: QE2redevelopment.ca.
Source: Release