HIGHLIGHTS

Windsor Elms Village's chief administrative office considers it a “triple bottom line benefit.”

More than $1 million has been invested in a deep energy retrofit at the Falmouth long-term care home that Susan MacDougall said is good for their people, the planet and their bank account. Money will be saved through reduced energy consumption and the generation of renewable energy. The project completion was celebrated at the long-term care home on Oct. 19.

“It fits very well with our commitment to continuous quality improvement," MacDougall said. "This is just another example of that, albeit a very big example of that."

From the onset of the project, she said, they knew they wanted it to be something that could be replicated and shared with other long-term care homes.

MacDougall said they want to help others understand how effective and efficient these types of projects can be and the “incredible outcomes” for both existing long-term care homes and those yet to be built.

BENEFITING RESIDENTS, STAFF

West Hants Regional Municipality Mayor Abraham Zebian pointed out the more the Windsor Elms can save in operations, “the more they can actually put back into the care of the residents.”

MacDougall said money saved on energy costs could be invested in additional programming, equipment or new experiences. Residents and staff will have an opportunity to give input on what they consider the greatest needs and where those dollars could be spent to make the greatest impact.

MacDougall said the project is about providing leadership in long-term care and is also about staff recruitment and retention. People entering and those already in the workforce want to know what organizations are doing to benefit the environment.

The project included the installation of a leading-edge Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) using technology developed by StorTera of Scotland; 100 kW of solar

PV, a comprehensive lighting upgrade and improvements to heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems.

Some key details of a deep energy retrofit at the Windsor Elms Village in Falmouth:

• 26 pumps have been replaced with smart pump technology.

• 276 photo-voltaic (PV) panels have been installed with 90 kW/112.5 MWh generated by the solar system.

• Exterior lighting energy consumption has been reduced by 50 per cent.

• The battery energy storage system will reduce peak demand by a minimum of 30 kW.

REPLICATING SUCCESS

Windsor Elms Village partnered with Annapolis Valley-based Equilibrium Engineering to complete the project. Equilibrium principal Jeremy Lutes said one thing that resonated with him is that Windsor Elms Village isn't just a facility or institution. For 108 residents, it's home.

He said one example of how the project will increase safety for residents is through better lighting, which will help reduce the number of slips and falls.

When asked about the project serving as a pilot that could benefit other long-term care homes, Lutes used the analogy of the first person to run a four-minute mile. It had never been accomplished to that point, but once it was, it didn't take others long to replicate the feat.

Deep retrofit projects like the one at Windsor Elms Village are complicated and complex, and funding is always an issue. However, Lutes said the fact they've successfully completed the project builds confidence within their own firm and within organizations such as the Nursing Homes of Nova Scotia Association that more can be done.

He said an important element is measuring the actual change in energy use, which will take six to 12 months, but “these projects pay for themselves.”

They are currently evaluating five more long-term care homes across Nova Scotia for similar initiatives, which would involve average investments of $1 million to $3 million.

PROJECT FUNDING, PARTNERSHIPS

Funding for the Windsor

Elms project included a $500,000 grant from the Federation of Canadian Municipalities Green Municipal Fund to the Regional Municipality of West Hants.

Other funding sources included the province of

Nova Scotia, EfficiencyOne, Windsor Elms Village and additional support from the municipality.

EfficiencyOne president and CEO Stephen MacDonald said they provided incentives to help with solar, storage, heating and cooling technology.

He said it's a showcase project that involved many partnerships. MacDonald considers it “a leading example” that “all of us should be really, really proud of.”

Kings-Hants MP Kody

Blois said projects such as this help in the fight against the climate crisis and help organizations providing key supports for long-term care.

He has learned through two federal election campaigns that perhaps the No. 1 issue for constituents is that “they want action on climate change.”

Blois credited the team at Windsor Elms Village for taking the lead on the retrofit initiative.