Collicutt Centre: First Facility Under ATCO's New Combined Heat and Power Program

RED DEER, ALBERTA--(Marketwired - Aug. 13, 2014) - ATCO Gas announced today that the Collicutt Centre in Red Deer will be one of the first facilities to participate in its innovative new Combined Heat and Power (CHP) program. The company will install, own and maintain a 280 kilowatt (kW) CHP unit that will produce both heat and electricity for the 250,000 sq. ft. recreation facility.

ATCO Gas estimates that the CHP unit, combined with its waste-heat recovery technology will save the facility nearly $35,000 per year in energy costs over the life of the project, while reducing GHG emissions by up to 800 tonnes per year - the equivalent of taking 160 cars off the road annually.

"This program demonstrates the viability of CHP technology and encourages businesses and institutions to consider the many benefits of CHP in their facilities," said Bill Stephens, President, ATCO Gas. "In addition to the reduced operating costs and lower GHG emissions, one of the unique features of the program is that there is no upfront capital investment from the building owner."

"We are very excited to partner with ATCO Gas on this initiative," said Kay Kenny, Recreation Superintendent, City of Red Deer. "We pride ourselves on continually finding new ways to reduce our environmental footprint, and this a big step in the right direction. It is great to use a technology that is not only benefitting us environmentally, but also saving money on utilities for the facility over time as well."

The CHP program, funded in part by the Climate Change and Emissions Management Corporation (CCEMC), is ideally suited in facilities with a year-round heating requirement including recreation, senior or medical centres, condominiums, swimming pools and institutions. ATCO Gas is looking forward to installing several more CHP units in facilities across Alberta under this innovative program over the next two years.

Building owners in Alberta interested in the program can call toll-free 310-SAVE (7283). More information about the project is available at www.atcogas.com.

ATCO Gas is an Alberta-based, province-wide natural gas distribution company that serves more than 1.1 million customers in nearly 300 Alberta communities and is part of the ATCO Group of Companies. ATCO Group, with more than 9,000 employees and assets of approximately $17 billion, delivers service excellence and innovative business solutions worldwide with leading companies engaged in Structures & Logistics (manufacturing, logistics and noise abatement), Utilities (pipelines, natural gas and electricity transmission and distribution), Energy (power generation, natural gas gathering, processing, storage and liquids extraction) and Technologies (business systems solutions). More information can be found at www.atco.com.

The CCEMC is an Alberta-based not-for-profit organization that provides funding for projects that reduce GHG emissions and help Alberta adapt to climate change. It doesn't receive a financial return on its investment, but receives a return in the form of reduced GHG emissions. The organization currently has $65 million in funding available to support new projects.