Artesian heating and cooling system wins international award

Media Release: Artesian heating and cooling system wins international award in London

12 February 2015

Artesian heating and cooling system wins international award in London

A revolutionary artesian heating and cooling system for Christchurch International Airport has received industry recognition, winning International Project of the Year at the 2015 CIBSE (Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers) Building Performance Awards.

The awards, presented on 10 February at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London, recognise engineering excellence in the built environment, with an emphasis on energy efficiency. Winners are acknowledged as ‘best in class’.

The innovative artesian heating and cooling system was designed and delivered by engineering consultants Beca, as part of Christchurch International Airport’s $237million Integrated Terminal Project.

The essence of the system is the use of artesian water that flows beneath the city of Christchurch and the Canterbury Plains. Easily accessible through wells, the artesian water provides the airport with a cost-effective, long-term heating and cooling solution and a super-efficient, sustainable energy source.

Chillers, which act as geothermal heat pumps, provide both mechanical cooling and heating, and 12oC artesian water is used for direct cooling. This innovative system enables artesian water to heat or cool the building, or both, at any one time. It also has the ability to recover and redistribute heat energy.

The system helps the terminal building’s temperature to remain constant; improving the experience of the millions of passengers who pass through the airport each year.

Beca Technical Director and Christchurch Building Services Manager, Justin Hill, was in London to accept the award. He says “Beca was proud to be involved in the project and it was an honour to accept the award on behalf of everyone involved. This project epitomises excellent engineering in almost every aspect of the design and construction.

“I believe Beca’s holistic approach to the system design played a major role in the project’s success. Cost-effectiveness, energy-efficiency and future flexibility were high on the priority list,” adds Justin.

The CIBSE Award is just one of many that the artesian heating and cooling system has won over the past year. The Beca innovation also won the Building and Construction category at the 2014 New Zealand Engineering Excellence Awards, and a Gold Award of Excellence at the 2014 ACENZ (Association of Consulting Engineers New Zealand) INNOVATE New Zealand Awards.

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