Carbon-Neutral in Canada: Apple Self Storage in Guelph, Ontario, Goes All In on Eco-Friendly Features

Apple Self Storage in Guelph, Ontario, Canada

Apple Self Storage of Canada has entered a new era of eco-friendly development with its recently opened facility in Guelph, Ontario. The site was purposefully designed to minimize its impact on the environment. Comprising 79,200 square feet of net rentable space in about 750 units, the multi-story building boasts several sustainable features, including an all-electric heating and cooling (HC) system with specialized controls and a unique stormwater-management system that protects the surrounding environment.

What’s more, the once-polluted land on which this project was built required environmental remediation to remove and properly dispose of contaminated topsoil. It’s a feat on which few self-storage developers would be willing to spend time and money, according to company president David Allan. But for Apple and facility owner Canprop Inc., the outcome was well worth the investment.

The property is in a unique location. Not only is it in a part of the city that’s seen minimal self-storage construction, it’s close to a planned residential development and the University of Guelph, one of Canada’s largest colleges. The city’s large community of young students and working professionals places a high value on sustainability. The goal was to align the new Apple facility with the desires of this prime audience.

Framing phase

Heating and Cooling

A key feature of the Guelph facility is its HC system, which uses all-electric heat pumps in lieu of natural gas. Combined with solar power, which Apple is in the process of installing, these features will provide renewable energy.

“As a result of not having natural gas in the building, like natural-gas-fired boilers or rooftop units, it allows us to essentially operate in a carbon-neutral fashion,” Allan says. In fact, the facility was designed to achieve a zero-carbon design certification.

The HC system includes four rooftop units that can produce sufficient warmth without supplementary electrical heat when external temperatures are as low as -15 degrees Celsius. The heat pump that warms the office uses new technology that can produce heat with external temperatures as low as -25 degrees Celsius.

Adding to the efficiency of this system is a network of smart thermostats that can be controlled remotely to maximize efficiency. “The entire system isn't firing at the same time; so, we're able to intelligently heat and cool the individual zones of the building,” Allan says.

The thermostat system wasn’t originally designed for commercial use, and it took a bit of ingenuity to get it set up and operating correctly, according to Allan. However, it can now be scheduled take advantage of lower off-peak energy prices and minimize energy use when more expensive rates are in effect. When the solar installation is complete, that schedule will align with peak solar-production times, allowing the building to maximize its net-metering capabilities, he explains.

Other Eco-Friendly Features

The Guelph self-storage site is in an engineered flood plain, with a wetland immediately behind it. To channel large amounts of stormwater into that sensitive area would “disrupt the natural ecology,” Allan says. As a solution, Apple added a 100,000-liter retention tank below the parking area to capture excess water and disperse it into the groundwater system in a controlled manner. All water that falls on the property is managed to prevent a negative impact on the surrounding environment.

The self-storage property also includes 87 trees and shrubs. This enhances canopy growth and offsets potential carbon production through capture.

Finally, the company used building materials for which the embedded carbon can be calculated, which simplified the process of achieving zero-carbon certification.

Deeper into construction

An Eco-Friendly Future

Apple has seven self-storage developments (about 840,000 square feet) in various stages of planning and construction. All will implement technologies that enable the company to maintain its carbon-neutral standards.

“The very nature of storage facilities positions us where we can do a few things that make a big impact,” Allan says. “And it's not that much more expensive. It doesn't add a significant amount of dollars. It just forces you to think in a bit of a different way.”

Developing environmentally friendly facilities may even help self-storage developers combat resistance to their projects by local governments and communities. “Responsible development may have been lacking from certain markets, which is why we're seeing so many of these moratoriums on self-storage go up. We really want to animate streetscapes, and we want to put up responsible developments to help municipalities realize that these things do not have to be ugly structures, and they really do provide value to communities,” Allan says.

Rachel French is a freelance content writer and copywriter. Her background is in business-to-business media and copywriting for web applications. She’s covered a range of industries and markets including self-storage as well as financial, food and beverage, healthcare, and nutraceuticals. She previously worked for Inside Self-Storage as an intern turned associate editor.

About the Author

Rachel French

Freelance Writer

Rachel French is a freelance content writer and copywriter. Her background is in business-to-business media and copywriting for web applications. She’s covered a range of industries and markets including self-storage as well as financial, food and beverage, healthcare, and nutraceuticals. She previously worked for Inside Self-Storage as an intern turned associate editor.

See more from Rachel French

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