Manitoba Hydro Place, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

Manitoba Hydro Place, the fourth-largest government-owned electric and natural gas utility in Canada, is located in one of the most challenging cities for extreme weather. Temperatures typically reach well below 0°F (-18°C) during the winter months. Yet the entire 18-floor building is being effectively and efficiently heated by renewable sources — the sun and geothermal wells, supplemented by hydroelectric power — all distributed throughout the facility by several different application methods, including an Uponor radiant heating and cooling system.

The building, which was completed in September 2009, is expected to use 65% less energy compared to similar buildings in the area. Based on simulation, the annual energy use of the building is predicted to be around 29 kBtu/ft2 (330MJ/m2), which is a 65% reduction from the base case. Additionally, the annual carbon footprint is predicted to be 1.1 lbs. CO2/ft2 (5.4 kg CO2/m2).