November 7, 2011 – Honeywell recently celebrated the grand opening of the University of British Columbia’s (UBC’s) Centre for Interactive Research on Sustainability (CIRS), a laboratory for researchers to teach, test and study the long-term impact of sustainable practices and technologies.

Featuring building controls, sensing technology and management software from Honeywell, CIRS will serve as an academic hub to test and advance sustainable technologies before broader implementation, and operate as a centre for green building policymakers to establish future standards.

UBC and Honeywell worked to ensure CIRS is one of the most sustainable buildings in the world, says Honeywell. The research facility was built to Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum and Living Building Challenge certification standards.

“The university’s objective is to influence local, national and global communities to become more sustainable,” said Dr. John Robinson (in photo), executive director of the UBC Sustainability Initiative. “From the start, Honeywell and our other Strategic Alliance Partners were dedicated to building a landmark research centre that will impact the direction of eco-friendly products and strategies. The result exceeded our expectations and is a boon for UBC, and the companies and policymakers who have dedicated themselves to building a more sustainable future.”

Honeywell installed heating and cooling, fire alarm and security technology in the building, and is using its Enterprise Building Integrator (EBI) to tie these and more than 80 other third-party systems into a single interface that will help the university operate the centre more efficiently and cost effectively, and provide a platform for faculty and students studying the impact of various green technologies and practices.

“Research facilities like CIRS are not only going to change how buildings are constructed, controlled and maintained, but they will produce the next generation of employees for Honeywell and the rest of the industry,” said Paul Orzeske, president of Honeywell Building Solutions.

Honeywell will help UBC display details on the building’s energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions on both the CIRS website and a customized dashboard inside the centre. And students and faculty who occupy the facility can also access a web portal to adjust temperature and lighting conditions in their individual offices and labs.

As a Strategic Alliance Partner, the company has also committed to supporting the facility and UBC’s research efforts over the next five years. This will include ongoing product development, as well as collaborating with the university to test new building technology.

Photo by Martin Dee

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