Installation Highlight: Using two heat pumps in tandem in mid-sized project in Dartmouth, NS

Last summer, Scotia Mechanical along with Blackburn Bennett Plumbing and Heating, completed the first of many installations for the Affordable Housing Association of Nova Scotia in Dartmouth, NS (AHANS).  This installation exemplifies the use of our products, design services and IOT monitoring in mid-sized space heating and domestic hot water applications.  The building in question is an 18 unit apartment complex designed by local architectual firm, Passive Design Solutions and features a  solar PV array designed to meet Net Zero standards.

The installation centers around two of our modular split air to water heat pumps connected in parallel to a low loss header to heat one of our 120 gal buffer tanks which then supplies hot water to the low temp radiators throughout the building and to one of our 120 gal indirect tanks for domestic hot water preheat.  100°F preheated potable water then feeds two 80 gal heat pump water heaters responsible for topping up and storing DHW at 128°F.  Lastly, there is one of our hydronic high wall mount fan coils to keep the mechanical room warm for efficient DHW production and recirculation circulator to provide instant hot water and minimize water utilization.

Photo showing two DX2W-EX indoor split air to water heat pump modules connected in parallel.

Photo showing ECM smart circulator for heating system, 15 kW backup electric boiler,
120 gal buffer tank and 120 gal indirect tank.

The entire mechanical system is monitored and controlled on-line using our IOT gateway option and some custom dashboards which were developed as part of the project offer.  The initial view offers an overview of the mechanical room showing real-time values overlayed on top of the mechanical design.  This is the view most often used by the building supervisor to see how the system is running or if there are any issues with heating or DHW.

Screen Capture of IOT Web App showing mechanical room overview with real-time values and settings.

More detailed and technical information is provided by a diagnostic dashboard which provides both real-time and historical trend data on all key data points needed to asses both refrigeration and hydronic performance of the system as shown below in a snippet showing the bottom half of the screen.

Screen Capture of IOT Web App showing refrigeration and hydronic diagnostics.

Overall, this installation in Dartmouth, NS exemplifies many of our products working together and taking full advantatge of the IOT capabilities available.  Anyone with interest in learning more about using our products in similar installations is encouraged to contact us by phone or email.