Our Year In Review: 2020

A lot has been said about the year 2020, but instead of dwelling on all the unforeseen challenges, we want to highlight some of the amazing projects we were a part of and the exciting improvements we made to our business.

Though our team has been separated physically, we have been collaborating and thriving through Microsoft Applications. In fact, we’ve enjoyed using the Microsoft platforms so much that we’re now a Microsoft Partner. If you’re looking for a way to facilitate efficient collaborating with your distanced team, we can assist you through the process of acquiring this software. Our Systems Architect, James Logan, can answer any questions you have and can work with you through the process of acquiring it. Contact us today to discover how Microsoft applications can streamline your team’s communication and workload!  

Engineering Review of 2020

We were excited to continue working with a longstanding business partner Wild + Pine, to engineer their test greenhouse facility at EIA for growing tree seedlings for reforestation. The facility completed construction in 2020 and has been producing trees with plans for future facilities and growth. This was the first step into automated indoor agriculture facilities, in which Switch Engineering is the acting experts HVAC and Electrical and Structural design components.

 

Hinton

Switch Engineering completed the design and moved into initial construction phases on the Hinton Training Center HVAC and BMS Replacement Project for Albert Infrastructure. This project is a huge showcase of the energy efficiency options on the market for HVAC equipment. The upgrade was designed to incorporate condensing boilers and heat recovery ventilators on every major air system in the building. Based on our calculations, we estimate that the carbon footprint of the building will be reduced by 300+ tons CO2 annually. 

Alberta Social and Seniors Housing

Switch Engineering works closely with Vista Housing for Seniors, The Bethany Group, and Alberta Social Housing in their building maintenance projects all over Alberta. In 2020 Switch Engineering worked on several projects with Alberta Social Housing. Our scope in these projects ranges from our full engineering services, including new sanitary systems, water lines, building envelopes, boilers and heating equipment, HVAC, domestic water systems, fire alarm, exterior foundation, and concrete work. These retrofit projects became much more critical in 2020 due to COVID-19 as they house at-risk populations. Switch Engineering utilized 3D scanning and Microsoft teams to manage these projects while minimizing while maintaining safe social distancing recommendations. Safety is always a top priority at Switch Engineering, and limiting the number of site visits was a central component of this. 

Northern Projects

While this photo of Tony and Sarah was taken in Yellowknife in 2018, this year saw many opportunities for us to expand our services north! Switch Engineering has permits to practice in Nunavut and the North West Territories and has become experts in northern HVAC design. In 2020, we finished the mechanical design of a 3-story boarding home, a 3-story office and a government facility. There are several extra challenges with such a remote and unforgiving climate, and engineering design needs to factor this in. Switch Engineering has done work in Yellowknife in previous years and recognizes the unique sense of community and huge growth that is occurring in the North. We are excited about opportunities to be able to visit some projects through construction and see everything through to completion. If northern HVAC design is something that interests you, visit our blog post about it here.

Courthouses

Near the end of 2020, Switch Engineering successfully bid on two provincial courthouses with Alberta Infrastructure that will span into 2021. Using our expertise in HVAC and Electrical, we have redesigned the boilers, humidification, and controls system in one building, as well as LED lighting upgrades in two.  

Software and DeCarbon Review of 2020 

Switch Engineering’s software division experienced significant growth despite the crises in 2020. We needed to pivot to adjust to the ever-changing environment of 2020, and this took form in the creation of DeCarbon. We found that the cost of an energy audit does not make sense for every business, and in staying true to our vision, we believe that everyone should have energy reduction options available to them. 
 
With this energy empowerment platform, we can help businesses save money and improve their triple bottom line. DeCarbon’s energy analysis tools obtain valuable energy and emissions metrics, as well as benchmarks. Emissions can be offset directly with a streamlined ethical and transparent carbon credit purchase process; either couple to an analysis or own their own! It is also API integrable and has a robust capability. 
 
This exciting new product made its first public appearance during The Great Alberta Pitch Marathon, where 100 other exciting and innovative start-ups pitched their business and ideas grouped by industry. DeCarbon was presented in the Energy and Cleantech block- the video can be found here. 

The pitch event revealed an exciting opportunity which led DeCarbon to join an accelerator program called The Accelerator. The DeCarbon team has gained extremely valuable insights that have enabled us to develop the application even further. The skills, guidance and connections made through this program also allowed us to launch our beta testing with success! 
 
With the beta testing stage complete, DeCarbon is now moving into a soft launch phase in mid-January, where we plan to offer our service to users for free for a limited time as we continue to expand our features.
 
Alongside DeCarbon, Switch Engineering continues to provide ERP software consulting and technical project management services, including, but not limited to, custom software integrations, machine learning (AI/ML) based analysis, technical data analysis, and business intelligence operations. 
 
We are ready to jump into 2021 and tackle some new challenges. We’re growing as a team and into new service, the area’s all the time, so make sure to stay up to date by signing up with our newsletter that comes out on the last Friday of every month. You can sign up on our website here.