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THE CANADIAN STATESMAN, APRIL 7,2004 PAGE 5 www.durhamregion.com fVVVVVtUUI | ICSI lit 1.31WIUWW... High-rise Cycling club gets ready to roll this season plan will use innovative air plan BY DAVID BLUMENFELD Staff writer DURHAM -- Before Alex McDonald McDonald set out to build a condominium overlooking Whitby Harbour, he tried to identify the biggest problem with high-rise buildings. He got his answer from the Canada .Mortgage and Housing Corporation, the agency which oversees residential construction across the country: poor air quality. "There are more sick buildings giving giving off more bad interior air," said Mr. McDonald, a veteran builder and real estate broker. "Asthma and allergies have almost» reached an epidemic proportion, so I set out to try to find a mechanical system that deals with this. And guess what? I found it right here in Durham." What he discovered was a heating/cooling system that continuously continuously filters air, recapturing the heat or cold before discharging it back into the atmosphere. Designed by Bowmanville resident Jens Sonderskov, the system has previously previously been used only for industrial plants. However, Mr. MacDonald intends intends to use it in his 10-storey, 109-unit apartment complex called Port Whitby Eco-Friendly Condos. A construction date has not yet been set. ' "I designed this project to be an eco- friendly project...so we don't pollute the atmosphere, we have a clean-air building (with) all-filtered air all the time. For asthma and allergy sufferers, 'it's terrific - and it saves a tonne of ; money on energy costs," said Mr. McDonald, McDonald, who calls himself "a renais- sance guy." ■ Although his building costs may rise .slightly, he predicts it will cost 50 per cent less to heat, cool and light the building using the filtering system than .it would with conventional systems. At ,,the same time, residents will breathe "pristine" air. Mr. McDonald said he also intends to use a geothermal heating and cooling .system to warm and cool the high-rise. "These systems use heat pumps that collect collect and transfer heat from the earth through a series of fluid-filled, buried ' pipes running to a building, where, the J heat is then concentrated for inside use. z. The pumps do not create heat - through combustion -- they simply "move heat from one place to another. "They can also operate in reverse to cool a building by transferring the heat out of the building, where the cooler ground absorbs the excess heat. A single single system can be used for both heating >^nd cooling, so there is no need for sep- jarate furnace and air-conditioning systems. systems. . , "You can imagine if we get the majority majority of our cooling from the earth. We don't have compressors. We're not . using electricity. We don't use gas. It's, -just a wonderful system," Mr. McDonald McDonald said.. v The University of Ontario Institute of Technology in Durham also uses a thermal energy cooling system, reaching reaching 620 feet below the ground. Durham resident Bill Lishman, who "lives in a home consisting of a series of » steel domes that use the earth as insulation, insulation, said Mr. McDonald's idea for an energy efficient high-rise is "a workable workable thing to do." ", "If it's properly engineered, you .should be able to heat and cool anything anything almost cost-free," he said. "Actually, "Actually, the deeper you go in the earth the warmer you get, so there is heat there that just needs to be used, that's all." "The only major problem with doing something like that is initial capital capital costs. "It's expensive because you've got to dig a fairly deep hole, or you have to get a lot of stuff in the earth to get that heat out." DURHAM -- Local residents are invited to get their bicycles out for a little fresh air, exercise and fun. The Touring Concept Cycling Club is a Durham-based organization with a commitment to fitness and camaraderie. camaraderie. "For me, it was a chance to enjoy bicycling in a supportive environment with people who promote ongoing learning about riding distance and Canadian Statesman improving skills," says Rich Helms, a club member since 2002. The group currently consists of 34 members ranging in age from 30 to 70. An emphasis is put on fun and fitness fitness over speed. "I'm not interested in racing," says Mr. Helms, "and 1 was impressed with how caring everyone is. Members Members are encouraged to progress at their own speed, and no one is ever left behind. These arc great people who focus on learning and helping one another." The club meets every Sunday morning in the spring, summer, and fall at a previously arranged starting location. The group travels at an average rate of 20 kilometres an hour, keeping the speed comfortable and manageable. manageable. The goal of many members is to work up to the Century Ride, a ride of either 100 km or 100 miles in one day. There is no pressure to perform, only to enjoy. 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