Atco Gas is moving to reduce its carbon footprint.
Its recently opened operations centre in Viking is the first Atco building to use geothermal heating and cooling technology, drawing on heat energy from within the Earth's crust.
It's also been designed to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 15 tonnes annually.
The new 5,576-sq.-ft. Atco facility, located on a three-acre parcel of land in the Viking/Beaver Business Park, includes heat-exchanger pipes installed into 14 bore holes drilled 60 metres deep into the earth.
It also boasts energy-efficient lighting, insulation and a high-efficiency water heater, as well as high-quality insulation materials in the walls and roof.
The Viking Operations Centre becomes the first business located in a new business park, jointly developed and owned by the Town of Viking and Beaver County.
"The Viking Operations Centre showcases Atco's commitment to the environment by piloting the use of alternative energy technology," says Siegfried Kiefer, managing director, utilities and chief information officer for Atco Group.
"This flagship facility raises the bar for sustainable building standards at Atco."
Atco Gas says it now can better serve customers in Viking and 27 other growing communities in the area, including Irma, Provost, Vegreville and Vermilion.
Fifteen employees work out of the facility.
The $3.2-million project is one of several green initiatives the Atco Group of Companies is undertaking, including geothermal and solar thermal projects in both southeast Calgary and the town of Okotoks.
Atco Gas is Alberta's largest natural gas distribution company serving more than one million customers in nearly 300 Alberta communities.
The company owns and operates a natural gas distribution system of more than 36,487 km of pipeline.
