The Interior Health Authority sent a request for $426,000 to the Thompson Regional Hospital District for the purpose of upgrading heating and cooling technology at the Dr. Helmcken Memorial Hospital & Health Centre.
Thompson Regional Hospital District reviewed the complete list of funding requests from Interior Health at its Jan. 20 board meeting.
According to Interior Health, the geo-exchange and loop heat pump upgrades at the hospital will “reduce operating costs and emissions, and provide better an more reliable service to the building.”
The hospital board budgeted $798,100 for these upgrades already, but inflation and construction market conditions have increased the cost, according to Interior Health. The estimated total cost of the renewable energy upgrade is now $1,065,000.
Geo-exchange heat pumps are also sometimes called ground source heat pumps. Heat pumps can cool or heat a building while producing fewer harmful greenhouse gas emissions than natural gas systems.
All requests for more than $100,000 are subject to government approval.
Minutes of the meeting are available on the hospital district’s website: https://tnrd.civicweb.net/portal/.
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