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Driven by a commitment to reduce levels of carbon dioxide emissions as a part of the Kyoto Protocol, Canadian manufacturers and researchers are seeking ways to do just that. It's no surprise, therefore, that early projects being undertaken at the new Canadian Centre for Housing Technology (CCHT), involve innovative systems for home heating. These 'combo' systems roll space heating and water heating together into a single system. They provide domestic hot water, but also contain a fan coil so that heatextracted from the water can be used to heat the house. Thus one burner is used, instead of separate burners for water heater and furnace.

Les fabricants et chercheurs canadiens s'appliquent à honorer l'engagement qu'ils ont pris dans le cadre des objectifs du Protocole de Kyoto visant à réduire les taux d'émission de dioxyde de carbone. Il n'est donc pas surprenant que les premiers projets du Centre canadien des technologies résidentielles (CCTR) visent des systèmes novateurs de chauffage domestique. Ces systèmes « mixtes » combinent le chauffage des locaux et le chauffage de l'eau en un seul système. Ce système unique produit l'eau chaude domestique mais aussi, grâce à un ventilo-convecteur, réutilise la chaleur extraite de l'eau pour chauffer lamaison. Un seul brûleur suffit, au lieu des deux traditionnels, un pour l'eau et un pour le générateur d'air chaud.

When the Canadian Centre for Housing Technology (CCHT) was officially opened in early October, it was much more than just another launch of another government initiative. It was a broadening of horizons for the Canadian housing industry and all its segments; an opportunity for industry members to strut their stuff before a global audience. The centre is the world's only full-scale facility of its kind, built for the purposes of research, evaluation and demonstration of innovative products and techniques to improve Canadian homes. But it is also both a window through which the world can view that technology, and a door through which the world can step to establish links with the best and brightest in Canadian industry. It is a chance for industry to foster export sales, creating an ever-widening spectrum of opportunity for Canadian manufacturers.

Reports that a water mist fire suppression system achieves better results when it is cycled on and off, than it does with a steady discharge of mist. In some cases cycled discharge reduces both extinguishment times and water requirements.

"If I can't control the lighting in my office, I'm unhappy and unproductive." It's easy to agree with such a statement. But although lighting controls can let you tailor lighting to tasks and to save energy, recentresearch at the National Research Council (NRC) suggests that having control doesn't have a simple, direct, or immediate effect on worker satisfaction or performance. Longer-term effects remain unknown.

Reviews the development of thermal insulation standards in Canada, and the role of the new Thermal Insulation Systems Standards and Quality Consortium (TISSQC).

Describes FiRECAM, a computer program which allows evaluation of possible trade-offs in fire protection subsystems, such as number of egress paths vs. sprinklers and fire alarms, without making the occupants less safe.

When the National Research Council established the Division of Building Research (DBR) in 1947, it was to do more than address the general need for building research. Two special tasks were assigned to the new division: to provide technical support for the revision of the National Building Code, and to provide technical support to the national housing agency know then as Central Mortgage and Housing Corporation.

People in fires need fast and accurate information about what is happening where, and what they should do. The challenge to the controls industry is to design and manufacture systems to get information to people that is appropriate and explicit in the instructions given. This paper discusses the merits of an automated system using pre-recorded messages and a manual system that allows emergency personnel to speak to building occupants through a public address system.