First Ensure® Deployment on 5G District Energy System

GeoFease has installed its Ensure^® monitoring system on Canadian Mennonite University’s (CMU) fifth-generation (5G) district heating and cooling network in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The low-temperature, ambient loop geothermal system enables highly efficient energy sharing between buildings and is designed to reduce carbon emissions while lowering campus energy costs by 30–50% compared to conventional systems.

CMU’s 5G district system operates on a central ambient-temperature loop that allows connected buildings to independently add or extract heat using local ground-source heat pumps. Horizontal ground heat exchangers stabilize loop temperatures, enabling efficient heating and cooling year-round while supporting phased campus expansion. The project is being completed in four phases, beginning with Poettcker Hall and the North Administration Building. Initial construction included 16 kilometers of directionally drilled ground heat exchanger piping, with total piping expected to reach approximately 40 kilometers as additional buildings are connected.

Ensure provides continuous, real-time monitoring of key system parameters, including supply and return temperatures, flow rates and thermal energy transfer. This data is transmitted to the GeoFease platform for analysis, visualization, and performance verification. As new buildings are added to the ambient loop, operating data allows CMU to optimize controls, validate ground heat exchanger capacity, and right-size the district system over time, reducing unnecessary upfront capital costs.

This installation demonstrates how advanced monitoring supports the performance and scalability of 5th-generation district energy systems, transforming geothermal infrastructure into an intelligent, data-driven platform for long-term decarbonization.