Topic: Energy Efficiency

Powering our Province

This report seeks to identify opportunities for rural communities in BC to become engaged in the clean energy sector.

The findings for this study are based on extensive secondary research supplemented by opinions and insights gathered through in-depth interviews with a representative sample of Independent Power Producer (IPP) companies in BC, as well as clean energy technology developers/ manufacturers, provincial and municipal government agencies, First Nations communities, power utilities, and other key stakeholders.

Many rural communities and First Nations, as well as the provincial government, are interested in exploring how the development of clean energy resources can contribute to economic growth and diversification. This is especially true for forestry-dependent communities in the interior of the province in areas affected by the Mountain Pine Beetle epidemic and the collapse of the US housing market.

This report identifies five immediate business and employment opportunity areas for rural communities related to clean energy development. These are:

  1.  Skilled trades and construction;
  2.  Community and First Nations engagement;
  3.  Scientific and environmental monitoring;
  4.  Plant operations and maintenance; and
  5.  Indirect business support.

Renewable Energy Guide for Local Governments in British Columbia

The guide looks into renewable energy. Renewable energy includes sources of energy that are neither derived from fossil fuels (such as coal, oil, natural gas and propane) nor from nuclear power. Renewable energy also includes the recovery of waste heat that would otherwise be lost, even if that heat is produced by non-renewable energy sources.

This guide does not address energy efficiency, which can often provide cost-effective emissions reductions and savings. Renewable energy should be considered alongside other energy initiatives, including energy efficiency, sustainable transportation and sustainable community planning.

Policy and Governance Tools for Renewable Energy

Local governments around the world have been leaders in tackling climate change by promoting renewable energy at the community level, with innovative policies and programs that have made an impact on national energy policy.

Local governments can bring substantial benefits to their communities by encouraging and supporting the development of renewable energy.

Renewable energy includes sources of energy that are neither derived from fossil fuels (such as coal, oil, natural gas and propane) nor from nuclear power.

Renewable energy should be considered alongside other energy initiatives, including energy efficiency, sustainable transportation and sustainable community planning.

Local governments are well placed to champion renewable energy. Opportunities outlined in this guide include:

  • Local government policy frameworks that encourage or require developers to incorporate neighbourhood-scale renewable energy technologies (or ‘microgeneration’) into new developments
  • Removing barriers to renewable energy in the planning and permitting systems
  • Encouraging independent power producers to develop local renewable energy projects
  • Encouraging renewable energy utility companies to develop local renewable energy projects, such as ground-source heating and renewable district energy.

Passive Design Toolkit for Homes

The toolkit has been written to inform City staff and the design and development communities about passive design. While covering best practices, the toolkit addresses the specific needs of Vancouver and outlines a succinct definition of what ‘passive’ means for Vancouver. This toolkit can be used as a reference for best practices, and considered complementary to design guidelines and policy.

Opportunities for Mapping Rooftop Solar Energy using LiDAR

The report is intended to familiarize local government staff and elected officials with the potential benefits of using LiDAR. The specific application of LiDAR to solar energy mapping is provided in the repot, although this presents only one of many valuable products that can be generated from these datasets. LiDAR is becoming increasingly commonplace in municipal and regional government data libraries across British Columbia. However, staff are not often aware of the existence of these datasets, nor are the various planning and management relevant LiDAR applications well understood.

Community Energy Planning: Getting to Implementation in Canada

Community Energy Planning: Getting to Implementation in Canada  is a national, collaborative initiative accelerating the implementation of CEPs across Canada that can support the GHG reduction efforts of federal, provincial and territorial governments.

Life-Cycle Cost Analysis

A thorough article on LCC applied to buildings, with links to further resources. Life-cycle cost analysis (LCCA) is a method for assessing the total cost of facility ownership. It takes into account all costs of acquiring, owning, and disposing of a building or building system. LCCA is especially useful when project alternatives that fulfill the same performance requirements, but differ with respect to initial costs and operating costs, have to be compared in order to select the one that maximizes net savings.

Jurisdiction Options for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy in Buildings

This paper discusses research reports that provide technical information for the Green Building Leaders Project. The purpose of the Project is to generate technical and legal information to help participating local governments (both municipalities and regional districts) understand how existing local government jurisdiction can be used to implement high energy performance in buildings, and to engage with the provincial government on possibilities to enable local governments to take leadership in this area. The ultimate goal is to increase energy efficiency in buildings, reduce the amount of energy the building uses, and reduce GHG production

Integrated Community Energy Solutions – A Roadmap for Action

This roadmap builds on moving forward to capture the additional potential of fully-integrated community solutions. The Roadmap represents the collaborative efforts of the provincial, territorial and federal governments, with important input from a wide cross-section of representatives from outside government, including non-governmental organizations and industry.

ICES Municipal Policy Toolkit

The purpose of ICES Municipal Policy Toolkit is to provide municipal and provincial staff members, councils and policymakers in Ontario and elsewhere with the resources they need to achieve an ICES action in their community.

It is hoped that this toolkit will help advance the wide-scale implementation of ICES, which in turn will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase energy efficiency across a variety of sectors and improve livability and quality of life in communities.