This report explores the Integrated Community Energy Mapping (ICEM) approach developed by CanmetENERGY Ottawa, a division of Natural Resources Canada.
The ICEM approach contributes to the development of a consistent method for characterizing energy and emissions in the building stock in communities. The report presents the final analysis results of energy and emissions scenarios in the residential housing stock developed in the 2008 to 2012 timeframe, in support of Prince George’s Official Community Plan update.
The research paper is intended to assist the provincial and local governments of British Columbia, citizens, civil society organizations and other stakeholders in expanding the conversation on the tools available for local governments to create complete, compact, and energy-efficient communities. Its focus is on fiscal tools to reduce sprawl, increase density, and support a reduction in car dependency, energy use, and greenhouse gas emissions. This paper examines those tools presently available to local governments, and those that could be available through changes in legislative powers.
Renewable energy activity in communities across BC is shifting from a relatively small number of independent one-off initiatives to become a standard commitment in community energy and emissions plans and being applied as part of a more diverse, innovative and integrative approach to reducing community-wide greenhouse gas emissions in both small and large communities across the province.
The purpose of this report is to provide a snapshot of community-based renewable energy projects in BC at the end of 2013, to comment on how BC’s legislative and policy framework and various dedicated
programs across the province and over the years have supported the development of these projects, and to suggest a strategy for moving forward.
Clean Energy for a Green Economy is an introduction guide to the wide range of clean energy strategies and green economy opportunities for rural communities in British Columbia. Rural communities can benefit by leading the development of clean energy and energy efficiency, and the transition to a green economy.
Primary benefits include:
improved air quality
local economic development through attracting investment, clean energy job
creation, infrastructure development and keeping energy dollars circulating locally
increased local energy reliability, resilience and security.
These projects can result in significant greenhouse gas (GHG) reductions, which support local, provincial and global climate objectives. The report is written written primarily for local governments and band councils, elected officials and staff, to support an active local government and band role in the development of clean energy and a green economy.
This report illustrates the continued progress by local governments to reduce carbon emissions through highlighting examples of the achievements and experiences of small, medium, and large communities in 2018. It includes:
Update on local government progress towards corporate carbon neutrality
Highlights of climate mitigation and adaptation actions taken by small, medium, and large communities across BC
Hyperlinked list of funding sources and programs used by local governments in support of climate action
The Guidance on Including Contracted Emissions in Corporate Inventories reviews how local governments can account for emissions that are generated in the delivery of contracted traditional services.
The Becoming Carbon Neutral Guidebook builds on the Carbon Neutral Workbook and provides the next level of guidance for local governments on how to become carbon neutral, including step-by-step guidance on how to balance corporate emissions to zero by investing on GHG reduction projects and/or through purchased offsets.
The backbone of a successful corporate fleet strategy
Green fleet action plans provide the foundation and overall direction for fuel efficient fleet management. They reflect business needs, costs, and technical opportunities and restraints.
Getting all user groups on board and maintaining effective, regular communication are key elements to success. Senior management support and commitment is critical to ensure the plan has the resources, direction, and the accountability at the implementation level necessary to succeed.
Benefits
A green fleet action plan demonstrates commitment and organizes action plans around fuel efficient fleet operation. It also:
Reduces emissions and related pollutants
Reduces operating costs
Reduces insurance costs
Reduces fuel consumption
Aligns key players
Improves communication regarding fleet operations
Enhances public image
Builds pride in employees
A green fleet action plan should be developed alongside a larger corporate emissions reduction strategy
Green fleet action plans should always start with the calculation of fuel consumption and emissions baselines. As with other corporate reduction strategies, it should include the identification and assessment of different implementation strategies that will most effectively reduce emissions.
Key organizational stakeholders should be involved in its development. While each action plan will be different, certain elements should be present. These include:
Fuel efficiency and GHG emissions targets
Implementation strategies
Roles and responsibilities
Milestones
Monitoring, measuring, and reporting
Key performance indicators
Once completed, you should communicate the green fleet action plan to all stakeholders involved and implement it as soon as possible. The community and media should be a part of this as well. They should also be a part of celebrating your successes. The more the community connects with the success you are having in reducing emissions, the more likely they are to work to reduce their own.
Sustainable site design through development permits
A Development Permit Area (DPA) is a set of development regulations pertaining to a specific area as specified by the Official Community Plan. Any proposed building or subdivision within a DPA requires the issuance of a development permit. The authority for local governments to establish DPAs is set out in the Local Government Act.
The purposes of a DPA are:
protect development from hazardous conditions;
protect agricultural land;
protect the natural environment, its ecosystems and biological diversity;
revitalize an area in which a commercial use is permitted;
establish objectives for the form and character of intensive residential development, and/or to establish objectives for the form and character of commercial, industrial or multi-family residential development.
establish objectives to promote energy conservation, water conservation, and reduce greenhouse gases
The flexibility of DPA guidelines allow local governments to exercise their discretion in granting or refusing a permit on a case-by-case basis while providing objective principles to guide conditions for approving or refusing a DP application. [1]
DPAs work in coordination with a Zoning Bylaw to shape development on the scale of a parcel or development site. Comprehensive Development Zones can be quite specific, working well in tandem with DPAs.
Development Permit Areas can stipulate conditions for Density Bonusing.
Standards and designs for streets (e.g., “Complete Streets”) specified in Subdivision and Development Control Bylaw must be consistent with DPAs objectives.
A DPA is a versatile design tool that can be designed to influence emissions from land use, buildings, and transportation. There are some key implementation considerations in applying DPAs to address climate change priorities.
Key Implementation Considerations
In setting guidelines for a DPA, a local government may not require buildings to meet standards that exceed a local government’s authority over building standards. However, local governments may encourage green building standards by indicating they are desirable.
The scope of authority for DPAs does not include buildings (inside the building envelope). However, it allows for DPAs that promote energy and water conservation and reduce greenhouse gases at the site scale. This includes:
landscaping
siting of buildings
form and exterior of buildings
specific features in the development
machinery, equipment and systems that are external to buildings.
DPAs can be created during an Official Community Plan and/or a Neighbourhood Plan process. To have a robust planning framework, there must be continuity and support between the policies, land use designations, and DPAs.
Land Use Opportunities
Complete, compact neighbourhoods
DPA guidelines define the form and character of new developments, with the following applications:
areas of intensive residential development (ex: small lot areas, infill areas)
mixed use development
multiple family residential development
commercial areas
DPA guidelines develop continuity and set parameters for performance of new developments. DPA guidelines are not intended to foster monotony or uniformity in design.
Sketch showing preferred exterior design of secondary suites. Image: City of New Westminster.
Good planning and design-including DPA guidelines-are the foundation for creating compact communities where people want to live. Success requires deliberate planning for the mix and density of land use, and design is of utmost importance: “How we perceive density has everything to do with how it is designed, not the actual ratio of units to acres,” according to the Lincoln Institute [2].
DPAs are essential in guiding new development that will be supported by residents and fit in with the character of existing neighbourhoods.
Ecologically significant areas, natural hazards, and agricultural land
To maximize the benefits of compact and complete communities that concentrate growth, DPAs can be used to protect ecologically significant areas, natural hazards, and agricultural land – objectives that increase resilience to climate change and enhance carbon sequestered in soils and forests.
Building Opportunities
In setting guidelines for a DPA, a local government cannot require buildings to meet standards that exceed a local government’s authority. However, local governments may encourage green building standards by indicating they are desirable. For example, the DPA guidelines for the Dockside Green project in Victoria indicate that LEED standards are a “should” whereas other DPA guidelines are stipulated as mandatory elements. A separate master development agreement was negotiated by the City and the Dockside developer for LEED Silver standard. [1]
Form and character
Building design guidelines that advance climate action include:
glazing and orientation for solar energy gain
landscaping that requires less water
drainage by infiltration, maximizing pervious surfaces on the site
Energy efficiency, water efficiency and reduction in emissions
One approach is to develop voluntary design guidelines and encourage uptake with incentives like a tax exemption or building permit rebate. Subsequently they could be formally included in a DPA.
Guidelines could potentially include requirements for energy efficiency for “specific features in the development”, or as “machinery, equipment and systems external to buildings and other structures”. Requirements could include ground-field loops for ground-source heat pump systems, solar thermal collectors, a district energy system (using recovered sewer heat or biomass), and systems or features that implement eco-industrial networking concepts, such as the use of “waste” heat from one business as an input to a neighbouring business. [3][4]
To meet legislated requirements for targets and reductions, local governments could potentially develop an energy conservation target for a DPA and correlate the target with a required proportional component of renewable energy in new development. [3][4]
With the authority to include specific landscaping guidelines, DPAs can restrict the placement and type of trees and other vegetation in proximity to buildings and other structures within a DPA, thus allowing local governments to guarantee access to sunlight for buildings that include solar energy features [4], and irrigation systems. Additional opportunities include guidelines for energy-wise outdoor lighting, building siting and orientation. [3]
Transportation Opportunities
Form and character guidelines for site and building design can include elements that favour sustainable and active modes of transportation.
Site layout
Preferred design for pedestrian crossing of a driveway with low volume is to raise the driveway crossing up and over the pedestrian crossing, and texture the surface of the crossing. This warns visually impaired pedestrians about the driveway, slows vehicle traffic, and reinforces the continuity of pedestrian movement along the sidewalk. Image: IBI Group / Canadian Institute of Transportation Engineers.
Internal transportation network configuration determines how pedestrians, cyclists, carpoolers, transit riders move through the site. Guidelines can influence design to minimize conflict between pedestrians and cyclists with cars.
Building design
The location of the building (setback, location of entrances, organization of parking) affects how conducive the building is to active transportation modes. Well-designed bicycle storage, parking space allocation, pedestrian walkway details, change facilities, and lighting can tip the balance toward choosing an active mode of transportation.
DPAs are an excellent opportunity to require site and building design that allows people with varying mobility and sensory abilities to efficiently get to, from and around new developments. DPAs can include requirements for entrances, hallways, entryways, parking areas that facilitate unrestricted movement.
[1] Rutherford, Susan, 2006. Green Buildings Guide. West Coast Environmental Law
[2] Campoli and MacLean, 2007. Visualizing Density, 2007, Lincoln Institute of Land Policy
[3] Compass Resource Management Ltd., West Coast Environmental Law, Holland Barrs Planning Group, Shaun Martin Consulting Prepared for: The District of Squamish, 2008. Advanced Briefing of Options for Advancing Energy Efficiency for New Buildings.
[4] Community Energy Association, 2008. Policy and Governance Tools: Renewable Energy Guide For Local Governments in British Columbia (Draft).
EQuilibrium was a national sustainable housing demonstration initiative, created and led by Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation. It developed on the ground prototypes of houses whose ultimate goal is a highly energy efficient, low environmental impact dwelling that provides healthy indoor living for its occupants, and produces as much energy as it consumes on a yearly basis. Design criteria could be used to inform the development of development permit areas.
