Climate, Energy & Environment
Climate
British Columbia's government has set into motion a comprehensive Climate Action Plan centered on the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Targets Act (Bill 44). According to the Act, all Public Sector Organizations (PSOs) must be carbon neutral in their operations by 2010. This is achieved in compliance with reporting Scope 1 and 2 emissions across buildings, fleet, fugitive emissions, and paper consumption. Plans are currently underway to meet UBC's emission reduction targets across these areas.
PSO's must also submit a Carbon Neutral Action Report (CNAR) for each calendar year which includes a description of the actions taken to minimize its GHG emissions, and plans to continue minimizing those emissions. To view the full 2010 Carbon Neutral Action Report: Part B for UBC's Okanagan campus, click here.
Energy
Measures to reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions have been undertaken since 2006.
Chronology of Energy Management Activities
- 2006 - Science Laboratory Heat Recovery Retrofit Project
- 2007 - Fipke Center for Innovative Research receives Five Green Globes
- 2008 - $2.9 million in funding received from the Provincial and Federal government through the Knowledge Infrastructure fund to retrofit all existing academic buildings on campus using groundwater system for heating (geothermal).
- 2008 - $127,000 rebate from FortisBC PowerSense Partners in Efficiency for energy saved by the geothermal system of the Fipke Centre.
- 2009 - PowerSense Conservation Award 2009 for the University Center at UBC Okanagan with a total estimated savings of 1,125,000 kWh/year
- 2010 - Completed installation of electricity and natural gas sub-metering on all existing buildings
- 2010 - Energy demand reduction through behaviour change programs
Renewable Energy
UBC's Okanagan campus features several demonstrations of increasing energy efficiencies and performance by integrating renewable energy into operational consumption activities:
- Geothermal Project - enables groundwater heating and cooling in new academic buildings, and heating for existing academic buildings. All new academic buildings estimate a 40-50% reduction in energy use over conventional buildings through increased energy efficiencies including geothermal heating and cooling. In addition, all existing buildings have been equipped with electricity and natural gas sub-meters to capture energy use, efficiency and carbon emissions.
- Solar Thermal - Student Residences Phase 3 utilizes solar panels to pre-heat domestic hot water, minimizing natural gas consumption.
Last reviewed 
8/4/2011 3:31:26 PM
