Leadership from the Mayor and Council have been a key component of the success of this project. / City of Dawson Creek.In 2005, the City of Dawson Creek released the first phase of its Community Energy Planning project , a Municipal Operations Energy Baseline Report. The second phase, a Community Energy Baseline Report, is in progress. The Community Energy Planning project was initiated by the City of Dawson Creek in partnership with the Pembina Institute, a non-profit organization that focuses on environmental sustainabilityi. A major component in the success of this project was the ability to show the links between energy savings and cost savings. In general, the project has met with great success and various components have been recognized provincially and nationally.
Engagement and Governance
The key players involved in the development and implementation of this project are staff from the City of Dawson Creek, specifically the planning department, partnering with the Pembina Institute. The City of Dawson Creek hired Pembina to help improve the energy efficiency of its operations as part of the City’s efforts to identify, understand and address energy issues throughout the community.
Leadership from the Mayor and Council have been a key component of the success of this project. Council has been continuously engaged in this process through Council reports on energy activities undertaken by the City. In addition to involvement in implementation, staff has also been engaged through a series of workshops on various aspects of the City’s green initiatives and on how to ensure that City practices are as green as possible. Community engagement has also been a large component of this project with a number of workshops and open houses.
In addition to leadership, financial support from various levels of government funding programs has also been key to the success of this project.
Policy Framework
“Managing our own energy needs has provided an opportunity to make the City and its infrastructure more efficient and raised our understanding of sustainabilityi.”
- Assessed the amount of energy used by municipal buildings and operations
- Determined costs attributed to energy use
- Examined sources of GHGi emissions related to energy consumption
- Recommended energy saving opportunities
- Identified potential local renewable energy opportunities
Created as a result of the first phase of the project:
- Green Municipal Vehicle Purchasing Policy; anti-idling policy
- Municipal Building Energy Efficiency Audits and Retrofits; pursuing onsite renewables
- Green Buildings Policy
Phase Two of the project is the development of a Community Energy Baseline. This report will be similar to the Municipal Baseline but it will identify community energy use and associated costs and provide a series of recommended actions. This document will help the City of Dawson Creek assess energy use across the community and identify related financial and environmental risks. The City is already engaged in a number of projects at the community level, including:
- Assessment of the cost-effectiveness of solar domestic water heating systems and energy efficiency for residential buildings
- Assessment of Bio-energy and Bio-diesel opportunities
- Assessment of Solar Potential in Dawson Creek
- Assessment of Wind Potential in Dawson Creek
- A pilot project on financing energy projects through local improvement charges
- A study on the cost-effectiveness of solar hot water for commercial buildings
Wind monitor / City of Dawson Creek.Implementation
The implementation of the various components of the corporate energy planning project is ongoing. Since its adoption in 2006, the vehicle purchasing policy and accompanying life cyclei cost assessment tool, has been used to purchase one hybrid in 2006 and an additional 4 compact SUV’s for department supervisors. Previously, these positions were outfitted with half ton, V8 pickups.
In addition to the solar hot water installations on the City Hall and Fire Hall completed in 2006, in 2008 the City has installed solar hot water systems on the RCMP building, airport, public works yard and Sudeten Hall. Solar PV lights have been installed on traffic signs (3), pedestrian crossing (1), bus stops (12) and trail lights (4).
The City has also replaced all of its street lights with “dark sky friendly”, low voltage, high-pressure sodium lights, which reduce our consumption by 100,000 KWh per year ($1,200 per month). LED traffic lights have also been installed throughout the City.
The City has retrofited the lighting in many of its buildings, done upgrades to its fire hall and is in the process of a major retrofit to City Hall, which will include renewable energy implementation.
Solar panel traffic lights / City of Dawson Creek.Results
Through the research completed by the Dawson Creek and Pembina partnership, the following was discovered:
- Every year, the city spends about one million dollars on energy
- Every year, the city produces about 2,400 tonnes of greenhouse gases
The City uses three types of energy:
- Natural Gasi (primarily for heating public buildings);
- Electricity (used in nearly all areas of operations, but water and sewer are the biggest users of electricity);
- Fuel (mostly for vehicles)
Once it was identified how energy was being used, the City began to look at strategies and actions to reduce energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions.
The City spends $160,000 on fuel per year, producing 500 tonnes of GHG’s. The biggest user of fuel is automobiles. Strategies to reduce fuel consumption include:
- Green Vehicle purchasing policy
- Anti-idling policy
- Vehicle sharing, education, strict maintenancei standard
The City spends $500,000 on electricity in one year. Water and sewer operations are the City’s chief users of electricity. Strategies to reduce electrical consumption include:
- Retrofits
- On-site renewables
The City spends $260,000 on natural gas, producing 1600 tonnes of GHG’s Most of that is used heating recreational facilities. The City is investigating other means to reduce its impact on the environment, including bio-diesel and bio-energy.
Read about Dawson Creek's Carbon Neutral strategy.
Planning for People: Energy