Transitioning to Renewables
In addition to efforts toward energy efficiency, a transition to renewable or low-emission energy sources – for heating, cooling and power – will be required in order to make large, long-term GHG emissions reductions.
Renewable (and low-emissions) energy sources can displace fossil fuels, e.g. natural gas for space heating, thus reducing emissions. Renewables can also be implemented at different scales: large, commercial scale wind power generation; capturing heat from large wastewater infrastructure at the neighbourhood scale; or geoexchange heating and cooling systems for individual buildings.
Many renewable sources have the potential to be integrated within a district energy system.
Feasibility of a particular energy source depends on a variety of factors including type of use (e.g. residential building vs. recreation facility), scale (e.g. building scale vs. neighbourhood scale), technical feasibility, source capacity, environmental impact, and the cost of developing it. Beyond the building scale, more detailed feasibility studies are often required for implementation.
Community Examples
- City of Campbell River Completion of Tidal Power Feasibility Study
- The Saanich Peninsula Wastewater Thermal Heat Recovery Project
Complimentary Measures:
- A Community Energy Plan to develop strategies for renewables. The CEA created a Community Energy and Emissions Planning guide which describes the purpose and content of a community energy and emissions plan, its benefits, and how to go about creating one.
- A Civic Green Building Policy that addresses energy and emissions performance of local government buildings.
- A Green Infrastructure Policy that sets out energy and emissions objectives for infrastructure.
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