Overcoming Vancouver’s District Energy BarriersRenewable Cities ForumMay 14, 2015

Lessons Learned - Southeast False CreekNeighbourhood Energy Utility (NEU)

• SEFC NEU now achieving 60% CO2 emission reduction target, with sewage heat recovery

• Has grown 260% since 2010, with 4.2 million ft2 of buildings now connected

• Competitive customer rates and business case on track

Lessons Learned - Southeast False Creek NEU

• During planning phase (2007), significant public concerns regarding biomass option:

1. Ecological impacts associated with biomass wood sourcing

2. Truck transportation of fuel

3. Stack emissions

4. Aesthetic impacts to neighbourhood

• Insufficient time to work through public perceptions

• Sewage heat recovery alternative selected despite higher cost and technical risk

Lessons Learned - Southeast False Creek NEU

• Some public concerns remained regarding sewage heat energy centre (odour, noise,etc)

• Neighbourhood advisory group established to consult with during design phase

• Final design was endorsed by community

Downtown Steam System Conversion

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Future Energy Centre:- Opportunity to

eliminate 70,000 tonnes CO2/year

- Low carbon fuel: clean, locally-sourced wood waste

- Public engagement to begin in 2016

Existing steam plant

Hospital Steam System Conversion

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Future Energy Centre:- Opportunity to

eliminate 25,000 tonnes CO2/year

- Low carbon fuel: clean, locally-sourced wood waste

- Public engagement to being this year

Existing steam plant

Key Challenge – Public Acceptance

• To convert legacy steam systems to low carbon, use of a combustion technology is required.

• After rigorous analysis, clean wood waste is the preferred fuel source for the Downtown steam system and hospital campus system

• Based on our own experience in SEFC, use of this fuel generates concerns related to:

• Emissions

• Transportation of fuel

• Source of fuel

• Other neighbourhood impacts

• Energy Centre Guidelines: approval framework for proponents of new low carbon facilities. Criteria:

1. GHG performance

2. Air quality

3. Neighbourhood fit

4. Sustainability of fuel sources

5. Community engagement

• Approved by Council October 2012, following extensive stakeholder consultation

Enabling Policy to Address Public Concerns

ECAG provides expert advice to City staff on proposed low carbon neighbourhood energy projects:

• Identify potential conflicts with Energy Centre Guidelines, and opportunities for improvement

• Provide technical support to City staff in the evaluation of rezoning and development permit applications for projects

• Help inform public opinion

Members include a diverse range of trusted experts: environmental NGO’s, Health & Air Quality regulators, academics, architects/urban designers, public engagement experts

Energy Centre Advisory Group (“ECAG”)

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DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:1. What is your foremost barrier to low-C DE expansion

that you’d like to learn how other cities have addressed?

2. What role(s) do you see for the public sector in catalyzing the delivery of renewable energy and district heating networks?

3. What secondary heat sources are available in your city, where are they and how accessible are they?

4. What are the specific challenges that you face in developing a portfolio of investable DE and decentralized energy projects?