“We are backing this with an investment $58 million over the next 5 years,” said B.C.’s Minister of Citizens’ Services Jinny Sims.

The program will focus on energy retrofits, switching from fossil fuel to clean energy sources, the use of smart building technologies and installation of electric vehicle charging stations in courthouses, correctional facilities, warehouses and other government buildings throughout the province.

Government statistics reveal the targeted buildings account for about eight per cent of total provincial public sector emissions.

“We will use renewable energy, green design, smart building technology, electric vehicle charging stations and energy retrofits to transform our buildings,” Sims added.

Those new technologies are being developed and tested at BCIT’s Performance Building Lab, a one-of-a-kind facility in Canada which provides hands-on training to develop expertise in construction techniques and the testing of those skills to achieve zero emission buildings.

Mary McWilliam, project manager of the Zero Energy Building Learning Centre said the skilled application of these technologies is integral to reducing carbon footprints, reducing energy costs and total life cycle costs of buildings.

According to government statistics, energy retrofits generally result in a 25 per cent energy saving.

CleanBC Efficiency Rebates are also available for people and businesses to improve their homes and buildings by installing new heating and cooling systems, upgrade major appliances, improve insulation and complete BC Hydro energy-saving evaluations.

Re-posted from CTV News.

“The low-carbon economy we build together will bring opportunities and jobs throughout the province, so people can live and work with greater security in the communities they call home,” said Premier John Horgan. “By moving to clean, renewable energy – like our abundant supply of B.C. electricity – we can power our growing economy and make life better and more affordable for British Columbians.”In unveiling the CleanBC plan, Premier Horgan said his government has put priority on:

• reducing climate pollution by shifting homes, vehicles, industry and business off burning fossil fuels and toward greater use of clean B.C. electricity and other renewable energies;
• boosting energy-efficient solutions, like zero-emission vehicles and home heat pumps, by making them more affordable and available for British Columbians; and
• becoming a destination for new investment and industry looking to meet the growing global demand for low-carbon products, services and pollution-reducing technologies.

The CleanBC plan was developed as a pathway to achieve the Province’s legislated climate targets of reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 40% by the year 2030, based on 2007 levels. The plan describes and quantifies measures that will eliminate 18.9 megatonnes (Mt) of its 2030 target. Remaining reduction initiatives will be quantified over the next 18 to 24 months.

“With CleanBC, British Columbia is rising to the challenge of climate change,” Premier Horgan said. “Every year, we’re seeing the unprecedented wildfires and floods that hurt so many people, communities and businesses. We need to begin changing how we live, work and commute to put B.C. on a cleaner, more sustainable path.”

“CleanBC will position our province for success as the world transitions to low-carbon solutions,” said Andrew Weaver, leader of the B.C. Green caucus and MLA for Oak Bay-Gordon Head. “It is a testament to what we can accomplish when we recognize our shared values and commit to working together. I look forward to working with government, business and other stakeholders to action this plan, so that British Columbians can count on a bright future where all our communities enjoy a thriving economy and a high quality of life for generations to come.”

Highlights of the CleanBC plan include:

• By 2040, every new car sold in B.C. will be a zero-emission vehicle. Government is helping people afford cleaner cars and save money on fuel with incentive programs, and making it easier to charge or fuel them: 1.3 Mt of carbon pollution reduced by 2030
• The Province is speeding up the switch to cleaner fuels at the gas pump – with further reductions to the carbon intensity of transportation fuels: 4.0 Mt of carbon pollution reduced by 2030
• Every new building constructed in B.C. will be “net-zero energy ready” by 2032. Along the way, government is requiring new buildings to be more efficient, and ramping up funding for renovations and energy retrofits to existing homes and offices, including $400 million to support retrofits and upgrades for B.C.’s stock of publicly funded housing: 2.0 Mt of carbon pollution reduced by 2030
• Government is helping B.C. to reduce residential and industrial organic waste, turning it into a clean resource: 0.7 Mt of carbon pollution reduced by 2030
• The Province is helping industry lower its emissions and reduce its pollution: 8.4 Mt of carbon pollution reduced by 2030

“CleanBC is a B.C.-specific approach to making our communities strong and vibrant for decades to come as we rise to the challenge of global climate change,” said George Heyman, Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy. “We can build a low-carbon economy that includes all sectors and all workers. Together, we can protect our children’s future, while making life more affordable today.”

The Province is committed to giving people the skills they need to thrive in the low-carbon economy. As part of this strategy, government is developing a CleanBC labour readiness plan to address the labour and workplace opportunities that emerge through the implementation of CleanBC.

“We can make things more efficient, use less energy and waste less, while we make sure that the energy we use is clean and made in B.C.,” said Michelle Mungall, Minister of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources. “We look forward to continuing our work with resource industries that have been taking action over the last two decades to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and that are embracing the responsibility to do more.”

Learn More:

For more information on CleanBC, visit: cleanbc.gov.bc.ca

For CleanBC highlights, visit: https://news.gov.bc.ca/files/CleanBC_HighlightsReport_120318.pdf

For a Chinese translation, visit: https://news.gov.bc.ca/files/CleanBC_NR_chinese_translation.pdf

For a Punjabi translation, visit: https://news.gov.bc.ca/files/CleanBC_NR_punjabi_translation.pdf

To see what other people are saying about CleanBC, a backgrounder follows.

Re-posted from GovBC

The Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC) presented the certification, which required the building to:

• model a zero carbon balance for future operations;
• incorporate a highly efficient envelope and ventilation system to meet a defined threshold for thermal energy demand intensity; and
• design onsite renewable energy systems capable of providing a minimum of five per cent of building energy consumption.

Still under construction, evolv1 is one of 16 projects across Canada selected to participate in CaGBC’s Zero Carbon Building Standard two-year pilot program.

The high-performance building envelope incorporates triple glazing, a solar wall for preheated ventilation, a geo-exchange/VRF HVAC system, three-storey green wall, and a combination of photovoltaics. It is due for completion in summer 2018.

Over the course of the first 12 months of operation, evolv1 will monitor performance to demonstrate a zero emissions balance in order to earn Zero Carbon Building Performance certification.

“It is extremely satisfying for all involved to have our work nationally recognized,” said Adrian Conrad, COO of the Cora Group. “We firmly believe it sets a new benchmark for green building design and construction.” www.coragroup.com

From www.HPACmag.com  with thanks!

SUSTAINABLE CITIES

BC Insulators’ Bob Barter and Neil Munro made a presentation to the Sustainable City Advisory Committee of the City of Burnaby on June 7, promoting the use of proper Mechanical Insulation and illustrating heat loss through the use of a thermal imaging camera and 3e Plus software.  Committee members were impressed and called the presentation “very informative” – and the information has been sent on to Burnaby staff to review.  We look forward to further discussions with the city to help them meet their sustainability goals.

We are scheduling more appearances before city councils throughout the province.

Local 118 is also working on the language for three resolutions to be presented to the Union of BC Municipalities conference in September, where city mayors and councillors gather to discuss and debate policies.  Our resolutions involve: Building Commissioning; Building Labelling; and Benchmarking.

ENERGY AUDITS MORE AVAILABLE

Justin Teskey and Riley Feser-Gray from the BC Insulators attended the Certified Insulation Energy Appraiser course hosted in Edmonton by Insulators Union Local 110 and the I Save team. Both members are now Certified Appraisers and will be included on future Audits that Salamander Inspections conducts. BC Insulators now have five Energy Appraisers available to conduct Audits and use thermal cameras and the 3ePlus software that generates the reports.

NET ZERO BUILDINGS

Teskey and  Munro also attended the Building Lasting Change Conference at the Vancouver Convention Centre. The conference was very interesting and focused on Net Zero Buildings. To achieve Net Zero buildings will have increased attention to building envelope, ventilation strategies and onsite energy generation (solar, wind and Biomass). Buildings will also have new targets including Total Energy Use Intensity, Thermal energy Demand Intensity, GHG Intensity Targets.

This will include building commissioning that ensures that buildings are constructed and operated properly.

BC Insulators are first union to receive JUST Label for commitment to social justice and equity from Seattle-based International Living Future Institute – joining green building architects, engineers, contractors with JUST Label status

BC INSULATORS  NEWS RELEASE      

Wednesday May 11, 2016

VANCOUVER – The BC Insulators have become the first labour union to receive a coveted JUST Label from the Seattle-based International Living Future Institute – for its commitment to social justice and equity and it’s transparency and accountability

Lee Loftus, Business Manager of the BC Insulators, says it is an honour to be the first union to obtain a JUST Label after going through the application process and making an organizational decision to provide the public with full information about how it addresses social justice and equity issues.

“We are very proud indeed to be the first union to receive a JUST Label and be among many progressive businesses and non-profits in the Pacific Northwest who are committed to social justice, equity and transparency,” says Loftus.

“It is gratifying to have our union join with green building construction firms, architects, engineers, banks, non-profits and others in starting a process where anyone can see how we practice social justice and promote equity in our daily work, with our employees, our investments and our members,” Loftus said.

According to the Institute: “The JUST Program acts somewhat as a ‘nutrition label’ for socially just and equitable organizations…. the program provides an innovative transparency platform for organizations to reveal much about their operations, including how they treat their employees and where they make financial and community investments.”

Loftus said the BC Insulators will promote the JUST Label as a positive benefit with contractors who employ the union’s members in a wide variety of commercial, industrial and residential construction in BC, as well as with the public and in the labour movement.

“The BC Insulators are well known for our work promoting energy conservation and efficiency, green buildings and other efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and fuel consumption – this JUST Label is an important recognition of our values,” Loftus said.

GLOBE 2016 Vancouver is on March 2 to 4 and the BC Insulators will be there at the Innovation Expo!

GLOBE 2016 – The Leadership Summit for Sustainable Business – is one of Canada’s biggest and best known environmental events.

The BC Insulators will have a booth at the Expo to provide information about mechanical insulation, energy conservation and efficiency to the more than 1,600 people attending.

The BC Insulators will be at the 2016 BUILDEX Vancouver Conference on February 24 & 25 to promote energy conservation through mechanical insulation to the industry, government and consumers.

The BC Insulators booth will be on the trade show floor – #435 – and staffed with knowledgeable members who will make new connections among the 14,000 attendees expected.

BUILDEX Vancouver is Western Canada’s largest tradeshow and conference for the Construction, Renovation, Architecture, Interior Design and Property Management industries.

Held annually, BUILDEX has over 600 exhibits, and more than 70 educational seminars.

The are a limited number of free tickets for anyone interested in attending the Trade Show – please contact the BC Insulators office to arrange your ticket.

Good jobs and reduced congestion, says recent study by Green Jobs BC and Blue Green Canada

By Blair Redlin

Residents who are waiting to hear the results of the vote on the $7.5 billion, 10-year transit plan proposed by regional mayors may be interested to know the results of our recent economic study for Green Jobs BC and Blue Green Canada.

One of the questions that economist David Fairey and I sought to answer was: ”How many jobs will be generated if the Mayor’s 10 Transit Plan is implemented?” We also asked about the economic impact of better transit and reduced climate stress because of fewer green house gas emissions. Along the way we found some very interesting numbers about congestion as well.

To prepare our report, we reviewed a wide number of documents from January to early March. Our findings on potential jobs and economic impacts that would result from the mayors’ transit plan are based on economic consultant reports commissioned by TransLink.

The deadline for mailing your transit ballot was Friday, May 29, with results expected by mid-to late June.

As it turns out, the number of direct jobs arising from implementing the mayors’ transit plan is significant. Currently, TransLink contributes roughly 6,000 jobs to our economy. Our analysis shows that the mayors’ plan would add another 3,600 direct jobs over the next decade.

By way of comparison, the number of direct jobs in oil and gas extraction last year, according to B.C. Statistics, was 6,200. And that was before the recent drop in oil and gas prices. If the mayors’ plan is implemented, there would be 50 per more jobs in transit by the end of the decade than in extraction of oil and gas.

The mayors’ plan would create the kind of family-supporting jobs that working- and middle-class people depend on. Transit jobs are stable, sustainable jobs that will remain rooted in the region. You can’t outsource a bus driver or rapid transit mechanic. Over its 10 years, the plan would contribute 44,000 person years of total employment, $3 billion in wages, and $4.5 billion toward GDP in Metro Vancouver. Transit investment has a multiplier effect: The study found that for every dollar invested, taxpayers get $1.48 in benefits, and private sector costs, such as those arising from the movement of goods, go down by 17 cents.

Economic consulting firm HDR found that the mayors’ plan would also cut the congestion that costs $487 million and enormous amounts of time every year. Maintaining the status quo will result in an additional $1 billion in congestion costs by 2045. By providing a way for more trips without a car, the plan would cut lost time and money by up to four per cent. Investment in new rapid transit lines, additional bus service, and a new Patullo Bridge means getting people out of traffic, giving them more time to spend with family and friends.

Reduces emissions

The plan also means real action on the climate. The effects of climate change are playing out in real time, with everybody from insurance companies to the U.S. Navy preparing for a less stable climate future. British Columbia’s greenhouse gas reduction plan aims to reduce emissions by 33 per cent below 2007 levels by 2020.

Transportation makes up a third of greenhouse gas emissions in Metro Vancouver, and investments in climate-friendly transit infrastructure are key to meeting these targets. The mayors’ transit plan would reduce greenhouse gas emissions from transportation by 8.2 per cent over the status quo, dramatically decreasing our per person use of fossil fuels.

Metro Vancouver has already embraced transit: between 2003 and 2013, the annual number of trips taken on transit increased by almost 90 million. The most recent significant transit investment in our region, the Canada Line, carries more than 122,000 people per day, already surpassing ridership projections for 2021. With a million more people expected in our region by 2045, transit will play an even bigger role in keeping our region moving.

Implementing the mayors’ transit plan would create thousands of good jobs, strengthen the regional economy, significantly cut congestion, and tackle climate change in a meaningful way.

* * * *

NOTE:  Balloting closed in the transit and transportation plebiscite on May 29.  Originally published in The Tyee; reprinted with kind permission.

Blair Redlin is a former BC deputy minister of Transportation and former CUPE researcher. He co-authored Good Jobs, Clean Skies with economist David Fairey.

The BC Insulators will have a booth to promote mechanical insulation at the annual BUILDEX Vancouver 2015 – Western Canada’s largest conference and tradeshow for construction, renovation and related work.

The conference takes place at the Vancouver Convention Centre – West on February 25 & 26, 2015.  The are a limited number of free tickets for anyone interested in attending the Trade Show – please contact the BC Insulators office to arrange your ticket.

There are over 600 exhibits on the trade show floor, which is open from 9:30 am to 5:00 pm  February 25th and 9:30 am to 4:00 pm on February 26, 2015.  You can check out the details at the exhibitors’ list.