Energy efficiency upgrades at
City facilities

Energy efficiency and greenhouse gas emission improvements have been going on for decades at City facilities, such as community centres and City Hall, with the most recent improvements beginning in 2005.  The current round of energy retrofits for 2009/ 2010 will be happening mostly behind the scenes and in some areas accessible to City staff and the public.

Upgrades to the lighting, building automation and heating systems will make the facilities more energy efficient, and staff, clients and visitors will experience a better environment inside and out.

The goal of the upgrades: to reduce energy consumption and the amount of greenhouse gasses (GHGs, including carbon dioxide) being emitted by City facilities. By the end of 2010, in concert with advanced new construction design, it is estimated that City facilities will be generating 22 per cent fewer greenhouse gasses than in 1990!

Upgrades to City facilities to-date:

• City Hall Campus
• Library Square
• Vanier Park
• National Yards
• Manitoba Works Yard

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City Hall Campus

Vancouver City Hall was the first City facility in a program to involve an energy services company in identifying, implementing and monitoring energy performance improvements. Completed in October 2007, the program was highly successful, with energy reductions exceeding estimates.

Improvements made:

• New boilers
• Water conservation
• New computerized controls (building automation system)
• New lighting, which has provided:

Better light levels

Better colour

No hum or flicker

Instant on and off capability

Annual savings:

• $132,829
• 1.37 megawatt hours of electricity
• 4,066 gigajoules of natural gas
• 16,122 m³ of water
• 319 tonnes carbon dioxide

These savings equate to:  

• 58 cars off the road
• 8,179 tree seedlings
• 72.5 acres of pine forest

Learn more about City Hall and its history

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Library Square

An architectural gem, Vancouver’s Central Library will be celebrating its 15th anniversary in 2010.  In time for its anniversary, the library is receiving energy upgrades as well as other systematic renewals, which are expected to be completed by September 2009.

Improvements being made:

• New computerized controls (building automation system)
• New lighting, which will provide:

Improved lighting for reading

No hum or flicker

Annual savings:

• $51,170
• 595,953 kilowatt hours of electricity
• 14 tonnes of carbon dioxide

These savings equate to: 

• 2.6 cars off the road
• 359 tree seedlings
• 3.2 acres of pine forests

Learn more about Library Square and its history

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Vanier Park

The Museum of Vancouver, H.R. MacMillan Space Centre and City of Vancouver Archives are all receiving energy upgrades between now and the end of 2010.

Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems at the Museum of Vancouver will be upgraded to provide a high-calibre environment needed to store, display, and visit artefacts and exhibits.

Construction on the museum side will be completed by December 2009. Work on the City of Vancouver Archives side of the museum complex will begin in fall 2009 and be completed by fall 2010.

Improvements being made:

• New high-efficiency boiler
• New air handlers with advanced air drying technology (similar to what is being used in NHL arenas)
• Upgrade to computerized controls (building automation system)
• Water conservation

Annual savings:

• $138,000
• 320,000 kilowatt hours of electricity
• 8,646 gigajoules of natural gas
• 4,968 m³of water
• 440 tonnes of carbon dioxide

These savings equate to:

• 80 fewer cars in a parking lot
• 11,282 tree seedlings
• 100 acres of pine forest

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National Yards

The National Yards complex is the City’s engineering operations centre. In 2004, it was the City's first LEED-rated (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) facility. Since then, it has required upgrades which are expected to be completed by December 2009.

Improvements being made:

• Upgrade to computerized controls (building automation system)
• HVAC upgrades
• Energy metering
• New lighting, which will provide:

Better light levels

Better colour

No hum or flicker

Instant on and off capability

Annual savings:

• $21,566
• 70,540 kilowatt hours of electricity
• 1,233 gigajoules of natural gas
• 63 tonnes carbon dioxide

These savings equate to: 

• 11 cars off the road
• 1,615 tree seedlings
• 14.34 acres of pine forest

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Manitoba Works Yard

Manitoba Works Yard has supported all departments of the City of Vancouver with supplies and services since 1965, and is in need of some upgrades. Upgrades are expected to be completed by December 2009.

Improvements being made:

• New air handling
• New high-efficiency boiler
• New lighting, which will provide:

Better light levels

Better colour

No hum or flicker, and

Instant on and off capability

Annual savings:

• $64,320
• 282,556 kilowatt hours of electricity
• 3,295 gigajoules of natural gas
• 171 tonnes of carbon dioxide

These savings equate to: 

• 31 cars off the road
• 4,385 tree seedlings
• 39 acres pine forest

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