CLIMATE ACTION INITIATIVES

UBC Bioenergy Research and Demonstration Project (BRDP):

The UBC Bioenergy Research and Demonstration Project (BRDP), a partnership with Vancouver-based Nexterra and General Electric, broke ground in February 2011. When completed in 2012, the $27 million project will be the first biomass gasification, heat-and-power co-generation system of its kind in the world. 

Fuelled by wood biomass diverted from the landfill, the project will generate enough clean electricity to power 1,500 homes and will eliminate 9 percent of annual GHG emissions by reducing campus natural gas consumption. Showcasing the campus as a living lab, the project will also provide research and learning opportunities for faculty and students.

Converting the district heating system to a hot water system

Further GHG reductions will be achieved by converting the current district heating system from steam to hot water, estimated to reduce energy demand by 24 percent and yield a 22 percent reduction in GHG emissions. Set to be one of the largest hot water conversions in North America, the project entails an $87 million capital investment on the Vancouver Campus and will replace 14 km of piping.

The first phase of the project is slated to begin in Summer 2011 and will connect 15 buildings surrounding UBC’s Bioenergy Research and Demonstration Project (BRDP). The reduced operating temperatures of the hot water system will allow for significant waste heat recovery from the BRDP starting in 2012, with backup and peaking provided by an existing steam to hot water heat exchanger located in the University Services Building.

Continuous Optimization

The Continuous Optimization program, a partnership with BC Hydro and Pulse Energy, was launched in 2010 and will continue to be deployed through 2015. This program will optimize the performance of 72 core academic buildings by identifying and implementing low-cost operational and maintenance changes, and then maintaining this new optimized state through real-time monitoring and response.  Combined with improved behaviour change initiatives, the program will result in campus energy and GHG emissions reductions of 10 percent below 2007 levels by 2015.

In 2010, two pilot buildings underwent upgrades and started showing energy reductions of 15 to 30 percent.  The next 17 buildings will be optimized in 2011.