Building a new net-zero fire station in Port Stanley

As an initiative that will replace the outdated fire station in Port Stanley, this project reflects the Municipality of Central Elgin’s commitment to reduce municipal energy consumption while maintaining an efficient and effective level of services. The new fire station will benefit Central Elgin’s communities by reducing the Central Elgin Fire Rescue Service’s response time to newly built subdivisions nearby, offering an alternate access to the waterfront and reducing travel time for volunteer fire fighters living in the area. The municipality has identified a combination of three key strategies to meet its net-zero energy goal: increasing the building’s thermal performance; making the building’s operational systems more efficient; and generating on-site renewable energy. Innovative aspect: • Although a number of net-zero fire halls have been studied and constructed across Canada, this initiative will be one of the first to focus on the use of low-carbon materials Replicability: • This project has good potential for replication in municipalities across Canada building new municipal infrastructure with an aim to meet net-zero energy goals. Environmental benefits: • Potential to achieve net-zero energy status by reducing energy consumption by 45% (259.2 GJ/year) and producing all required energy on-site with solar PV panels (potential of 95,656 kWh/year) • Will meet LEED v4 requirements for internal plumbing fixtures • Will divert up to 95% of construction waste from landfill by incorporating a construction waste management plan Economic benefits: • Expected annual operating and maintenance costs savings of $12,479 • Although initially more expensive to build than a standard fire hall, medium- to long-term savings are expected because of lower energy and maintenance costs Social benefits: • Faster emergency response times will improve public safety • The initiative can be used to showcase/educate the public on climate change mitigation strategies (Project description from original funding application)