Corporate and Community Renewable Energy + Demand Management Study

The City of Coquitlam is committed to being a Climate Action leader and has recently established a new goal to reduce corporate emissions 40% below 2007 levels by 2025. Having already exhausted all “low hanging fruit”, as well as, significant investment in complex energy sharing systems for its corporate buildings, the City is looking to new and emerging technologies to harvest and store sources of renewable energy in order to achieve this goal. To this end, the City commissioned an energy conservation study designed to further GHG reduction at the corporate level by assessing district energy systems and demand management practices at City Hall, the Poirier Sport and Leisure Complex, the City Centre Aquatic Complex, and the Evergreen Cultural Centre. The study will simultaneously assess how some of the same technologies can be implemented at the community level. Coquitlam will target a 50% reduction in GHG emissions by optimizing their two existing Thermenex district energy systems which serve multiple municipal facilities by identifying opportunities for renewable energy technologies (photovoltaic and heat recovery), energy storage and electrical demand management practices. Continuing on the same theme, the second portion of the study will focus on maximizing the available local GHG reduction opportunities by improving the uptake of renewable energy through assessing photovoltaic potential both residentially and commercially. This will include the development of an interactive community mapping and assessment tool as well as a demonstration project designed to encourage the public to use renewable energy in a meaningful way. Coquitlam has a longstanding commitment to GHG reduction. As a signatory of the British Columbia Climate Action Charter (2007) they established a Climate Offset Reserve that has helped fund over 70 projects in support of the Charter. Coquitlam has achieved a 24% reduction in GHGs since 2007 despite a 20% population increase and with the help of this study aims to reach their new goal of a 40% reduction by 2025. This study has strong support from City Council and will be managed by a knowledgeable project management team including experienced consultants and designated City staff.