City of Burlington Zero Carbon Feasibility Studies for Four City Buildings

The City of Burlington will complete a GHG Reduction Pathway Feasibility Study for four city buildings which include the Appleby Ice Centre, Brant Hills Community Centre, Fire Station 2, and Fire Station 7. All four facilities have been identified as high energy consumers that are expected to undergo significant capital asset renewals within the next three years. This study will enable the city to strategically sequence these short-term retrofits with more long-term measures to meet future net-carbon-neutral goals. Measures to be investigated include ground and/or air source heat pumps, building envelope upgrades, solar thermal, battery storage and renewable energy options amongst others. Life cycle cost analyses will be completed to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of the measures presented over time. Social benefits such as improved air quality and thermal comfort are expected. The proposed study aligns with Burlington's Strategic Plan 2015-2040 which targets a healthy and greener society through environmental leadership, including making the city's operations net carbon-neutral by 2040. Innovative aspects: The city intends to use this study to investigate beyond the like-for-like capital replacements as initially intended. Many of the proposed measures to be explored are not yet typical for the city or other medium sized communities in Ontario. Replicability: These studies will serve as an invaluable example and learning experience for city staff and elected officials to show how these types of project work and how to build capacity and confidence in future similar projects in the city. The stakeholder engagement plan and workshop exercises could prove to become a replicable model for other communities wishing to develop these longer-term GHG reduction pathways for their facilities. (Project description from original funding application)