Federal and provincial government officials visited the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) this morning to announce funding for an essential upgrade of BCIT’s electrical infrastructure. The $46.9-million project involves replacing the 60-year-old electrical receiving station that currently powers approximately 50 percent of the Burnaby Campus, including all of BCIT’s Burnaby-based trades education programs.
This upgrade ensures that operations at BCIT will continue uninterrupted by power failures and provides a foundation for planned renovations and new buildings at the Burnaby Campus.
Updating our electrical infrastructure also advances BCIT’s sustainability goals, allowing us to deliver and manage energy on-campus more efficiently. And because BCIT campuses double as living labs, this project will also provide new opportunties for student and faculty sustainability research. The new electrical system will tie into our Smart Microgrid program, allowing for the plug-in of future energy research projects. A soon-to-be-built fiber optic network loop will also support campus-as-lab research.
Read the press release.
Associate Dean of Building Design and Construction Technology Dr. Jennie Moore explains why she’s excited about this project in this short video: