BCIT has been awarded a prestigious Clean Energy Champion award from BC Hydro. The Award recognises businesses, homes, and institutions – large and small – for reducing their reliance on fossil fuels. Specifically, BC Hydro recognized BCIT’s commitment to investing in clean energy, and reducing green-house gas (GHG) emissions.
BC Hydro will feature BCIT in a series of social media videos throughout August – focusing on BCIT’s new Tall Timber Student Housing project, green industry training offerings, and BCIT’s innovative approach to involving students in on-campus sustainability initiatives (“Living Labs”).
“We’re delighted to receive this recognition from BC Hydro. Decarbonisation is a central part of the strategy to transform our campuses, which requires upgrades to our energy systems, more energy efficient buildings and retrofits to our older buildings.”
Danica Djurkovic BCIT’s Associate Vice President Campus Planning and Facilities
“Our partnership with BC Hydro already supports our efforts to improve the efficiency of our existing building systems reducing our energy consumption. However, our new energy efficient buildings like Tall Timber Student Housing use electrified heating systems to minimize emissions and will also benefit from planned improvements to the electrical infrastructure.”
BCIT decarbonization roadmap targets a 50% reduction in green-house gas (GHG) emissions by 2030 and 100% by 2050. Achieving these goals will require upgrades to existing energy infrastructure, including the replacement and electrification of the main boiler for the Burnaby Campus.
This will be supported by the construction of new energy efficient buildings that use passive house approaches, as well as electrified heating systems to minimize emissions. Both the Tall Timber Student Housing Building and the new Trades and Technology Complex (anchored by the Concert Properties Centre for Trades and Technology) are designed to meet the highest levels of the BC Energy Step Code.
“About 98 per cent of the electricity BC Hydro generates comes from clean and renewable resources, and we are committed to growing our system to support our customers transition to using more clean electricity and reducing their greenhouse gas emissions,” said Diana Stephenson, Executive Vice-President of Customer and Corporate Affairs, BC Hydro.
“We are excited to partner with BCIT as they build a new fully-electrified student residence tower and develop a micro grid on campus.”
Jennie Moore BCIT’s Director of Sustainability adds, “One of the important aims of our Sustainability Vision is to inspire and mobilize change across industry and society for a sustainable future.
This means sharing knowledge and expertise through our teaching and applied research as we continue on the journey to become greenhouse gas neutral.”
Find out more about our Institute Sustainability initiatives or read about our Institute Sustainability Vision