Vancouver and ameresco canada
Vancouver and Ameresco Canada Partners to Reduce Corporate Emissions
The City of Vancouver, Ameresco Canada and the Vancouver Park Board have successfully completed a comprehensive, multi-facility project to reduce the City’s corporate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. With 3000 tonnes of greenhouse gas (GHG) reductions from 36 buildings, the City is demonstrating innovative energy savings strategies that also create green jobs. Vancouver is one of the first municipalities in Canada to achieve the Federation of Canadian Municipalities’ Partnership For Climate Protection milestones. As the City’s Energy Service Company (ESCO), Ameresco provided single-source responsibility for the project which allowed the City to transfer implementation and performance risks to the private sector. With the successful completion of the ESCO project and other corporate emissions reduction initiatives, the City of Vancouver has demonstrated leadership in engaging the wider community in its vision of becoming the world’s Greenest City by 2020. “The completion of our project with Ameresco marks a major milestone in our goal to become the world’s Greenest City by 2020. With the Ameresco partnership leading the way on our existing building portfolio, I believe the approach we have taken to reduce our corporate emissions can serve as a model for any municipality wanting to demonstrate leadership in their efforts to reduce emissions community-wide,” said Mayor Gregor Robertson. Quick Project Facts Number of Facilities: Total Project Value: Total Energy Reduction: Annual emissions reduction: Guaranteed Annual Utility Savings: Avoided emissions offset costs at $25/tonne: Power Smart incentives: Project start date (Pilot): Project completion:
36 $16.2 Million 79,000 GJ (24 per cent) 3,000 Tonnes (28 per cent) $930,000 $75,000 $475,000 January 2006 April 2011
3500
City of Vancouver ESCO Project Progress
3000 2500 2000 1500 1000 500 0
collaboration with partners The collaborative nature of the project is often referred to as an Energy Performance Contract, with Ameresco providing direction on analysis, engineering design and project management. This approach was chosen by the City of Vancouver as an effective way to minimize the burden on staff and expedite implementation. Working with City and Park Board staff, Ameresco presented an array of efficiency options for the City’s consideration and an implementation scope was approved by City Council. The business case for the project provides benefits including the replacement of aging equipment. Capital for the project was borrowed from internal funds to be paid back with interest over a 20-year period using guaranteed utility savings. Ameresco will monitor project results and remit any shortfall if actual savings are less than the guarantee. City and Vancouver Park Board staff approved designs and Ameresco tendered implementation components to various sub-trades and suppliers. Ameresco’s approach avoided any conflict of interest in product and system selection and allowed the City to retain previous investments that had been made in product standardization. The City was able to save money through the unbundling of installation components. Ameresco trained City staff on efficient building operation practices and assisted in providing information.
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70%
Top 20 Sites by Emissions Reduction Percentage
60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0%
Vancouver Museum & Archives The measures implemented at the Vancouver Museum & Archives generated one of the largest per-site reductions in GHG emissions in the entire program. The innovative use of roof-top dehumidification technology reduced gas and electricity consumption while maintaining stringent indoor air quality requirements and helping preserve artefacts. Details Project value: $2.5 Million Annual utility savings: $139,000 Emissions reduction: 440 Tonnes (51 per cent) Measures included: • Desiccant dehumidification • Boiler plant replacement • Building automation • Water reduction Dehumidification equipment being installed on the roof of the Museum & Archives building.
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Templeton Pool Templeton Pool was one of a number of recreational facilities that were retrofitted under the Park Board phase of the project and resulted in one of the highest emissions reduction percentages. This site included a solar hot water system to heat pool water (using the pool itself to store the heated water) as well as heat recovery to reduce gas consumption. Details Project value: $500,000 Annual utility savings: $36,000 Emissions reduction: 152 Tonnes (44 per cent) Measures included: • Lighting upgrade • Solar hot water • Boiler plant replacement • Building automation • Air-to-air heat recovery View of the solar hot water system installed on the roof of Templeton Pool.
Building Emissions & Climate Change Research by the Clinton Climate Initiative indicates that buildings worldwide account for 15 per cent of global carbon emissions impacting climate change. This figure rises as high as 80 per cent when individual buildings within cities like Vancouver are measured. Existing buildings, and their potential for energy efficiency upgrades, represent the greatest opportunity to reduce building emissions. This is especially true for municipal emissions where buildings typically account for more than half of the corporate total. Under BC’s Climate Action Charter starting in 2012, BC municipalities will have to become carbon neutral or purchase carbon offsets to meet the carbon neutral requirement and ofsetting GHGs from building emissions represents the majority of this cost. Typical BC Municipality Corporate Emissions
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Lessons Learned: Infrastructure Cost Savings: The City of Vancouver team quickly realized that this project represented a one-time opportunity to make comprehensive investments to reduce emissions and replace aging building equipment. Facility Renewal Benefits: In addition to its emissions reduction objectives, the project also represented an opportunity to leverage future utility savings to create capital for deferred facility renewal. These future capital expenses enhanced the business case of the project. This was particularly true with boiler plant replacements which generated the bulk of the emissions reductions. Financing: It became apparent that financing the project up-front and retiring the loan over time was the only feasible method. Implementing the project on a “pay-as-you-go” basis from operating budgets would have dramatically increased the implementation period and lowered the net return to taxpayers. ESCO Experience: A critical success criterion for this project was Ameresco’s technical and project management experience and their financial ability to obtain the requisite bonding and assume the project risks and performance guarantees required by City Council. Partners About The City of Vancouver The City of Vancouver is celebrating its 125th anniversary in 2011 and is home to over 640,000 residents. Vancouver recently hosted the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games and has been a multiple winner of The Economist magazine’s Most Liveable City in the World. In January 2011, City Council unanimously adopted aggressive targets aimed at becoming the Greenest City in the world by 2020. vancouver.ca About Ameresco Canada Ameresco Canada Inc. is a full service energy management company that provides sustainable solutions and facility renewal services to new and existing facilities, as well as asset planning, energy and capital solutions to customers in the municipal, education, public housing, healthcare, and the federal and provincial government sectors. ameresco.ca About The Vancouver Park Board The Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation maintains over 220 parks and 40 major facilities throughout the City of Vancouver. The Park Board’s mission is to provide, preserve and advocate for parks and recreation services to benefit people, communities and the environment. vancouverparks.ca
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The City of Vancouver, Ameresco Canada and the Vancouver Park Board have successfully completed a comprehensive, multi-facility project to reduce the City’s corporate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. With 3000 tonnes of greenhouse gas (GHG) reductions from 36 buildings, the City is demonstrating innovative energy savings strategies that also create green jobs. Vancouver is one of the first municipalities in Canada to achieve the Federation of Canadian Municipalities’ Partnership For Climate Protection milestones. As the City’s Energy Service Company (ESCO), Ameresco provided single-source responsibility for the project which allowed the City to transfer implementation and performance risks to the private sector. With the successful completion of the ESCO project and other corporate emissions reduction initiatives, the City of Vancouver has demonstrated leadership in engaging the wider community in its vision of becoming the world’s Greenest City by 2020. “The completion of our project with Ameresco marks a major milestone in our goal to become the world’s Greenest City by 2020. With the Ameresco partnership leading the way on our existing building portfolio, I believe the approach we have taken to reduce our corporate emissions can serve as a model for any municipality wanting to demonstrate leadership in their efforts to reduce emissions community-wide,” said Mayor Gregor Robertson. Quick Project Facts Number of Facilities: Total Project Value: Total Energy Reduction: Annual emissions reduction: Guaranteed Annual Utility Savings: Avoided emissions offset costs at $25/tonne: Power Smart incentives: Project start date (Pilot): Project completion:
36 $16.2 Million 79,000 GJ (24 per cent) 3,000 Tonnes (28 per cent) $930,000 $75,000 $475,000 January 2006 April 2011
3500
City of Vancouver ESCO Project Progress
3000 2500 2000 1500 1000 500 0
collaboration with partners The collaborative nature of the project is often referred to as an Energy Performance Contract, with Ameresco providing direction on analysis, engineering design and project management. This approach was chosen by the City of Vancouver as an effective way to minimize the burden on staff and expedite implementation. Working with City and Park Board staff, Ameresco presented an array of efficiency options for the City’s consideration and an implementation scope was approved by City Council. The business case for the project provides benefits including the replacement of aging equipment. Capital for the project was borrowed from internal funds to be paid back with interest over a 20-year period using guaranteed utility savings. Ameresco will monitor project results and remit any shortfall if actual savings are less than the guarantee. City and Vancouver Park Board staff approved designs and Ameresco tendered implementation components to various sub-trades and suppliers. Ameresco’s approach avoided any conflict of interest in product and system selection and allowed the City to retain previous investments that had been made in product standardization. The City was able to save money through the unbundling of installation components. Ameresco trained City staff on efficient building operation practices and assisted in providing information.
2
70%
Top 20 Sites by Emissions Reduction Percentage
60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0%
Vancouver Museum & Archives The measures implemented at the Vancouver Museum & Archives generated one of the largest per-site reductions in GHG emissions in the entire program. The innovative use of roof-top dehumidification technology reduced gas and electricity consumption while maintaining stringent indoor air quality requirements and helping preserve artefacts. Details Project value: $2.5 Million Annual utility savings: $139,000 Emissions reduction: 440 Tonnes (51 per cent) Measures included: • Desiccant dehumidification • Boiler plant replacement • Building automation • Water reduction Dehumidification equipment being installed on the roof of the Museum & Archives building.
3
Templeton Pool Templeton Pool was one of a number of recreational facilities that were retrofitted under the Park Board phase of the project and resulted in one of the highest emissions reduction percentages. This site included a solar hot water system to heat pool water (using the pool itself to store the heated water) as well as heat recovery to reduce gas consumption. Details Project value: $500,000 Annual utility savings: $36,000 Emissions reduction: 152 Tonnes (44 per cent) Measures included: • Lighting upgrade • Solar hot water • Boiler plant replacement • Building automation • Air-to-air heat recovery View of the solar hot water system installed on the roof of Templeton Pool.
Building Emissions & Climate Change Research by the Clinton Climate Initiative indicates that buildings worldwide account for 15 per cent of global carbon emissions impacting climate change. This figure rises as high as 80 per cent when individual buildings within cities like Vancouver are measured. Existing buildings, and their potential for energy efficiency upgrades, represent the greatest opportunity to reduce building emissions. This is especially true for municipal emissions where buildings typically account for more than half of the corporate total. Under BC’s Climate Action Charter starting in 2012, BC municipalities will have to become carbon neutral or purchase carbon offsets to meet the carbon neutral requirement and ofsetting GHGs from building emissions represents the majority of this cost. Typical BC Municipality Corporate Emissions
4
Lessons Learned: Infrastructure Cost Savings: The City of Vancouver team quickly realized that this project represented a one-time opportunity to make comprehensive investments to reduce emissions and replace aging building equipment. Facility Renewal Benefits: In addition to its emissions reduction objectives, the project also represented an opportunity to leverage future utility savings to create capital for deferred facility renewal. These future capital expenses enhanced the business case of the project. This was particularly true with boiler plant replacements which generated the bulk of the emissions reductions. Financing: It became apparent that financing the project up-front and retiring the loan over time was the only feasible method. Implementing the project on a “pay-as-you-go” basis from operating budgets would have dramatically increased the implementation period and lowered the net return to taxpayers. ESCO Experience: A critical success criterion for this project was Ameresco’s technical and project management experience and their financial ability to obtain the requisite bonding and assume the project risks and performance guarantees required by City Council. Partners About The City of Vancouver The City of Vancouver is celebrating its 125th anniversary in 2011 and is home to over 640,000 residents. Vancouver recently hosted the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games and has been a multiple winner of The Economist magazine’s Most Liveable City in the World. In January 2011, City Council unanimously adopted aggressive targets aimed at becoming the Greenest City in the world by 2020. vancouver.ca About Ameresco Canada Ameresco Canada Inc. is a full service energy management company that provides sustainable solutions and facility renewal services to new and existing facilities, as well as asset planning, energy and capital solutions to customers in the municipal, education, public housing, healthcare, and the federal and provincial government sectors. ameresco.ca About The Vancouver Park Board The Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation maintains over 220 parks and 40 major facilities throughout the City of Vancouver. The Park Board’s mission is to provide, preserve and advocate for parks and recreation services to benefit people, communities and the environment. vancouverparks.ca
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