Thousands of Saanich residents and businesses accessed energy efficiency grants and information through the Community Energy Manager Initiative. The pilot project, created through a partnership between BC Hydro, the District of Saanich and City Green Solutions, consolidated resources to help make energy conservation easier and more accessible. The Saanich Official Community Plan goals include engaging the community by increasing climate change awareness and promoting community wide emission reductions.
Through the one-year program implemented by City Green Solutions that ended in June 2009:
- 1,557 homeowners completed first ecoENERGY/ LiveSmart BC home energy assessments
- 43 small businesses received free BC Hydro Product Incentive Program lighting assessments
- 450 people learned about BC Hydro’s Power Smart product rebates
- 1070 people attended informative workshops and
- 58 ‘GreenStart’ consultations were offered to builders and renovators
- A review of the retrofit options for the participating homes and business showed a potential for:
- Energy savings of almost one million kilowatt hours and ninety thousand gigajoules – enough electricity to meet the electrical needs of 65 people and gigajoules to power over 500 BC homes for a year
- $4,268,195 in product rebates and grants that could be drawn into the local economy
- A reduction of 4,953 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions, annually – equivalent to taking 1651 inefficient cars off the road.
“This program was perfect. Without it, I would have never known what a heat pump was,” said one home builder who received a ‘GreenStart’ consultation. “I incorporated green into a new house that I am building by adding a heat pump and energy efficient appliances, windows, doors.”
The program funds expanded the existing Sustainable Saanich program, offering presentations, workshops, customized ‘GreenStart’ consultations for renovators and developers, information tables, brochures and a listserv to inform community members about sustainable, climate action solutions.
“The workshops organized through this program offered a wonderful opportunity for me to connect with other business owners looking for energy efficiency resources,” said Karen Jawl of Jawl Properties, one of the workshop presenters. “People were excited to find out that, with BC Hydro incentives reducing the up-front costs, building energy retrofits are paying for themselves through the energy savings”
Since September 2008, participation in the ecoENERGY/ LiveSmart BC grants for homeowners program increased four times faster in Saanich than the BC average, likely as a result of the promotional activities of the Community Energy Manager Initiative.
“Residents and business owners have shown that they are ready to take action on climate change” said Paula Steele, Communications Director, City Green Solutions – Community Energy Manager for the District of Saanich. “The customized information provided by the grant and incentive programs makes it easy for people to choose the energy savings actions that are best for them.”
While the Community Energy Manager Initiative officially completed in June 2009, residents and businesses in BC are still able to take advantage of support and funding offered through the BC Hydro Residential and Commercial Power Smart programs outlined below:
- For more information on Team Power Smart or the Product Incentive Program, or other BC Hydro Power Smart programs that help residents and businesses save energy:www.bchydro.com
- For more information on the ecoENERGY/ LiveSmart BC grants for homeowners: www.citygreen.ca
- For more information on Sustainable Saanich programming: www.saanich.bc.ca
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For more information on the CEMI, contact:
Paula Steele, City Green Solutions, Community Energy Manager for the District of Saanich
energuide@citygreen.ca 250 381 9995 x107
Mark Boysen, Sustainability Coordinator for the District of Saanich
Mark.Boysen@saanich.ca 250 475 5494 x3466
Ted Olynyk, Community Relations Manager, BC Hydro
ted.olynyk@bchydro.com 604 453 6441
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