Oak Bay aims to capture and reuse arena heat with a $668,069 grant from the Federal Gas Tax Strategic Priorities program announced today (March 9).
Like the rest of BC, Oak Bay committed in 2007 to reducing GHG emissions by 33 per cent by 2020. This would enable the district to reach the target a year early.
“Oak Bay council and residents are very interested in reducing greenhouse gases and our ecological footprint,” said Mayor Nils Jensen. “This project will support these continued efforts. We are proud to be carbon neutral, but we are committed to doing even more.”
The Oak Bay energy loop project includes installing a heat transfer system to capture waste heat generated by the arena’s refrigeration system, using it to heat other areas of the recreation centre.
“It shows that the federal and provincial governments along with local governments are committed to infrastructure renewal,” Jensen said, adding he district benefits from staff having “shovel ready” projects.
“That’s important in this day and age for grants. We saw it for the Henderson water plan where we got $1.3 million because we were ready with a plan. We saw it in the Uplands where we got nearly half a million.”
Oak Bay was awarded $324,958 for the Uplands Combined Sewer Separation Project and $1,150,172 for the completion of the Henderson Water Main Project last March. The Uplands funding will go toward detailed design work. The Henderson Water Main Project will provide redundancy for the provision of water to Oak Bay.
“Our staff have done a great job of making applications and being in a position when the grans are announced we’re ready to go and put in our applications.”
RELATED: Gas tax funds fuel a greener Commonwealth Place
The project is expected to reduce the facilitates GHG emissions by 154.5 tonnes of CO2 per year, about an 81.3 per cent reduction and 14.2 per cent reduction for Oak Bay as a whole according to the district.
To date the district has lowered emissions by 30.7 per cent.
2011: Going green in Oak Bay
2012: Oak Bay flips the switch
2013: BC Hydro rate increase could cost Oak Bay $1 million
cvanreeuwyk@oakbaynews.com
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