City Green Community Energy Efficiency Outreach Program Successes
Integrated Home Energy Solutions 2015-2016
This project was made possible with a financial contribution from Natural Resources Canada. It was designed, coordinated, and administered by City Green Solutions and implemented in collaboration with the program delivery partners: City of New Westminster, District of Saanich, Township of Langley, and City of Victoria.
Objectives
The objective of the Integrated Home Energy Solutions (IHES) project was to advance innovative, cost-shared, multi-stakeholder home energy efficiency solutions in order to:
- Drive awareness and demand for the EnerGuide Rating System (ERS) and the ENERGY STAR® for New Homes (ESNH) Initiative in Canada,
- Reduce energy consumption in existing homes and new construction by more than 20%,
- Reduce GHG emissions in existing homes and new construction by more than 33%, and
- Have the potential to be implemented as a longer term program that can be replicated in other target markets and jurisdictions.
Program Components
- Training, Education, and Capacity Building
- Innovative Marketing Approaches
- Integrated Contractor Solutions
- Home Energy Coaching
- Validation of Program Energy and GHG Savings and Impact
EnerGuide is an official mark of Natural Resources Canada.
The ENERGY STAR mark is administered and promoted in Canada by Natural Resources Canada and is used with permission
Pre-Rinse Spray Valve Program (2014)
City Green Solutions worked with the City of Vancouver, Fortis BC, and BC Hydro to install over 500 high efficiency spray valves and over 1500 high efficiency aerators in Vancouver food services establishments in the fall of 2014. City Green Business Energy Advisors completed over 450 water and energy savings opportunity checklists to assist business owners in determining how they might lower their water and energy consumption, save money on utility bills, and access incentives and rebates. The Energy Advisors identified over 3000 energy savings opportunities in food services establishments throughout the Metro Vancouver region.
The Pre-Rinse Spray Valve Program resulted in annual savings of over 100 million litres of water, 80 million litres of hot water, and nearly 20 thousand gigajoules of fuel from the spray valves alone. Additionally, faucet aerators saved tens of millions of litres of water and hot water and tens of thousands of gigajoules in fuel annually. This program also resulted in considerable greenhouse gas emissions reductions for Metro Vancouver.
The Pre-Rinse Spray Valve program guaranteed water, energy, and greenhouse gas savings for every business visited. It built goodwill among business owners and managers, and provided a foot in the door to cost-effectively deliver information and advice about energy and water savings opportunities, utility rebate programs, and upcoming City by-laws and regulations. And it made dishwashing staff happy by providing them with better tools to make their jobs easier.
Solar Colwood Outreach Coordinator
City of Colwood (2011-2012)
City Green provided the Solar Colwood program with Outreach Coordination to manage branding, outreach, and promotion for this innovative program which aims to move a whole community toward energy conservation and renewable, clean energy. Supported by a dozen community partners, Solar Colwood provides grants for homeowners and businesses to upgrade to efficient heating and hot water systems, and also promotes water conservation through distributing free energy and water saving kits to residents. (See the Solar Colwood website for more information.)
GreenStart Small Business Program
Capital Regional District (2010-2011)
City Green partnered with the Capital Regional District to develop and deliver this business engagement pilot project, providing energy and sustainability evaluations and customized businesses report with recommendations about enhancing six points of sustainability: energy efficiency, sustainable purchasing, water conservation, transportation, waste reduction and pollution prevention, and staff and community engagement.
Saanich Community Energy Manager Initiative (CEMI)
District of Saanich/BC Hydro (2008-2009)
The goal of the CEMI was to reduce electrical and fossil fuel-based energy consumption (heating oil and natural gas) and related greenhouse gas emissions generated in the operations of community homes and businesses. Activities in CEMI included:
- Development of a Sustainable Energy Management Plan including building energy inventory and monitoring plan and strategic energy management recommendations for residential and business buildings
- Residential and business sector outreach and marketing to increase uptake in provincial and utility rebate programs (including print media, workshops, presentations, direct outreach, municipal outreach, evaluations, social media)
- Surveys and interviews with businesses to identify motivations and challenges with undertaking energy upgrades
- Development
of a marketing analysis and plan for engaging Saanich businesses,
evaluation of different outreach approaches, and surveys and interviews
with businesses to identify motivations and barriers.
Salt Spring Island Low Flow Toilet Rebate Program
Salt Spring Island Council, (2009-2010)
City Green was contracted by Salt Spring Island Council to
develop and implement and evaluate two public engagement and rebate
programs to encourage water and energy conservation. The Energy Rebate
Program and the Low Flow Toilet Rebate Program reached 200 homes and
resulted in significant increased awareness and concrete energy, water
and GHG reductions.
Read more...
LiveSmart-Ucluelet Affordable Housing Program
District of Ucluelet, (2009-2010)
On behalf of the District of Ucluelet, City Green provided program design, implementation, community engagement and program marketing, capacity building for district staff, energy evaluations, energy inventories and financial management/reporting, contractor management and program quality assurance. The program met targets by assisting over 70 affordable housing households complete energy evaluations and home energy upgrades.
Salt Spring Island Time of Sale
Oak Bay Time of Sale
Capital Regional District Time of Sale
