How Efficient are UBC's Solutions? |
UBC has been quite good with maintaining their goals to reduce GHG emissions. When analyzing the data, there is a clear downwards trend in GHG emissions usage. With the COVID-19 Pandemic, it is quite plausible that emissions will significantly decrease as well.
EFFICIENCY i)Bioenergy Research Demonstration Facility (BRDF): Construction is currently in progress to reconstruct BRDF. Once the boiler room is operational within the year (2021), BRDF will help eliminate an annual average of 13-15 thousand tonnes of GHG emissions over the life of the project. ii)Diesel Fuel: Increased use of diesel fuel will increase fuel efficiency while converting its heat into energy with a cleaner outcome over gasoline. |
WHat needs to be improved?
PREPAREDNESS i)Reliance on natural gas exposed after Enbridge pipeline explosion: With the campus’ 10% increase in GHG emissions due to the Enbridge pipeline explosion, the increased use of diesel fuel is in the process. The setback is addressed by UBC’s biomass plant and reduced dependency on natural gas while remaining on course to meet long-term GHG reduction targets. ii)Heat/Insulation missteps lead to wasted energy: A new connection from the LDES to the central heating plant reduced natural gas consumption and associated GHG emissions; a low flow pump upgrade improved groundwater use and reduced electricity consumption by aprox. 30,000 kWh annually; and an Aquifier Recharge Pilot Program aims to increase system capacity. |
Our Recommendation
With better reporting and an energy efficient plan, UBC will be closer to reaching GHG reductions in a timely manner. The UBC Sustainability Initiative’s Urban Innovation Research group must continue improving the practice of life cycle assessments (LCA) in order to estimate and inform policy and guidelines through the establishment of emissions of benchmarks while in turn reaching performance targets accordingly. Additionally, emissions data must be fine tuned with the completion of BDRF to keep reducing UBC emissions while aiming at being ahead of schedule.
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