RENEWABLE CITY STRATEGY
2015-2050

1

Imagine a city where jobs and businesses arediverse and economically strong; where homes andoffices have clean and comfortable environments,that are less expensive to heat and cool; where thetransportation system is abundant and efficient;a city that supports a thriving economy while
improving affordability, and provides citizens theopportunity to be healthy and mobile.
Imagine a city powered only by renewable energy.

“Cities around the world must show continued leadershipto meet the urgent challenge of climate change, and themost impactful change we can make is a shift toward 100%of our energy being derived from renewable sources. The
future of Vancouver’s economy and livability will depend on
our ability to confront and adapt to climate change. Moving
toward renewable energy is another way that Vancouver isworking to become the greenest city in the world.”
Mayor Gregor Robertson.

2

RENEWABLE CITYSTRATEGY
A Message from the Mayor

5

Setting the Stage

6

Implementation

8

Goals for a Renewable City

9

Rising to the Challenge

12

Vancouver in 201514

The City’s Role

18

Consultation and Plan Development

21

Fostering Change through Influence and Advocacy

22

The Economic Opportunity

24

Renewable Building Energy Use

26

Overview

27

Reducing Building Energy Demand

32

Increase Building Renewable Energy Use

34

Increase Building Renewable Energy Supply

34

Renewable Transportation

40

Overview

40

Reduce Motorized Transportation Demand48

Increase Use of Renewable Transportation Options

50

Increase Supply of Renewable Transportation Fuels

52

Acknowledgements

58

Glossary60

For more details, visit vancouver.ca/renewablecity for the full Renewable
City Strategy.

3

4

Renewable City Strategy
A Message from the Mayor
Vancouver is inspired to lead the major cities of the Americas, first with a commitment
to derive 100% of our energy from renewable sources, and now with a Renewable City
Strategy to outline how we do that before 2050.
The world is rallying to respond to the accelerating rate of climate change and its devastating
impacts; taking action to dramatically reduce climate pollution is essential to our viable future.
Cities are leading the way and are now joined by governments, businesses andcommunities the world over. In response, energy systems are rapidly shifting and since2012 renewable energy is attracting more capital investment than fossil fuels, signallinga profound economic transformation.
In our commitment to use 100% renewable energy, Vancouver is primed for success. We are building on 25
years of positive action on climate: we are a world leader in the development of complete, compact and livablecommunities, we are economically diverse and strong, and are blessed with abundant renewable electricity.
Vancouver has the opportunity to thrive in a renewably-powered future.
Our Renewable City Strategy focuses on Vancouver’s two biggest users of energy—buildings andtransportation—which accounted for over 90% of our emissions in 2014.
Currently more than half the journeys in Vancouver are made by walking, biking or using transit. Our buildingcode is considered the greenest in North America. Since 1990 our population grew 34% and jobs increased by
30%, but we cut our greenhouse gas emissions by 7%. We have clearly shown that cutting emissions is good forour economy, but with 69% of our current energy coming from fossil fuels, we still have significant work to do.
To become a 100% Renewable City we need to deepen partnerships between all levels of government, utilities,businesses, non-profits, neighbourhoods and the citizens of our local and global communities.
This strategy was developed through extensive consultation with our local community, industry experts, local
and international thought-leaders and by looking to some of the world’s other leading cities.
Our Renewable City Strategy sets the stage for Vancouver to accelerate our success. We are building an
economy that is more diverse and resilient, has inclusive employment opportunities, and which further
establishes Vancouver as a global green capital.
Embracing renewable energy is crucial to restoring our climate and environment, and generates remarkableeconomic opportunities. It’s also about improving quality of life, health and affordability—now and for
future generations.
I look forward to working with you all in the coming months and years to quicken the pace. We must focus ourambition, ingenuity and teamwork to transform Vancouver and all of the world’s cities and communities to100% Renewable. For the good of our world and all who live here.

Mayor Gregor Robertson
5

SETTING THE STAGE
TARGET 1:
Derive 100% of theenergy used in Vancouver
from renewable sources
before 2050
6

TARGET 2:
Reduce greenhousegas emissions by at least
80% below 2007 levels
before 2050

Renewable energy isenergy that IS naturally
replenished as it is used.
Vancouver has what is needed to successfully derive 100% of
its energy from renewable sources before 2050. Vancouver
is building on 25 years of action and success tacklingclimate change. Vancouver is already a world leader in thedevelopment of complete, compact, and livable communities
with greenhouse gas emissions per person amongst the lowest
in the developed world. Serviced by a clean and reliable
electrical system, which also powers much of the city’s transit
system, Vancouver is primed to capitalize on the electrificationof both its buildings and its transportation system.
The technological and business transformation of energy
efficiency, conservation, and management coupled with newrenewable energy generation is set to define the economy of
the future. The Renewable City Strategy positions Vancouver
to further increase its economic diversity for a stronger,
more resilient economy. A healthy environment is essential
to attracting and retaining the very best minds, establishing
Vancouver as an innovation hub with high and inclusive

Implementation
The Renewable City Strategy sets the direction for
Vancouver to achieve its 100% renewable energy
goal. It is not intended to be a detailed roadmap or
technology guide, but instead is a foundation for
more detailed planning and budgeting. Project andtechnology support that result from the Renewable
City Strategy will be assessed to ensure that theroute followed is technically, economically andsocially responsible. The Renewable City Strategy
proposes a viable route to using 100% renewableenergy—it is not the only route to that success.
The City of Vancouver will partner with the business
community, academia, non-profit organizations, schools,
labour unions, neighbourhoods, faith groups, surrounding
municipalities, other levels of government, public agencies,
and the public at large to ensure the success of the Renewable
City Strategy.

employment—positioning Vancouver in the vanguard of long-

The City will ensure that the public is widely engaged andterm economic stability and success.

consulted as the Strategy moves into implementation.

The City of Vancouver can be the catalyst for change throughits own operations, as well as through public pilots anddemonstrations. Ensuring that the city’s neighbourhoods,
communities, buildings, and transportation system embrace
renewable energy will mean a better, healthier quality of life forresidents of Vancouver today and into the future.

Empowering Vancouver’s citizens and communities toparticipate in the energy revolution will be a critical successfactor. Vancouver residents and businesses must be mobilized
to become the agents for, and investors in, the changes thatwill come with a renewable city. Vancouver has the capacity
to be a world-leading innovation hub for renewable energy
and technology. At its heart, a renewable energy strategy

Vancouver has grown a lot since it was founded in 1886 andis not just about energy: it is about quality of life, health,

now uses over 59 million gigajoules (GJ) of energy a year—

affordability, and a strong and sustainable economy forthat’s enough energy to get to the moon and back 6,500

generations to come.

times—and releases 2.8 million tonnes of CO 2 e as a result.
Vancouver’s energy supply is currently 31% renewable, with theremaining fossil fuel portion dominated by natural gas for spaceheat and hot water, and gasoline for personal and light-duty
vehicle use. Vancouver’s energy use and resulting greenhousegas emissions are dominated by buildings and transportation.
These two sectors are the focus of the Renewable City Strategy.

7

HOW VANCOUVER WILL GET TO 100% RENEWABLE ENERGY BY 2050
2014

2050

BUILDINGS AND
TRANSPORTATION

Total Energy Use
59.3 Million GJ

Double the use ofrenewable energy

Total Energy Use
38.3 Million GJ

+12.9

38.3

1% Hydrogen
10% Biomethane
14% Biofuels

+7.1
19.0

15% Neighbourhood
Renewable Energy
Systems+2.9

1% Biofuels-3.4
60% Electricity

30% Electricity-15.1
3% Diesel

0

Eliminate fossil-fuel use
20% Gasoline

-6.8
-33.6
46% Natural Gas

40.3

+15.3
BusinessAs-Usual
GrowthWhere we arenow

8Where we
will be in
2050 if we
do nothing

1. Reduced
EnergyDemand

2. Increased
Renewable
Energy Use

What we will do

3. Increased
Renewable
Energy Supply

Where we will bein 2050

Due to rounding,numbers presented
may not add up
precisely to thetotals provided.

Goals for a
Renewable City
Becoming a Renewable City

City Context

The goal of the Renewable City Strategy is that
Vancouver will become a city that uses only
renewable sources of energy while respecting
the principles of sustainability. The Strategy will
target two major energy consumers: buildings
and transportation. There are many other sourcesof greenhouse gas emissions that the City willcontinue to address in partnership with residents
and businesses.

The City of Vancouver’s mission statement is “tocreate a great city of communities that cares about its
people, its environment, and the opportunities to live,
work, and prosper.” Striving to use 100% renewableenergy provides an opportunity to enhance each ofthese pillars.

Renewable energy technologies are maturing andbecoming cost competitive, with many more newtechnologies are under development or yet to berealized. As long as they meet the definition forrenewable, new innovations will be considered as
the Renewable City Strategy is updated and refined.

•

People: Vancouver is defined by its residents and theirdiversity, ability to adapt, visionary outlook, and desire to be
involved in shaping their city. Becoming a 100% renewable city
provides the opportunity for communities to be more vibrant,
integrated, and considerate of their impacts. The energy
used in daily life through transportation choices, heating andcooling homes, are integral to delivering the communities
Vancouverites want.

••

the opportunity for innovation and the development of new

typically provide electrical power or heating and cooling.

business models, products, and technologies. Local innovation

Electrical needs can be met by both large and small hydrocan be shared internationally, reinforcing Vancouver’s leadershipprojects, solar panels, and wind. Space heat can be met within environmental responsibility.

biomethane, heat pumps, or resistance heating using renewableelectricity or renewable waste streams such as biomethane,
waste wood, and sewer heat, with geoexchange systems able toprovide renewable heating and cooling.
•

Economy: The transition to renewable energy also provides

Buildings: Renewable energy sources for buildings must•

Environment: Evolving to a renewable energy future will
reduce greenhouse gas emissions and lead to better air quality,
a healthier lifestyle, enhanced natural habitat, reduced pollution
risk from fuel leaks and spills, as well as help to prepare forTransportation: Renewable energy sources for transportation

the anticipated impacts of a changing climate such as extreme

include responsibly sourced and processed biofuels, hydrogen

weather events.

from the electrolysis of water using renewable electricity,
biomethane (also called ‘renewable natural gas’ or ‘biogas’), andrenewable electricity.

9Strategic Approachto the Renewable
Energy Transition
Energy efficiency and conservation measures havethe largest long-term impact and are the most costeffective way to move towards using only renewableenergy, while increasing the use of existing
renewable energy resources is more cost effective
than building new.

31% Building Electricity

SOURCES OF ENERGY USEDIN VANCOUVER

1% Natural Gas (Generators)
3% Biomass<1% Solar/Wind
2% Run-of-River Hydro
25% Large Hydro

2014
45% Building Heating(Natural Gas)

31%

RENEWABLE

1. Reduce energy use.
Advance energy conservation and efficiency programs which
are the most cost-effective way to a renewable energy future.
e.g., increase building insulation requirements or improve
bike network

69%

FOSSIL-FUELDERIVED

2. Increase the use of renewable energy.
Switch to renewable forms of energy that are already available,
and make improvements to our existing infrastructure to use it
to its fullest potential.
e.g., switch to an electric vehicle or expand the numberof buildings connected to the Southeast False Creek
Neighbourhood Energy Utility
3. Increase the supply of renewable energy.
Increase the supply of renewable energy and build newrenewable energy infrastructure.
e.g., increase the amount of rooftop solar power generationor supply more biofuels for transportation
10

24% Transportation
19% Gasoline
3% Diesel
1% Biofuels

Renewable City:
A Strategy in Context

Regional Planning
The City of Vancouver cannot act in isolation when transitioning tousing 100% renewable energy. Metro Vancouver’s most important
strategies to respond to regional growth and support the use ofrenewable energy are the Regional Growth Strategy, the Integrated

Strategic City Plans
The Renewable City Strategy is the natural continuation of
the Greenest City 2020 Action Plan that establishes the City’s

Air Quality & Greenhouse Gas Management Plan, and theIntegrated Solid Waste & Resource Recovery Management Plan.

environmental targets to 2020, and compliments the City’s

Provincial Policy

existing approach to the three pillars of sustainability: social

The Provincial Government of BC has a number of plans that

(Healthy City Strategy), economic, (Vancouver Economic Action

support the development of 100% renewable energy resources.

Strategy) and environmental (Greenest City 2020 Action Plan).

These include the BC Climate Action Plan (successor underdevelopment), BC Energy Plan, BC Bioenergy Strategy, andthe BC Air Action Plan. The City of Vancouver encourages the

ENVIRONMENTAL

Provincial Government to continue with these commitments,

Greenest City 2020
Action Plan

devote additional resources to the transition, and accelerate thepace of change.
Federal Policy

SOCIAL
Healthy City
Strategy

RENEWABLECITY
STRATEGY

The Federal Government’s most relevant policies related to
ECONOMIC

renewable energy are currently limited to infrastructure planning

Vancouver
Economic
ActionStrategy

and funding. There is need for more explicit federal policies
and programs to support renewable energy, energy efficiency
improvements, and the pricing of carbon pollution.
For a complete list of related plans, visit vancouver.ca/renewablecity
for the full Renewable City Strategy.

Renewables and Equity
The consequences of inaction to reduce fossil fuel use, such as
climate change, poor air quality and detrimental health impacts,
can be avoided through the adoption of renewable energy,
while increasing social equity. Buildings that use less energymeans lower energy bills for renters and owners alike. A movetowards electrification and the use of renewables to produce thatelectricity, with BC’s regulated utilities, provides more certainty
in long-term energy costs compared to the variability of fossil
fuel prices. Renewable energy technologies, such as solar panels,
also allow residents or neighbourhoods to produce their own
electricity, and sell any excess they don’t use. Communities thatprioritize active transportation and that are well served by transit
can improve affordability by reducing the need for residents tomaintain and buy fuel for personal vehicles, increase access tojobs and economic opportunity, as well as increase health throughgreater physical activity.
11

Rising to the challenge
The Consequences of Continuing to Use
Fossil Fuels

The Time to Act Is Now

The effects of climate change are already being felt. 2014 was thethat climate change must be addressed quickly and effectively

hottest year on record. Burning fossil fuels worsens air quality,

in order to avoid devastating social and economic upheaval

directly impacts human health, accelerates the loss of natural

worldwide. In April 2015, more than 40 CEOs from some of thehabitats, and affects agricultural production, among other things.

world’s largest companies, representing 20 economic sectors and

The release of carbon dioxide through fossil fuel use is affecting

operations in more than 150 countries, called for bold action on

Vancouver and its surroundings through sea level rise, more frequentclimate while committing to reduce their own corporate emissions.

and more severe heat waves, increased frequency and severity of

In May 2015, Pope Francis released his encyclical that warned there

storms, increased winter rainfall, summer droughts, and less snow.

would be serious consequences for all of humanity if we fail to

These changes will continue to worsen in the foreseeable future.

take action on climate change. The world conversation on climate

There is a need to not only take action to prevent this (climatechange is wholly focused on action. The Renewable City Strategy

mitigation), but also prepare for it (climate adaptation).

is an affirmation of Vancouver’s commitment to continue to take

There is consensus among world leaders, scientists, and businesses

action now and into the future.

Population and Urban Growth

United Nations Climate Conference 2015

The world’s population continues to increase, with most of that

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

growth taking place in urban environments. Cities are the engines of(UNFCCC) will hold its 21st Conference of the Parties (COP21) in

the global economy and are responsible for about 70% of the world’s

Paris in December 2015. The objective of COP21 is to establish agreenhouse gas emissions. The benefits that fossil fuels have brought

legally binding universal agreement on climate action, with theover the past 100 years can no longer be relied upon to continue

intent to limit world greenhouse gas emissions to hold the increase

into the future—in fact, to continue to improve the standard of livingin global average temperature below two degrees celsius—thefor everyone in Vancouver, the city must transform so that it derives

generally accepted limit to avoid irreparable ecosystem damage.

100% of its energy from renewable sources.

In 1997, 35 countries, producing 14% of global emissions, signed
the Kyoto Agreement, the first and now expired global climateagreement. Today, 149 countries, accounting for 90% of current
global emissions, have submitted commitments to the UNFCCC.
The world is moving to take action.
Action from the World’s Big Carbon Emitters
The world’s two biggest economies, China and the United States,
were responsible for over 38% of global greenhouse gas emissions
in 2010. In November 2014, China and the US signed a joint
announcement on climate change and clean energy cooperationthat committed the US to cut its emissions by 26 to 28% below 2005
levels by 2025 and mandated China’s greenhouse gas emissions topeak in 2030. With the world’s largest economies supporting climate
action and clean energy, the stage is set for changes in how the world
derives its energy.

12Local Government Leadership on
Climate Action

Change Is Inevitable

Urban areas are home to the majority of the world’s population

postpone action and play catch-up at a later date, or continue toand are on the front line of climate change impacts. Cities andtake advantage of emerging social and economic opportunities.

their mayors are leading the changes needed to avert the worst

The transition is not about austerity or making sacrifices; it is about

effects of climate change. Some are acting in the absence ofgrowing a city that better meets our needs. A renewable future will

national leadership and are primed to make even more progressenrich society with new opportunities in many areas of our lives, andwith better harmonized national policy. In 2014, the United

our children will look back and ask, “What took you so long?”

The world is moving away from fossil fuels, and Vancouver can either

Nations launched the Compact of Mayors, a global initiative for
cities to commit to action on climate change and report theirprogress. As of October 2015, the Compact of Mayors had 197
members from 53 countries, including Vancouver.

Pricing Carbon Pollution
Carbon pollution has social costs that are not reflected in the priceof fossel fuels: ‘externalities,’ as they are called by economists,that include human health impacts, sea level rise, lost agricultural
productivity, and habitat loss. To illuminate and mitigate thefull impacts of burning fossil fuels, it is important to price thoseexternalities. That price may take the form of a tax on those who emit
the carbon, like there is in BC, or it may take the form of a cap-andtrade system in which carbon emissions become a commodity likeany other, and that can be traded. Programs like this exist in Ontario,
Quebec, California, and Europe.

Fossil Fuel Divestment and Renewable
Energy Investment
The movement by pension funds, private equity, academia, and somegovernments to withdraw investments in companies that extract
fossil fuels is one of the fastest divestment movements in history.
Some are removing finance from fossil fuel extraction companies
on moral grounds, while for others it is seen as the prudent longterm investment decision. Investment in renewable energy projects(excluding large hydro) jumped by nearly 17% in 2014 compared to2013; 2014 also saw an all-time high in the capacity of wind and solar
power installations: 20% higher than in 2013.

13

Vancouver in 2015
Vancouver, known for its mild coastal climate and mountain views, is thelargest city in British Columbia and the eighth-largest city in Canada.
Vancouver has an ethnically and linguistically diverse community: half its
residents speak a first language other than English, and its economy is thesecond most diversified in Canada. At the time of first European contact in thelate 18th century, the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh peoples lived
in the area that is now Vancouver. All are Coast Salish First Nations, sharing
cultural and language traits with people in the Fraser Valley and Northern
Washington State, and the City of Vancouver acknowledges their unceded
traditional territories.

Photo by Steve Chou
14

City Profile

Business Profile

In 2011 there were over 605,000 people in the city’s 115 sq. km

Vancouver’s business and industrial foundation is made up of small

area. The city is made up of large areas of residential property,

and medium enterprises. Over 90% of Vancouver businesses have

many commercial buildings, and a growing number of mixed-

fewer than 50 employees, and over 70% have 10 employees or

use buildings. Vancouver is the regional center for economic andfewer. This gives the economy strength through diversity, and witheducational activity. As such, close to 400,000 additional people

so many individual stakeholders, cooperation and participation

travel to or through the city each day. Vancouver has only three

from the whole business community are key.

large industrial facilities, a handful of medium-sized industries, anda myriad of light-industrial and small and medium enterprises.

Metro Vancouver

Vancouver’s Brand
Vancouver’s brand, valued at US$31 billion in 2015 when measured
by investment, reputation, and performance, has shown that

The City of Vancouver is part of Metro Vancouver, a region madesustainability is integral to Vancouver’s success. Vancouver is

up of 21 municipalities, one treaty First Nation and one electoral

recognized globally for its reputation in sustainability, green

area, which together have an area of nearly 2,900 sq. km and intechnology, and environmental protection. This brand encourages

2011 a population of 2.5 million people.

businesses to move and invest here, attracts talented workers,
encourages outstanding students and researchers to study here,

Population and Job Increases

and underpins our long-term economic stability.

In the past 25 years, Vancouver’s population has grown by 34%,
with jobs increasing by 30%. Over the same time, Vancouver’s
carbon emissions saw a net reduction of 7% and are expected
to keep falling, showing that the city can continue to grow andbe economically strong while removing the burden of carbon
pollution. Over the next 35 years, the city’s population is expected
to grow by about 30%—that’s another 170,000 people—adding
32% more jobs.

15

Housing Cost
The cost of housing in Vancouver is high. To ensure that residents
stay here, that the best possible people are enticed to work
here, and to maintain diversity, it is important to ensure housing
is affordable for all income levels. A move to more efficient,
renewably powered homes and improved transit provides theopportunity to better meet these needs.

TransitVancouver’s transit system is one of the busiest in North America,
and in some areas demand exceeds capacity. Persistent funding
shortfalls limit the system’s ability improve service, and finding
ways to secure reliable and predictable transit funding is integral
to achieving our 100% renewable energy goals.

Decreasing Energy Demand
Through energy efficiency and conservation measures,
Vancouver’s energy use has been decreasing by about 0.8% a year
since 2007. This reduction must accelerate so that energy demandreaches a level that can be supplied by renewable sources.

16Low-Cost Natural Gas

Port Metro Vancouver

Just a decade ago, natural gas prices were double what they are

Port Metro Vancouver is Canada’s largest port, shipping goods

today and were rising. Limited supplies meant that natural gas

valued at over $500 million a day. Port Metro Vancouver acts

could command a price premium. The discovery in North America

as Canada’s primary gateway to Asia-Pacific economies andof large quantities of shale gas has now caused the price to crash,

anticipates a 70% increase in container volumes by 2030 for theand this low cost is expected to remain for years to come. What

two terminals it operates in Vancouver, with significant growth also

is not included in this price are the health and environmental

expected in bulk shipping of agricultural products like grain.

damages caused by climate impacts from burning large amountsof natural gas.

Transportation Fuel Supply and Prices
Much of Vancouver’s transportation fuel comes from within
Canada, but its price is still affected by world trends. Gasoline anddiesel prices have risen over the past decade and in the mediumto-long term are expected to continue in the same direction.
These prices are volatile, making it difficult for people to plan theirspending on fuel.

Renewable Electricity
Vancouver is fortunate to have electrical power which comes
mostly from large hydroelectric dams, with small amounts ofsmall-hydro generation, wind, biomass, and natural gas. As thesole electrical utility supplying Vancouver, BC Hydro is mandated
to produce as much power as BC needs from facilities within theprovince and is regulated to do so with 93% of the total generation
met by clean sources.

British Columbia’s Carbon Tax
The Province of BC levies a carbon tax of $30 per metric tonneof carbon dioxide on about 70% of BC greenhouse gas emission
sources, including the most common fuels like gasoline, diesel,
propane, and natural gas. The tax, launched in 2008, is revenue

Infrastructure

neutral, having been balanced by reductions in personal income

Vancouver’s infrastructure is in good condition compared to manyand corporation tax rates. Provisions are made to reduce the tax

cities worldwide. This infrastructure allows the city to operatecollected from low-income families and those in northern BC thatsmoothly and effectively; however, maintaining our infrastructure

have greater heating needs.

is critical. In some cases, no reasonable amount of investment
can keep pace with demand. The road space in Vancouver, forexample, is at its maximum and we must learn how to use our road
space differently when creating a vibrant urban landscape.

17

The City’s Role
Direct Control: City Regulatory Powers
The City of Vancouver has control over municipal
infrastructure (active transportation infrastructure,roads, parking, sewers, water distribution, etc.).
The City can guide development and urban design
through land use and zoning/rezoning policies
and guidelines. The City can also regulate building
standards and ensures building safety. The City has
the necessary powers to establish energy utilities,
and has done so in the Southeast False Creek
Neighbourhood Energy Utility. However, at the
moment in Vancouver there is only one electricaland one natural gas utility to serve the city; bothare regulated by the BC Utilities Commission,
which is under Provincial oversight.

18

Partial Control: Transportation
While the City of Vancouver has little control over vehicle choice,it has a strong influence on travel behaviour through land use andtransportation planning, including signal operation, how streets aredesigned and space allocated, and where services and amenities
are located. Public transportation infrastructure, including bridges
and the Major Roads Network, is the shared responsibility of theCity and TransLink, the local transit authority.
TransLink is required to provide a regional transportation
system that supports Metro Vancouver’s Regional Growth
Strategy, air quality and greenhouse gas reduction objectives,
and the economic development of the region. Vehicle fuelefficiency and pollution standards for new vehicles are set by
the Federal Government.

Partial Control: Waste
Vancouver is part of a regional waste system managed by Metro
Vancouver, under Provincial oversight that combines private andpublic haulage and disposal. Residential waste collection anddisposal in Vancouver is managed in part by the City throughits own collections and the Vancouver Landfill in Delta, withprivate haulers playing an important role in waste collection andultimate disposal.

Limited Direct Control: Provincial andFederal Lands
Large transportation infrastructure like rail lines and the containerand shipping facilities at Port Metro Vancouver are under federal
jurisdiction. There are some First Nations Reserves within the city’sboundaries, over which the City has no direct control but does
have service agreements with. For all lands subject to Provincial orFederal jurisdiction, the City will advocate for action to support theuse of renewable energy.

19

STRATEGY Scope
Geographic Scope: The geographic scope of theRenewable City Strategy covers the area within the City
limits, and any facilities owned or operated by the City of
Vancouver outside those limits.
Emissions Scope: The Renewable City Strategy will
track emissions in accordance with the most stringent
international reporting standards (currently the
Global Protocol for Community-Scale Greenhouse Gas
Emission Inventories).
Almost all aspects of our daily lives require someform of fossil fuel-derived energy, which generates
carbon pollution: energy to heat our homes andworkplaces, energy to produce the food and products
we consume, and fuel to transport people and goods.
Much of this energy produces carbon dioxide—the most significant greenhouse gas because it isreleased in such large quantities.
The Renewable City Strategy’s target, to reduce emissions
by 80%, ensures that a focus on renewable energy
sources does not overlook greenhouse gas emission
reductions. The Strategy’s dual targets ensure that thecity’s waste management system, responsible for about
8% of Vancouver’s community emissions in 2014, is truly
integrated into our energy system.
The Renewable City Strategy focuses on actions that canbe taken to reduce emissions from the direct use of energy,
like burning gasoline in cars or using natural gas to heatbuildings; the City will also continue to support reductions
in energy use that results from consumption like the energy
used to produce food or make the products we buy.
For more details on the scope of the Renewable
City Strategy, visit vancouver.ca/renewablecity forthe full Strategy.

20Consultation
and Plan
Development
The Renewable City Strategy is based upon bestpractices from around the world as well as local
expertise and public input. Key inputs include:“Between 2010 and 2014$31 billion was invested
in Canadian renewableelectricity projects.”- Clean Energy Canada, 2015

• The Renewable City Action Team, made up of representatives
from environmental and civil society non-profit organizations,academia, regional and provincial government, the business
community, and local utilities. (see page 58)• International thought leaders and peer organizations such as theCity of Stockholm’s Roadmap for a Fossil Fuel–Free Stockholm
2050 and the City of Copenhagen’s CPH 2025 Climate Plan.
• Members of the Carbon Neutral Cities Alliance (an organizationthat comprises the world’s 17 leading cities taking action on
climate change), who reviewed and provided feedback on initial
drafts of the Strategy.
• Delegates from international organizations in attendance at the
Renewable Cities Global Learning Forum held in May 2015.
• In 2015, the City held the Bright Green Summer, a series of
events and engagements. Outreach included public presence
at Pacific National Exhibition showground, Doors OpenVancouver, Pop-up City Hall, downtown block parties, andVancouver Public Library summer reading events; a microconference; and a survey through the City’s Talk Vancouver
platform, which collected feedback on renewables from 850
people, 76% of whom supported the direction the City is taking
in its climate action work.
• The City also retained a world-leading energy system
consultancy to investigate and analyze the technological,
financial and behavioural feasibility of adopting renewableenergy technologies.

Photo by Limes Lemons21Fostering Change throughInfluence and Advocacy
By actively pursuing renewable energy in all areas
where the City exercises some control, and throughadvocacy and partnership with agencies in the areas
where the City has little or no control, the City of
Vancouver will create an environment that fosters
inclusiveness and innovation.

CONTROLPARTNERSHIP- STATIONARY ENERGY -- TRANSPORTATION (ON-ROAD) -Building Standards and Land Use

Public Infrastructure(Major Roads Network and Bridges)

Civic and City Buildings- WASTE -- WASTE -To achieve a 100% renewably powered future, the City of
Vancouver will have to further build on its already strong- TRANSPORTATION (ON-ROAD) -organizational capacity, not only for the City’s own operations

Road Network and Traffic Planning

but to lead and guide the wider public and business
communities. There is also the need to ensure that renewable,- ALL -and that people have what they need to implement them.

ADVOCACY

The City can educate and empower people and businesses todirectly engage in energy production and conservation, whileitself leading both locally and internationally.

from the Clouds of Change reports in 1990 to the Community
Climate Change Action Plan in 2005 and the Greenest City

For More Information:
Visit vancouver.ca or call: 3-1-1

3-1-1

TTY: 7-1-1 / Outside Vancouver: 604.873.7000

100%© CITY OF VANCOUVER 201522

15-229Vehicle Efficiency and
Pollution Standards

First Nations Land

- TRANSPORTATION (NON-ROAD) -- ALL -

Railways, Aviation,
Waterborne Navigation

Public Engagement
GREENEST CITY 2020 ACTION PLAN | PART TWO: 2015-2020

and non-profit organizations.

- TRANSPORTATION (ALL) -Carbon Pricing

2020 Action Plan in 2011, and now the Renewable City Strategy.

utilities, the development community, academic institutions,- STATIONARY ENERGY -Power Generation and Distribution
Energy Efficiency Funding

Vancouver has a long history of supporting climate action,businesses, and governments, as well as partnerships with local- ALL -

Capital/Operational Grants
and Leases(Non-Profit Organizations)

Pilot and Demonstration Programs

clean, green, and emergent technologies are readily available

These plans were built with strong support from the public,

Haulage and Disposal

Vancouver Landfill
Biomethane Gas Capture2020 ACTION PLAN
PART TWO: 2015-2020

23

The Economic Opportunity
Economic Opportunity Priorities
E.1

Support innovators through business andtechnology research, incubation, acceleration,and demonstration

E.2 Actively work with businesses to increase
the use of renewable energy

24

E.3 Target key events and organizations that
represent clean tech and renewable energy
to strengthen Vancouver’s economy
E.4 Attract ‘green capital’ and enable moreinnovative financing mechanisms for clean
and renewable businesses

Imagine a city wherejobs and businesses arediverse and economicallystrong, where businesses
both big and small invest
in the city, and wherebusinesses thrive using
only renewable energy.

Overview
Vancouver has long been a place of innovation, home to worldchanging ideas and businesses. The extent to which Vancouver
remains competitive and resilient and generates opportunity forour citizens will be defined by our efforts to reduce and adapt toclimate change, as well as our efforts to future-proof our economy.
As a city, we must continue to build a resilient economy, onethat can avoid the boom and bust cycles that are amplified when
economies hang their success on just a handful of industries.
Investment now in a renewably powered economy is an investment

Quick StartS
Underway Now: Expand and accelerate theGreen & Digital Demonstration Program
The Vancouver Economic Commission’s
Green and Digital Demonstration Program,which leverages City assets and infrastructure
to pilot, demonstrate, and accelerate thecommercialization of clean tech and digital
innovations, has raised the profile of emerging
businesses and fast-tracked their growth. As
this program develops further, the Vancouver
Economic Commission will emphasize clean
energy pilots and demonstrations to ensurethat Vancouver entrepreneurs know thebusiness environment is ready for clean energy
technologies and the digital technologies that
support them.
Business Emissions Quick Start: Use the
Vancouver Business Energy and Emissions
Profile to develop a targeted business energy
use reduction and fuel-switching strategy
The Vancouver Business Energy and Emissions
Profile provides data on energy cost drivers
for different business types within the city, andprovides a window into where strategies to takeaction could be most effective in both cost andenergy use reduction.

with lasting returns.
Within the next fifteen years, global investment in clean energy
is expected to constitute almost three quarters of total global
energy investment; in fact, Canada already has more jobs inclean energy than in oil and gas. Renewable energy technologies
like wind and solar generation and home battery storage are
rapidly dropping in price at both the industrial and home scales.
This is creating new business models where individuals andneighbourhoods are no longer passive consumers, but are
actively producing, using, and selling their products and services,
including the energy they generate.

25

RENEWABLE Building
Energy Use
Imagine a city where homes and offices have clean andcomfortable environments that are less expensive to heatand cool, and use only renewable sources of energy.

26

Overview

Vancouver has an active property development market

When taken together, residential, commercial, industrial, andabout 40% of total floor space in Vancouver will have been built

institutional buildings are the largest single source of emissions inafter 2020 and be carbon neutral or zero-emission; about 30%

Vancouver, constituting 56% of the city’s total in 2014. The City ofof the floor space will have been built to current or upcoming

Vancouver is tackling building energy use according to where itbuilding standards, while the remaining 30% will have been built

can have the largest carbon reduction impact—primarily in spaceprior to 2010. The implication is that a large portion of the floor

heating and hot water.

space in Vancouver will be new zero-emission buildings, while

compared to many cities. If historical trends continue, by 2050

the portion remaining will have undergone a retrofit to bringthem up to a similar standard.

BUILDING ENERGY USED IN VANCOUVER
2014
4% Lighting
7% Appliances<1% Air Conditioning
6% Other Plug Loads
2% Space Heating (Electric)
3% Water Heating (Electric)
9% Water Heating (Natural Gas)
19% Space Heating (Natural Gas)50%

AGE OF VANCOUVER FLOOR SPACE BY 2050

30%

30%

40%

Prior to 2010

Current/UpcomingStandards

Zero Emission or Carbon Neutral
New Building(built after 2020)

RESIDENTIAL

50%COMMERCIAL
INDUSTRIAL
INSTITUTIONAL

Of the total building floor area in 2050 about 10% might use
baseboards and about 20% will be serviced by neighbourhood
renewable energy systems. The remaining portion will have heatand hot water provided through heat-pump technologies, with thesystem design determined by site and building specifics.
City-wide building energy demand could be reduced by about

5% Lighting
14% Equipment and Plug Loads
11% Space Heating/Cooling (Electric)<1% Water Heating (Electric)
3% Water Heating (Natural Gas)
13% Space Heating (Natural Gas)
3% Process Heat (Natural Gas)

one-third over 2014 levels by adopting zero-emission buildings,
requiring buildings that undergo retrofit to attain a similar levelof performance, and connecting buildings to neighbourhood
renewable energy systems. Of that energy demand in 2050, about
70% can be met through renewable electricity (both on-site andgrid supplied) which constitutes about a 15% increase in building
related electrical demand compared to today; about 10% ofbuilding engery needs will be met through biomethane and 20%
through neighbourhood renewable energy systems.

27

The need to charge electric vehicles will represent a ‘new’

Biomethane is currently a limited resource, and is likely toelectrical demand for buildings, but the scale of the increase

remain so as demand increases. With its high energy content

will be relatively small: only about 5% of total city-wide building

and ease of transport, it is particularly useful as a vehicle

energy demand. This estimate may at first seem low, but given

fuel, especially in the commercial freight sector. Whilethat a full battery charge currently allows a vehicle to travel

some buildings will have their heating needs met throughabout 150km, and typical daily commutes are only 10-30km, thebiomethane, this is not the best long-term use for it. However,energy needed to fully recharge the battery each day is small.

in the short-to-medium term, biomethane provides a ready

The most significant energy savings in industrial, commercial
and institutional buildings can be expected from their heating

opportunity to decarbonize space heat and hot water inbuildings that currently use natural gas.

and cooling systems that will, in aggregate by 2050, use

For more details, visit vancouver.ca/renewablecity for the full

about half the energy than they did in 2014. Non-residential

Renewable City Strategy.

connections to neighbourhood renewable energy systems
will displace significant amounts of space heat and hot waterneeds that would otherwise need to be met through the useof biomethane. Direct biomethane use is expected to accountfor about 10% of industrial energy use, while neighbourhood
renewable energy systems may also use biomethane to produce
heat. In total, industrial, institutional and commercial buildings,
systems and equipment improvements can be expected to cut
city-wide energy use for the sector by about 35%.

28

BUILDING ENERGY USE IN VANCOUVER

25

RESIDENTIAL

City-Wide Residential Building Energy Use

12% Other Plug
Loads

20

<1% Air
Conditioning
13% Appliances
8% Lighting

15

6% Electricity(Water Heating)

4% Electricity(Space Heating)

6% Neighbourhood Renewable
Energy Systems

18% Natural Gas

36% Other Plug Loads(Water Heating)10
1% Air Conditioning
18% Appliances

38% Natural Gas(Space Heating)

2% Lighting

519% Electricity (Space Heating)
19% Electricity (Water Heating)
0% Natural Gas(Water/Space Heating)

0

2014

2050

Total Energy Use
22.6 Million GJ

Total Energy Use
13.9 Million GJ

Due to rounding, numberspresented may not add up
precisely to the totals
provided.

BUILDING ENERGY USE IN VANCOUVER

25

COMMERCIAL, INSTITUTIONAL, INDUSTRIAL
28% Plug Loads
and Equipment

20

10% Lighting

Energy Use

15

1% Electricity(Water Heating)

11% Biomethane
23% Electricity(Space Heating,
Ventilation, Air
Conditioning)

16% Neighbourhood Renewable
Energy Systems

10
46% Plug Loads andEquipment

5% Natural Gas(Water Heating)

26% Natural Gas

5

10% Lighting(Space Heating)

3% Electricity (Water Heating)
14% Electricity(Space Heating, Ventilation, Air
Conditioning)

6% Natural Gas(Process Heat)

0% Natural Gas(Water/Space/Process Heating)

0

2014

2050

Total Energy Use
22.5 Million GJ

Total Energy Use
14.4 Million GJ

Due to rounding, numberspresented may not add up
precisely to the totals
provided.

29

Zero-Emission Building Priorities
B.1 New buildings to be zero-emission by 2030
B.1.1 Adopt and demonstrate zero-emission standards in new Cityof Vancouver building construction
B.1.2 Ensure rezoning policy leads the transition
to zero-emission buildings
B.1.3 Incentivize and streamline the developmentof exemplary buildings
B.1.4 Establish and enforce specific greenhouse gas intensity
limits for new developments
B.1.5 Develop innovative financing tools to help fund new zeroemission buildings
B.1.6 Establish partnerships to build industry capacity
B.1.7 Mandate building energy benchmarking andlabelling requirements

B.2 Retrofit existing buildings to perform likenew construction
In 2014, Vancouver City Council approved the Building Retrofit
Strategy that is now being implemented and enhanced.
B.2.1 Use the Zero-Emission New Building Strategy to reduce
the need for building retrofits
B.2.2 Mandate energy efficiency improvements forexisting buildings
B.2.3 Provide flexibility to achieve energy efficiency requirements
through the support of on-site generation or neighbourhood
renewable energy system connection
B.2.4 Facilitate modest retrofits through incentives and financial
support mechanisms
B.2.5 Increase renewable energy use by large energy consumers

B.3 Expand existing and develop new neighbourhood
renewable energy systems
In 2012, Vancouver City Council approved the Neighbourhood
Energy Strategy and Energy Centre Guidelines that are now being
used to guide the development of neighbourhood renewableenergy systems in the city.
B.3.1 Expand existing neighbourhood renewable energy systems
B.3.2 Enable the conversion of the Downtown and Hospital steam
systems from natural gas to renewable energy
B.3.3 Enable the development of new neighbourhood renewableenergy systems for Downtown and the Cambie corridor
B.3.4 Continue to enforce and update as required, building
and renewable energy supply policies that support
neighbourhood renewable energy systems

B.4 Ensure grid supplied electricity is 100% renewable
B.4.1 Partner with utilities to increase the supply of
renewable energy
B.4.2 Partner with utilities to implement a smart grid that meets
Vancouver’s energy needs

30Renewable Energy
Renewable
for Energy
Buildings andOptionsfor
Buildings andOptions
Neighbourhoods
Neighbourhoods
Solar
Energy: Solar systems take the energy in sunlight to makeeitherelectricity(PV)or heat A(thermal).
Photovoltaic(PV)
Systems:
residential solar energy system
uses solar modules,
made upof photovoltaic
to system
harvestuses
Photovoltaic(PV) Systems:
A residential
solar cells,
energythe modules,
sun’s energy
andup
convertit to electricity.
solar
made
of photovoltaic(PV) cells, to harvest thesun’senergyand convert
it toelectricity.
Hot Water
Systems:Solar
thermal collectors circulate a
Solar
fluidHotwhich
is heatedby thesun’sradiant
energy. circulate
The heated
Water
Systems:Solar
thermalcollectors
a fluidSolar
fluid iscanthen provide
space
heating,although
it is morewhichheatedby the sun’sradiant
energy.
The heatedfluid cancommontospaceuse these
systemsfor hotwater.
thenprovideheating,although
it ismore common to use
thesesystemsfor hotwater. can produce enough energy toWind:
Small windturbines
partiallymeettheelectricity
of enougha home. energy to partially
Wind:
Small
wind
turbines
can needs
producemeetelectricity
needs of a home.
Pumps
and Geoexchange:
Heat pumps can take heat
Heatthefromthe airandor groundand useHeat
it to pumps
providearespace
heatthator canPumps
Geoexchange:
devicesHeathotwater.
Geoexchangesystems,sometimes
also
calledtake heat from the air or ground and use it to provide space heat or
geothermalheat pumpssystems,
or ground-source
pumps,
usehotwater. Geoexchange
sometime heatalso called
geothermal
thepumps
heatingororground-source
cooling properties
the groundthat
makeoraheat
heat ofpumps,
use theheatingbasement
warmerofinthe
theground
winter thatand makecoolerain
the summer
to incooling
properties
basement
warmerheat
or coolbuilding
as required.
thewinterandacooler
in thesummer to heat or cool a building as
required.
Neighbourhood Renewable Energy Systems: InneighbourhoodRenewable
renewableEnergy
energySystems:
systems, Ina neighbourhood
Neighbourhoodneighbourhood
energycentregenerates
heat
that
is
piped
to
local buildings
renewable energy systems, a neighbourhood energy
centrefor spaceheat
heat,
hotiswater,in somecases,forcooling.
This hotgeneratesthat
pipedand,to localbuildings
space heat,eliminates
needfor eachindividual
building tohave
itsforwater,
and, inthe
somecases,
cooling.
This eliminatestheneedownindividual
boiler, hotwater heating,in somecases
coolingeachbuilding
to have andits ownboiler,hot water
heating,equipment,
and iscoolingmore efficient.
andin some cases
equipment, and is more efficient.
Waste
EnergyResource:
Some
waste
streams,
such
Waste
asas
anan
EnergyResource:
Some
waste
streams,such
as
as wood
foodandscrapscan beused
to generateenergy.
wood,
foodandscrapssewage,canbe usedto generateenergy.
Anaerobic
digestersproduce
producebiomethane
biomethanefrom
fromfood
foodscraps
scrapsandAnaerobic
digesters
and woodclean wood
combustion
systems
produceLiquidclean
combustion
systems
produceheat. heat.
Liquidwaste canwaste
can also
provide asource
renewable
sourceTheof energy.
The City
also
providea renewableof energy.
City alreadyusesalreadyuses
sewageheat
recoveryin
itsSoutheast
False
Creek
sewage heat recovery in its Southeast False Creek Neighbourhood
Neighbourhood
Energy heat
Utility
to hotprovideheat
and hot water
EnergyUtility to provide
and
water
to buildings
in andto buildings
in and village.
around the Olympic Village. Non-renewablearoundthe Olympic
materials and mixed solid waste streams will continue to be
actively managed for the most responsible outcomes, but they
will not be considered as inputs to the long-term renewableenergy system of our future.

31

Building Envelope: The building envelope is the
fabric of the building: its walls, roof, windows,
doors, etc. The envelope keeps weather out
and manages heat and airflow, maintaining a
comfortable internal environment. Advancesin both materials and building design arecontributing to the development of new
windows, insulation, and roofing that cansignificantly reduce heat loss, as can designchanges that limit energy-inefficient features
such as expansive windows.
Building Systems: Building systems include
heating, ventilation, air conditioning systems,
and hot water equipment. Building electricalsystems support appliances and devices that use
electricity, like TVs, smartphones, and computers(known as plug loads). Some buildings also havemore specialist systems like elevators, loading
equipment, and server rooms. Home energy
storage (batteries) will become an importantcomponent of future building systems.

Reducing Building
Energy Demand
New Building Envelope Performance

Reducing building heating
demands is the foundationto achieving the City’s 100%
renewable energy target.
Once constructed, building envelopes last a long time before
they need significant updates or retrofitting. While lighting
and appliances can reasonably be expected to change every
10 years or so, buildings do not have their windows changed orwalls re-insulated nearly as often. Ensuring that buildings meetzero-emission standards from the time they are built is themost effective way to ensure that buildings use as little energy
as possible.
A zero-emission building, one that emits no greenhouse gases
from the energy it uses, is only viable if it is very energy efficient.
With energy use substantially reduced, a zero-emission building
can meet its energy needs through either on-site generationor connection to an off-site renewable energy source like aneighbourhood renewable energy system or the electrical grid.
Electrical power in BC is regulated to be 93% clean or renewable(and in recent years has been as much as 97% to 98% clean);however, using electricity for space heat and hot water isexpensive when compared to natural gas, which has halved inprice over the last five years. Ultra energy-efficient buildings afford
owners and occupants much lower electrical bills, avoid fossil fuelbills altogether, and do not overly burden the electrical grid. The
use of electrical (resistance) heat only makes sense when buildings
meet ultra-efficient standards, and in most circumstances, heatpumps provide a better alternative to resistance heat.
As new and retrofitted buildings start to incorporate more
effective energy conservation principles—such as solar shading
and solar orientation considerations—and the ability to generate
their own power, the urban landscape will change. Building andneighbourhood design has never been static, and new designs
will have to manage aesthetic appeal while incorporating designprinciples that support reduced energy use and increased energy
generation, allowing buildings and neighbourhoods to cope betterwith a changing environment.

32Building Envelope Performance Retrofits
Buildings not originally built to zero-emission standards will
undergo some form of retrofit before 2050. Retrofits are likely to

Quick Start

take place for one of two reasons:
1. Part of the building has reached the end of its useful life
(such as the lighting, the heating system, or the roof).
2. The building owner feels that the building is in need of an
update to be more appealing to buy or rent, reduce occupantenergy bills, etc.
In the first case, lighting, appliances, and similar components are
replaced much more often than major components like walls,
roofs, or windows. For components that are replaced sooner,larger market forces outside those specific to Vancouver, oreven BC, are shaping efficiency improvements. The technology
is improving rapidly and is easy to update—all you have to do isplug it in! Lighting, although not as easy to replace as appliances,is relatively simple to upgrade, and with advances in LED
technology, LEDs can be expected to meet almost all lighting
needs by 2050.
For major components that have reached the end of their usefullife and which are replaced less frequently, it is possible to use
natural building renewal cycles to meet zero-emission standards
more quickly. When a building undergoes a major retrofit, theelements being replaced will have to meet the standards requiredof a new building.

Civic Passive House Quick Start: The City will
support a Passive House or ultra-low thermal
demand design philosophy for City buildings
The City can help catalyze a change in building
design through its consideration of Passive
House or a low thermal demand approach as
the default option for new City facilities. The
City will investigate when the Passive House
design philosophy and implementation isappropriate for City buildings and under which
circumstances the approach does not currently
deliver the best energy, greenhouse gas,
occupant, and functional outcomes.
The City is about to trial the use of Passive
House principles for one of its new fire halls.
This will allow the City to better understandthe opportunities Passive House can provide
as well as increase the City’s understanding of
the design philosophy to better evaluate andintroduce Passive House principles into theCity’s requirements for its own buildings.

When building retrofitting is desirable rather than essential, theCity will foster voluntary retrofitting or mandate only modest
retrofit requirements to encourage building owners to undertake
retrofits that achieve energy reductions. In the case of existingbuildings, a retrofit would require connection to a neighbourhood
renewable energy systems in high-density neighbourhoods, or
use of a heat pump or on-site renewable energy generation for
low-density areas.

Building Equipment Performance Requirements
As with building envelopes, developers should install the mostefficient building equipment available at the time of construction
or upgrade to that standard at the time of retrofit—acting in
the timeliest fashion secures the most improvement. However,envelope upgrades are a higher priority than building equipment
upgrades, since equipment upgrades are less enduring and realize
smaller gains in overall energy performance.

33

Increase Building
Renewable Energy Use
Expand Existing Neighbourhood Renewable
Energy Systems
Energy efficiency improvements alone are not enough to achievea renewable energy future; buildings must switch the sources ofenergy they rely on from fossil fuels to renewable sources. As such,the existing Southeast False Creek Neighbourhood Energy Utility
system will be expanded to serve more buildings in the Southeast
False Creek area and the False Creek Flats. The existing system
uses waste heat from sewage to provide space heat and hot water
to 4.2 million sq. ft. of buildings, with the system expected to
expand to 7.8 million sq. ft. by 2022.

Industrial Facilities Transition to
Renewable Energy
The City will continue to preserve its industrial lands to secure
the long-term economic strength of Vancouver. Because of theirsignificant roof space and underutilized land, such lands also havethe opportunity to become significant renewable energy hubs
through local and on-site generation. The price of land, and its
prominence on a business’ balance sheet, is an important factor inmoving Vancouver businesses to be more renewable.
Vancouver cannot geographically expand any further—it is boundon all sides. With land at such a premium, land values have been
rising for the past decade and this trend is unlikely to change.
Vancouver currently has little large or heavy industry, but thatwhich does exist serves regional, national, and international
markets. Changing transportation patterns coupled with less

Increase Building
Renewable Energy Supply
New Neighbourhood Renewable
Energy Systems
The City’s Neighbourhood Energy Strategy and Energy Centre
Guidelines set the long-term vision for the development ofneighbourhood renewable energy systems in Vancouver withfavourable land economics are likely to mean that these heavy

a focus on the following areas of opportunity:

industries will have relocated outside the city by 2050.

• Conversion of the existing Downtown and Hospital

The use and generation of goods and energy for the industrial
sector in Vancouver is driven by the large number of light tocampus steam heat systems from fossil fuels to renewableenergy sources.

medium industrial enterprises that service the city, for which there• Establishment and expansion of systems to serve high-is an incentive to remain close to their customers and not relocate

density areas in the Downtown, Cambie Corridor, Riverout of the city. These businesses are the focus of preserving

District, and Central Broadway areas that are undergoing

industrial lands within the city. Light to medium industry tends torapid development.

own or lease its equipment, which is the primary driver of energy
bills, as well as owning or having signed long-term leases for theirpremises. These businesses will become more energy aware as thecost of fossil fuels rises and that of renewable energy drops; andas they start to identify new business models driven by energy
efficiency and renewable energy opportunities.
34• Expansion of neighbourhood energy to replace the boiler
equipment in existing gas-heated buildings.

35

On-Site Renewable Energy Generation

Increasing Renewable Grid Electricity Supply

Areas with low population density—those with a lot of single-familyWith current building practices, Vancouver’s demand forhomes or low-rise condos and apartments—do not require enoughelectricity would be about 10% higher in 2050 than it is today,energy to merit being connected to a neighbourhood energy

with a 25% increase in fossil fuel also expected. However, throughsystem. As such, low-density development must have its heatingenergy efficiency and conservation efforts, the direction outlined

needs (for both space and hot water) met by renewable electricity

in the Renewable City Strategy allows Vancouver to make muchfrom the grid or from on-site renewable energy generation.

wider use of renewable electricity to eliminate fossil-fuel use

On-site renewable energy generation is more applicable in low
density circumstances since there is space available within thecompletely while only increasing electricity demand by about 20%
over current levels.

property to generate enough electricity and/or heat to meet the

Across the province there is a need to increase grid-scaledemand of a zero-emission building. On-site renewable energy

renewable electricity generation, not just for Vancouver.

generation can come from solar power or solar thermal, heat

BC Hydro—the sole electrical utility supplying Vancouver—ispumps (that would likely use grid-supplied electricity), or perhaps

legally required to develop an Integrated Resource Plan to detailin some cases on-site wind generation.

its plans for meeting customer demand over the coming 20 toWith the anticipated improvements in building efficiency and an
already effective and clean electrical grid, the need for on-site
rooftop solar power generation will likely be determined by the

30 years. The City’s goal to move to 100% renewable energy
is consistent with many aspects of the Clean Energy Strategy
section of BC Hydro’s 2013 Integrated Resource Plan.

market price of the technology, the cost to produce electricity, andNew market-ready, utility-scale wind and solar technologies can

the larger system needs of the electrical grid. The widespread use

compete on cost with large-hydro power. Grid-scale renewableof solar panels is not necessary to meeting the City’s renewableelectricity generation of the future should be brought into service

energy goals, but can give the public and businesses theas it is needed, to enhance system reliability, particularly in light ofopportunity to meet their own energy needs, earn income througha changing climate, while also maintaining affordability.

the sale of excess power, and contribute to the move towards
a renewably powered future. On-site generation can also allowbuildings and neighbourhoods to be more resilient to disruption
and outages, particularly during extreme weather events.

Current regulation allows for up to 7% of the electricity used in
Vancouver to come from non-renewable sources. The City will workwith its utility partners to find ways to address that non-renewableportion, but in the event that the electricity supplied to Vancouver
is not 100% renewable, the City of Vancouver will investigate how

SIZING NEIGHBOURHOOD RENEWABLE
ENERGY SYSTEMS

to secure renewable electricity from other sources.
As there are increases in both on-site electricity generation andnew grid-scale generation, the electrical grid will have to adapt;the electrical grid will need to become ‘smart’ to manage these

Capital Cost of CO2 Avoided

Building-Scale Renewable Energy Systems

will not only better meet customer needs, but is also imperative tomanaging emerging technologies like energy storage, electric cars,
the ‘home ecosystem’, and on-site power generation distributed
throughout the city. A smart grid is more reliable, more resilient

New Neighbourhood Renewable Energy Systems

when things do go wrong, and more adaptable to the future
demands on the electrical system.

Conversion of Existing Neighbourhood Energy Systems

Floor Area Serviced36

new ways of generating and distributing electricity. The smart grid

37

HOW VANCOUVER WILL GET TO 100% RENEWABLE ENERGY BY 2050
2014

2050

BUILDINGS

Total Energy Use
45.1 Million GJ

Increase renewable energy
use by 54%

Total Energy Use
28.3 Million GJ

+5.6

28.3
10% Biomethane

+4.8

+2.5

20% Neighbourhood
Renewable Energy
Systems

18.3-2.9

70% Electricity

41% Electricity

Eliminate fossil-fuel use

0

-4.9
-5.6

-23.1
59% Natural Gas

26.8

+6.8
BusinessAs-Usual
GrowthWhere we arenow

38

Where we
will be in
2050 if we
do nothing

1. Reduced
EnergyDemand

2. Increased
Renewable
Energy Use

What we will do

3. Increased
Renewable
Energy Supply

Where we will bein 2050

Due to rounding,numbers presented
may not add up
precisely to thetotals provided.

Ownership and Financing
The business case for significantly reducing energy demand andmoving to renewable energy sources is good when the total cost

Quick StartSof ownership, including purchase, maintenance and operation isconsidered. However, a ‘split incentive’ occurs when the person
or business constructing the building is not the one who owns
and operates the building. This gives the developer little incentive
to spend the extra money up front to improve the building
performance, since the developer is not paying the energy bills
once the building is occupied.
In some circumstances the builder and occupier are the same
entity; this is often true for institutional buildings like schools,
hospitals, libraries and community centres as well as commercial,rental and non-market housing developments. In these cases
it is important to accelerate the pace at which building energy
performance improvements are made, in order to help makeenergy efficiency improvements common practice and more
affordable. In these same cases the owner/operator is often moretolerant of longer payback periods for their initial investment,
which helps further support the upfront costs.
In cases where the split incentive persists, there is a need todevelop new financing tools and energy equipment ownershipmodels that support longer payback periods or reduce the need forowner financing. There is also a need to develop business models
that transfer the cost savings from efficiency improvements backto the person or business that financed the improvements.

Civic Renewable Generation Quick Start:
The City will support new renewable energy
technologies for City buildings
The City will actively consider new technologies,
materials, and approaches that support thestrategic approach of the Renewable City
Strategy. For civic facilities that need retrofit
or that are to be newly built, the City willconsider new and appropriate technologies thatwill enhance building performance, improveconditions for occupants, and increase the use
and/or generation of renewable energy.
Solar Quick Start: The City will streamline
the process for the installation of rooftop
solar systems
The City will streamline the process toinstall rooftop solar systems to allow solar
technologies to be implemented quickly as
demand grows. The generation of on-site powerand heat will play an important role in achieving
the use of renewable energy. Ensuring that
renewable energy technologies can easily be
implemented will be important in ensuring thatmarket forces decide the most cost-effective
way to supply renewable heat and power.

39

Overview
Our transportation choices impact our healthand well-being as well as the quality of our air.
Vancouver is a multimodal city where residents
use a combination of walking, cycling, transit,
and motor vehicles to get around and meettheir needs. However, our transportation
system moves more than just people—it also
moves goods and services that are essential
to a thriving local economy and high qualityof life, requiring efficient local networks andconnections to the larger road, rail, air, andmarine networks.

RENEWABLE
Transportation
Imagine a city where the transportation system is efficient,supports a thriving economy while improving affordability,and provides citizens the opportunity to be healthy andmobile; a system that is powered by renewable energy.

40Transportation and land use are inextricably linked—how wedesign our communities affects our journey choices and how

Quick Start

much we travel. Those travel needs in turn influence how we use
land. Transportation 2040, the City’s strategic transportation plan,establishes a clear hierarchy of transportation modes that areconsistent with the strategic approach of reducing the need for
motorized transport and prioritizing walking, cycling, and transit.
Automobiles, while declining in terms of total proportionof journeys, will continue to play an important role in ourtransportation system for the foreseeable future, and must beplanned for. Autonomous vehicles in particular could radicallychange how we get around, and at the moment their future impact,
both positive and negative, is unclear. To meet our long-term air
quality and emissions targets, it is important to support the shift torenewably powered vehicles.
Road transport accounted for about 37% of Vancouver’s total
emissions in 2014. That car-centric mindset is slowly changing
but not without challenges. Many key actions—to improve thepedestrian realm, build a complete and attractive cycling network,
improve transit capacity and reliability, and create vibrant public

Preferential Parking Quick Start: Support the uptakeof renewably powered vehicles through preferential
parking provision
Parking provision and management is an important
determinant of how we use our vehicles. Through theprovision of preferential parking for clean vehicles it
is possible to catalyze the uptake of clean vehicles
as people see tangible benefits to ownership. As thetransition becomes more complete there will be aneed to reassess how preferential parking is managed.
Underway Now: Replace the Georgia and Dunsmuir
viaducts for better at-grade services and public space.
Underway Now: Improve the False Creek bridges tosupport active transport.
Underway Now: Implement a public bike-share system.

spaces—will require further road space reallocation from theprivate automobile.
The emergence of information technology and systems to manage
our journeys has already begun, and can be expected to grow evenmore. The actions laid out in Transportation 2040 and the direction

PERSONAL TRIPS MADE IN VANCOUVER
2014

set by the Renewable City Strategy outline the steps needed to

29% Walking
5% Cycling
17% Transit

ensure a smooth transition away from automobile dependency.
Vancouver has, through a clear transportation vision, beensuccessful to date in ensuring that people, goods, and services cantravel efficiently. The City’s success has come from comprehensive
partnerships, regional planning, and close cooperation between
different municipal departments. Reimagining what road space

46%

is used for has led to the development of ‘complete streets’ that

RENEWABLE

provide mobility and public space options for a wide variety
of street users, changing how we move, alleviating congestion,

54%

and allowing Vancouverites to take important steps to improve

FOSSIL-FUEL
POWEREDtheir health. The transportation system that Vancouver is aiming
for is not one where freedoms are given up at the expense ofenvironmental benefit, but one where people make sustainablechoices because they are the most rational, comfortable,
convenient, safe, and enjoyable ways of getting around.

For more details, visit vancouver.ca/renewablecity for the full
Renewable City Strategy.

42% Passenger Vehicle (Driver)
7% Passenger Vehicle (Passenger)

41

Renewably poweredtransportation priorities
T.1	Use land-use and zoning policies to develop
complete compact communities and complete streetsthat encourage active transportation and transit
T.1.1

Foster land-use as a tool to improve transportationconsistent with the direction established inTransportation 2040

T.1.2 Enhance and accelerate the development of complete
streets and green infrastructure
T.1.3 Enhance the pedestrian network according to the direction
established in Transportation 2040
T.1.4 Enhance cycling infrastructure and encourage more biketrips according to the direction set in Transportation 2040
T.1.5 Use parking policies to support sustainable transportation
choices and efficient use of our street network
T.1.6 Optimize the road network to manage congestion, improvesafety, and prioritize green transportation

T.2 Improve transit services as set out inTransportation 2040
T.2.1 Extend the Millennium Line in a tunnel under Broadway
T.2.2 Improve frequency, reliability, and capacity across thetransit network
T.2.3 Develop a transit supportive public realm with improved
multimodal integration and comfortable waiting areas
T.2.4 Work with the transit authority and other partners
to transition fossil fuel powered transit vehicles torenewable energy

T.3 Transition light-duty vehicles (cars and lighttrucks) to be predominantly electric, plug-in hybrid orsustainable biofuel powered
T.3.1 Develop vehicle and fuel standards to support renewably
powered vehicles• Advocate for a low- and zero-emission vehicle standard.
• Advocate for continued strengthening the Renewable and
Low Carbon Fuel Requirements Regulation.
• Advocate for increased commercial vehicle efficiency andtransition to renewable fuels.
• Advocate for the development of financial incentives tosupport the growth of renewably fuelled vehicles.
T.3.2 Develop supporting infrastructure that meets the needs ofrenewably powered vehicles• Support the expansion of renewable fuel infrastructure for
personal vehicles.
• Enact regulation that supports the use of electricity as atransportation fuel.
• Support the expansion of renewable fuel infrastructure forcommercial vehicles.
• Maximize the beneficial use of compostable materials.
• Use City authority over local waste management tosupport the use and development of renewable energy.

42

T.4	Develop car-sharing and regional mobility pricing
to encourage rational journey choice
T.4.1 Support increased car-sharing and the uptake of renewably
powered vehicles in car-sharing fleets.
T.4.2 Advocate for comprehensive regional mobility pricing

T.5 Better manage commercial vehicle journeys
and transition heavy-duty (commercial) vehicles
to sustainable biofuels, biomethane, hydrogenand electricity
T.5.1 Improve the delivery of commercial freight, goods andservices according the direction set in Transportation 2040
• Support efficient goods and services movementand delivery while minimizing environmental andcommunity impacts.

T.5.2 Work with fleet operators and contractors totransition to renewably powered vehicles• Engage commercial vehicle fleets to transition to
renewably powered vehicles.
• Partner with Port Metro Vancouver toaccelerate the transition to renewably fuelledfreight transport.
• Encourage movement of goods by renewably
powered rail when goods must be shipped overlonger distances.
• The City will work with the Provincial
Government and Metro Vancouver to require
non-road engines/equipment to operate on
renewable energy.

• Enhance local goods and service movement logistics.

43

44

LOW-CARBON VEHICLES
Passenger Vehicles
Currently, passenger vehicles mainly use gasoline.
With anticipated population increases, theHybridPassenger
Vehiclenumber of vehicles in the city is expected to
grow by about 15% by 2050. Vehicle numbers
have in the past because of improvements to thecity’s walking, biking, and transit infrastructure.

car ownership by about 15%.
Vancouver is a compact city, with short

Vehicle Size

40%, while at the same time reducing per-capita

Battery
Electric
VehicleShort-DistanceCommuters

Analysis has shown that these same measures
per car by about 20% and per person by about

Route
Buses

HYBRIDS
WITH INTERNALCOMBUSTIONENGINEare expected to grow more slowly than they

could reduce annual vehicle kilometres travelled

TrainsHeavy-Duty
TrucksELECTRICVEHICLES
Motorcycles

FUEL-CELLHYBRIDS

Fuel-Cell
HybridPassenger
VehicleDelivery
TrucksPlug-In
HybridSmall Delivery
VehiclesBiofuels

Driving Distancecommutes well suited to electric vehicles
and plug-in hybrid vehicles. Vehicles will be• Battery Electric Vehicles: Battery electric vehicles, often

charged using renewable electricity. Plug-in

just called electric vehicles, have an on-board battery thathybrids powered by sustainable biofuels will

is charged up to drive an electric motor which moves thestill allow people to make longer journeys andcar. Electric vehicles make ideal urban vehicles, and throughuse their vehicles much as they do today, whiledevelopment will suit some light-truck needs also.

using electric propulsion when driving aroundthe city. Electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid
vehicles will not suit everyone’s vehicle needs, so
conventional hybrid cars like today’s will still be
used, but be powered by sustainable biofuels. By
2050, 45% of vehicles could be plug-in hybrids
and 25% fully electric, with the remainder being
conventional hybrids using sustainable biofuels.

• Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles: Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles
have a battery and a combustion engine. The battery is charged
by plugging in the car, just as you would for an electric vehicle,
and the car can then be driven using only the battery. Whenthe battery runs flat, the regular engine starts and the vehicle
uses that to get around. If the regular engine is fuelled using
biofuels (see section on sustainable biofuel supply) and thebattery charged using renewable electricity, plug-in hybrids area renewable way to get around.
• Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicles: Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles use
a fuel cell to convert hydrogen into electricity, which thendrives an electric motor. The car does not have a battery;the hydrogen itself is stored in the car and converted into
electricity when it’s needed.

PASSENGER VEHICLE TYPES BY 2050

Photo by Lisa Brideau

30%

45%

25%

Conventional Hybrid(with Biofuel)Plug-In Hybrid(with Biofuel)Electric Vehicle

45

46

• Biofuel-Powered Commercial Vehicles: Biofuels are liquid

Renewable Energy
Options forTransportation
Commercial Vehicles

fuels that can be used in combustion engines and can replacegasoline and diesel. Biofuels are suited to large vehicles likebuses and trucks but can be used in engines of any size.
The amount of energy stored in biofuels is more than thatof hydrogen and biomethane, which means that biofuels are
particularly good for long-distance freight vehicles.
• Biomethane-Powered Commercial Vehicles: Biomethane ismethane produced by natural processes. It is a high-grade

Economic growth is expected to lead to anenergy source and can be used as a direct replacement forincrease in commercial vehicle trips.

natural gas.

The energy used by light-to-medium commercial• Hydrogen-Powered Commercial Vehicles: The technology

transport is driven not so much by the number

needed to power commercial freight and other large vehicles

of vehicles, but by the distance they travel.

with hydrogen is almost identical to that for personal vehicles;

For smaller commercial vehicles, there is

it is simply larger and more powerful. In many ways hydrogen

likely to be significant electrification with theis more favourable for larger vehicles than passenger vehicles,

remainder powered by sustainable biofuels or

since the more complex fuelling systems take up less relativehydrogen. Meanwhile, the use of electricity withinspace and can more easily be installed into trucks or buses.

Vancouver’s transportation system will remainhigh because of the city’s trolley bus system.

• Electric and Hybrid Commercial Vehicles: Although unlikely tobe suitable for long distances, electric powertrain technologies

For heavy freight, both the distance travelled andmay develop to support urban commercial use. Overhead power

the weight transported by the large vehicle fleet

cables, much like those used for trolley buses could be adapted

impacts energy use. The transformation in large

for heavy commercial vehicles, particularly those on fixedcommercial vehicles is a lot less clear. Current

routes like to and from the port. Improved battery and charging

trends in technology suggest a small portion oftechnologies may also allow vehicles like buses to charge rapidly

the fleet will run on hydrogen and the majority

at their depots or at the end of their routes. Hybrid heavy-duty

will use biofuels and biomethane, although thesevehicles that use a battery to get moving or help acceleration,

proportions are sensitive to fuel supply andthen switch to a combustion engine for cruising are undervehicle economics.

development and are very well suited to stop-start applications
like garbage and delivery trucks.

47

Reduce Motorized
Transportation Demand
Land-Use and Urban Design as Renewable
Energy Tools
Our transportation choices depend on a variety of factors,
including travel time and reliability, cost, how far we have to go
and how flexible we need that journey to be. For example, do
we have things to carry, are we in a rush, are we meeting people,
is parking available close to the destination, and will we haveto pay for it? Focusing on the factors that affect Vancouver’s
transportation choices promotes the design of communities
that facilitate these choices. Transportation 2040’s ‘5 D’s’ of thebuilt environment—destinations, distance, density, diversity, anddesign—are core considerations in ensuring our communities arecomplete and well connected.

Car Rental

Taxi

Flexibility Needed

Two-Way
Car Share

Bike
Public Transit
Walk
Trip DistanceRegional and city growth are planned for through:• Ensuring that Vancouver has a compact urban area to promoteenergy conservation and efficiency;• Delivering a sustainable economy that is both local andinternational and not bound to fossil fuels;• Effectively protecting the environment and responding toclimate change through use of only renewable energy sources;and• Developing complete communities that rely less on personal
motorized transport.
48

complete, compact, communities, first in the downtown
and now throughout the city. Vancouver is a city of uniqueneighbourhoods which, although diverse, are working towards
a set of common goals that underpin what a 100% renewableenergy city can achieve:
1. Creating an urban form that is environmentally sustainable;
2. Developing a range of affordable housing options tomeet a diverse set of needs;
3. Contributing to a robust and diversified economy, which
as a result is resilient;
4. Supporting communities that enhance culture, heritage,
and creativity;
5. Developing sustainable transportation options that are
not just viable but preferable;
6. Enhancing public open spaces, parks, and green linkages; andTRANSPORTATION CHOICESOne-Way
Car Share

Vancouver is an urban planning success story that has fostered

7. Promoting resilient, sustainable, safe, and healthy communities.

Increase Walking
Walking will continue to be the City’s top
transportation priority. Almost every journey has
a walking component to it at some point. For
short trips, walking is the best option for people
and the environment, and businesses benefit frompassing customers. Vancouver’s grid network,
good urban planning, and pleasing urban design
mean walking trips are often direct, convenient,and interesting. As part of its Transportation
2040 efforts, the City will address gaps in thewalking network, improve sidewalk connectivity,
create more temporary and permanent public
spaces, and maximize accessibility for those withvisual or mobility impairments.

Increase Cycling
Cycling creates no emissions, is inexpensive,
improves health, and allows easy access to much of
Vancouver. It is often the fastest way to get aroundfor short-to-medium length trips, with many
destinations accessible by bike within 20 minutes.
There is also increasing evidence that cycling,similar to walking, is good for local businesses.
To reach a wider audience, the City is focusing
on building a direct, intuitive network of routes
that efficiently connect destinations and are
comfortable for everyone, including families withchildren, the elderly, and novice riders. Providing
more secure, convenient, and abundant parking
and end-of-trip facilities like showers and changerooms is also important, as is promotion andeducation to encourage cycling as an everyday,
normal activity.

49

Increase Use of Renewable
Transportation Options
Increase Transit Use
The city’s compact urban form is complemented by
Vancouver’s comprehensive public transit system. A large
portion of the transit service in Vancouver is alreadyelectrified—the SkyTrain, Canada Line and trolley buses—but
there are still diesel bus services on many of the routes. Meeting
the City’s 100% renewable energy goals will require expanding
the trolley network and/or converting these non-electric routes
to other renewable fuel sources.

Increase Shared Vehicle Journeys
Car sharing is a membership-based service that gives access toa fleet of cars which can be rented. Car sharing allows people
to go car-light or even car-free and save money compared toowning their own vehicle, yet still maintain the flexibility of car
ownership. People often have multiple memberships to meettheir exact journey needs based on whether they need a quick
one way trip or a particular type of vehicle. A single car sharevehicle can replace up to 11 personally owned vehicles, freeing
up road space for other uses. The already significant ability ofcar sharing to cut energy demand from transportation is further
enhanced through the potential to use renewably powered carsin car sharing fleets.

Increase RenewablyPowered Personal
Vehicle Choice
With the exception of the electrified SkyTrain,
Canada Line and trolley buses in Vancouver, today’stransportation system is almost exclusively based on the
combustion of gasoline and diesel. The transportation
system of the future will have a greater range of energy
sources and vehicle types than are common today.
The transportation system is expected to evolve sothat most short-distance and local journeys will bemade on foot or bike, most longer trips by transit,
and remaining trips by electric vehicles of various
types, depending on the needs of the journey. Electricvehicles already have ranges that are ample forpeoples’ everyday use. If drivers need to make longer
journeys that cannot be served by the range of battery
technology or where battery technologies are not cost
efficient, alternatives like hydrogen and sustainablebiofuels will need to be considered.
Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, already available today,
combine a battery and a regular engine, so that for
short distances the car acts like an electric vehicle;
if the battery runs flat, the regular engine takes over.
For those people who regularly travel long distances,
renewable fuel solutions will come from sustainablebiofuels and renewable hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.
Similar solutions can also be expected for larger
vehicles like buses and trucks.
It typically takes between 15 and 20 years to see
significant changes in automobile fleets, and about
the same amount of time again for technologies tobe adopted into widespread uptake. This means that
although vehicles tend to be changed every seven to ten
years, action must be taken now, particularly to support
market-ready technologies.

50

Quick StartS“…investing in public andlow emission transport,
building efficiency, andwaste management in cities
could generate savings witha current value of US$17
trillion by 2050.”

Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Quick Start:
Develop and implement an electric vehicle
infrastructure strategy to accelerate electricvehicle uptake
The electrification of personal transport will
require new infrastructure to support the
charging of electric vehicles and plug-in
hybrids. That infrastructure will mostly berequired at home, but will also be needed tosupport workplace charging and charging
while out and about. The City will develop
a comprehensive strategy to address
how to expand the provision of charging
infrastructure in both new and existingbuildings where there are clear routes todoing so, while also identifying strategic
partnerships to solve challenges where no
immediate solution is apparent.

- New Climate Economy, 2015

% New Light Duty Vehicle Sales (estimated)

NEW VEHICLE TECHNOLOGY ADOPTION

Civic Renewable Transport Fuel Quick Start:
Accelerate the integration of renewable fuels
into the City of Vancouver fleet

15%“Early Core
Market”

The City of Vancouver fleet has about 1,800
vehicles and equipment, with a fuel blend of 5%
biodiesel and 95% regular diesel as the majority
fuel used by the fleet. Moving the City fleet touse more renewable fuels demonstrates clear
leadership and the viability of alternative fuels,and supports broader market uptake.

10%

“Fast
Followers”

5%“Early Market”(First Adopters)

0%
0

5

10

15

20

Years After Vehicle Technology Launch
adapted from Hybrid Electric Vehicle Launch Trend graph,
California Environmental Protection Agency Air Resources Board

51

Increase Supplyof Renewable
Transportation Fuels
The ‘hierarchy of fuels’ establishes the ease with which
new renewable fuels can be adopted. For mobile uses,
liquid fuels are preferable since they are more easilytransported and handled during refuelling. However,with improvements in battery and charging technology,
electrification is becoming an option for more vehicles,
although the ease with which electric powertrains canbe used decreases as vehicles get larger.

Sustainable Biofuel Supply
Sustainable biofuels can be produced from wood, grass,plants, and even algae, with different technologies at various
stages of development. There is the potential to develop
significant sustainable biofuel production throughout the
Pacific Northwest and central Canada. It is important to ensurethat the feedstocks used to make the biofuels are sourced
responsibly, most preferably from what is currently considered
the waste stream (e.g., agricultural waste). The supply ofsustainable biofuel feedstocks, typically canola in Western
Canada, is more than sufficient to meet near-term local
requirements since much of the current production is exported.
The diversity of feedstocks and agricultural methods that canbe used to produce biofuels limits any potential impacts tofood supplies and pricing, since with the right regulation biofuel

HIERARCHY OF FUELS

production should not complete with food production.
POSSIBILITY FOR ELECTRIFICATION INCREASES

Aviation

MarineHeavy-Duty
Road Vehicles

Rail

Light-Duty Road
Vehicles and Urban
Services

Biomethane Supply
Technology such as anaerobic digestion produces biomethanefrom food scraps, and the material left over from that process is

NEED FOR LIQUID FUELS INCREASES

used in the production of compost and fertilizer. Biomethane iscurrently in limited supply in BC since there are few sites producing
it. However, as the need to replace natural gas grows, demand is
expected to increase. Production increase will likely be met byElectricity Supply
Electricity generation in BC is required by law to be at least 93%
clean and a move to 100% renewable electricity would secure
further environmental benefits. Current and anticipated future
electrical generating capacity in BC is able to meet the increased
demand that electrification of the transport system would create;
but ensuring that local electrical systems are able to meet thelandfills, anaerobic digesters (which take organic waste like kitchen
scraps and yard trimmings to make biomethane), and waste water/
sewage treatment plants. As waste diversion programs takeeffect and better ways to use the waste stream are implemented,
biomethane production from landfills is expected to decline, whileanaerobic digesters will increase production volumes.

needs of electrified transportation is important. There will be a

Hydrogen Supply

need to ensure that the vehicle-charging infrastructure is available

Hydrogen is in plentiful supply since it is the major constituent

for people to recharge their vehicles, particularly through personalof water. However, the majority of hydrogen used today comeshome and workplace charging.

from natural gas. Using renewable electricity to electrolyze

Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles will mostly use only electricity

water could produce clean hydrogen in the quantities needed. A

when driving in the city; electric vehicles will only use electricity.

move to increase hydrogen use will require new fuelling-station

There is still a need to develop charging infrastructure, and ensure

infrastructure, which would be similar to the gas stations of today.

that a network of fuelling stations exists for drivers to top up with
biofuel when needed. This diversity leads to shared infrastructureneeds and increased resilience so the vehicles are not tied to asingle fuel source.

52

VEHICLE ENERGY USE IN VANCOUVER

12
5% Biofuels(Conventional/
Hybrid Car)PASSENGER VEHICLES

10
95% Petroleum(Conventional/
Hybrid Car)

Energy Use

86
22% Electric Vehicles

4

36% Electricity (Plug-In Hybrid)

10% Biofuel (Plug-In Hybrid)

2

31% Biofuel(Conventional/Hybrid)

0% Petroleum

0

2014

2050

Total Energy Use
12.2 Million GJ

Total Energy Use
5.6 Million GJ

Due to rounding, numberspresented may not add up
precisely to the totals
provided.

VEHICLE ENERGY USE IN VANCOUVER

12COMMERCIAL/HEAVY-DUTY VEHICLES

10Energy Use

86

9% Hydrogen

4

24% Biomethane
67% Biofuel
4% Biofuel2
96% Diesel

0% Diesel

0

2014

2050

Total Energy Use
2.0 Million GJ

Total Energy Use
4.5 Million GJ

Due to rounding, numberspresented may not add up
precisely to the totals
provided.

53

HOW VANCOUVER WILL GET TO 100% RENEWABLE ENERGY BY 2050
2014

2050

TRANSPORTATION

Total Energy Use
14.2 Million GJ

Increase renewable energy
use by a factor of 14

Total Energy Use
10.1 Million GJ

+7.3

10.1
53% Biofuels+2.3<1% Electricity

0.7

+0.4

5% Biofuels

11% Biomethane
4% Hydrogen

-9.5

-0.5

14% Diesel

32% Electricity

0

Eliminate fossil-fuel use

Legend
81% Gasoline

Heavy Duty

-2.0Light Duty

-10.5

Due to rounding, numberspresented may not add up
precisely to the totals
provided.

13.5

+8.5
BusinessAs-Usual
GrowthWhere we arenow

54

Where we
will be in
2050 if we
do nothing

1. Reduced
EnergyDemand

2. Increased
Renewable
Energy Use

What we will do

3. Increased
Renewable
Energy Supply

Where we will bein 2050

Quick Start
Underway Now: Expand the beneficial
use of biomethane produced by the
Vancouver Landfill
The Vancouver Landfill in Delta is undergoingsignificant infrastructure improvements tooptimize the capture of landfill gas at thesite. With this optimized system in place,
the City will work with industry and business
partners to put more of the biomethane in thelandfill gas to beneficial use by introducing
it to the natural gas system or using it to fuelbiomethane-powered vehicles.

“Reduction in emissions isdriven most significantly
by a dramatic reductionin the carbon intensity ofenergy use, as renewables
and biomass become thedominant energy sources
and there is broad fuelswitching across the
economy toward electricity
and biofuels.”- Pathways to Deep Decarbonization, for the United Nations

55

City of VancouverServices as a Catalyst
City Service Renewable Energy Priorities
S.1

The City will adopt a comprehensive approach tothe consideration of climate change as part of its
service planning

S.2 The City will adopt a comprehensive approach topricing carbon emissions for municipal operations
S.3 The City will develop a framework to assess how City
enabling tools may be used to support the transition
to 100% renewable energy

56

S.4 The City commits to keep abreast offinancing mechanisms available that enable thedelivery of renewable energy technology andother green infrastructureOverview
The City of Vancouver can catalyze change by being a leader inQuick StartS

the use of renewable energy in its own operations. Out of its 180
passenger-vehicle fleet, the City already has 46 hybrids and 29
electric vehicles. The City has fitted 107 idle-stop devices to its
fleet vehicles to limit emissions form idling, and since 2008 has cut
fleet emission by 10% and overall corporate emissions by 25%.
The City also provides a range of services to its citizens, and the
pursuit of 100% renewable energy will be integrated into thoseservices. Vancouver’s services are funded through property taxes(56%), utility fees (20%), and user fees (24%) like parking meter

Licensing Powers Quick Start: The City of
Vancouver will investigate how best to use its
licensing and permitting powers to accelerate
the adoption of renewable energy
Purchasing Power Quick Start: The City of
Vancouver will investigate how best to use its
purchasing power to accelerate the adoption ofrenewable energy

revenues and business licenses.
The City must also work in partnership with senior levels ofgovernment, charitable foundations and private financiers toenable the private sector to develop viable and cost-effective
renewable energy technologies.
The mid-to-long-term implications of transitioning Vancouver
to 100% renewable energy will be determined as part of theCity’s strategic service, capital and financial planning, taking
into consideration long-term financial, environmental andsocial sustainability.
The approach will be structured to take into account:• Where the City has regulatory authority to enable and/or
require the transition to 100% renewable energy (typically inbuilding codes, land use, licensing and permitting and bylaw
enforcement) the City will develop, in consultation with key
stakeholders, strategies that set clear and attainable goals,
timelines, and implementation approaches;• Where other levels of government have regulatory authority toenable and/or require the transition to 100% renewable energy,
the City will focus on education and advocacy to support thecase for such regulation;• Where businesses, consumers, academia or other entities
are the key agents for change, the City will focus on strategic
partnership, education and advocacy; and• Where the City’s operations are involved, the City will develop
implementation and funding strategies that balance financial,environmental, and social considerations.

57

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Mark Jaccard, Director School

The Renewable City Strategy is theManagement, Simon Fraser University

culmination of many hours of work,
conversations, research and development.
The expertise, leadership, willingness

of Resource and Environmental

Merran Smith, Executive Director,
Clean Energy Canada

to work with the City of Vancouver andPeter Robinson, CEO,enthusiasm to set Vancouver on a path to a

David Suzuki Foundation

renewable future.*

Renewable City Action Team,
Delegates & Support Staff
Alex Lau, Vice President,
Golden Properties Ltd.
Allan Neilson, General Manager

Ross Beaty, Executive Chairman,

Economic Commission
Jorge Marques, BC Hydro
Juvarya Veltkamp, Vancouver
Economic Commission

Susanna Laaksonen-Craig, Head Climate

Kunle Adeleye, BC Hydro

Action Secretariat, Government of BC

Marcel Pitre, Metro Vancouver

Tom Pedersen, Executive Director,

Maria Furberg, BC Hydro

Pacific Institute of Climate Solutions

Metro Vancouver

Wal Van Lierop, President & CEO,

Brent Gilmour, Executive Director,

Chrysalix Venture Capital

Cara Pike, Executive Director,

John McPherson, Vancouver

Kristin Hanlon, BC Hydro

TransLink, Transportation Planning & Policy

Quality Urban Energy Systems

Jacob Fox, TransLink

Alterra Power Corporation

Policy Planning and Environment,of Tomorrow (QUEST)

Fearghal King, TransLink

Randy Reimann, BC Hydro
Raymond Kan, Metro Vancouver
Ronan Chester, Port Metro Vancouver
Sanjaya De Zoysa, BC Hydro

Delegates and Advisory
to RCAT Members

Tina Lau, BC Hydro

Ben Finkelstein, Climate Action Secretariat,

Technical Advisory

Government of BC

Andreas Truckenbrodt, CanadianCity of Vancouver

Jeremy Mourhouse, Clean Energy Canada

Hydrogen Fuel Cell Association

David Boyd (Co-Chair), Adjunct Professor

Jim Nelson, BC Hydro

Craig Louie, SysEne Consulting

School of Resource and Environmental

Robyn Wark, BC Hydro

David Cookson, Geoexchange BC

Climate Access
Gregor Robertson (Co-Chair), Mayor,

Management, Simon Fraser University
David Porte, Chair,

Strategic Development

Doug Hooper, Canadian Western
Biofuels Association

Urban Development Institute

Alec Tsang, BC Hydro

Ian MacKay, CEO,Alex Tu, BC Hydro

Biofuels Association

Brian Moghadam, Powerex

Ian Baillie, CanWEA

Vancouver Economic Commission
James Tansey, Executive Director Centreof Social Innovation & Impact Investing,
University of British Columbia
Joanna Sofield, General Manager

Fred Ghatala, Canadian Western

Bryan Buggey, Vancouver

Ian Thomson, Canadian Western

Economic Commission

Biofuels Association

Conor Reynolds, Metro Vancouver

Ruben Arellano, Geoexchange BC

PowerSmart, BC Hydro

Derek Jennejohn, Metro Vancouver

Marc Lee, Senior Economist,

Dina Matterson, BC Hydro

Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives

Dom Repta, TransLink

Community Energy Advisory
Ali Grovue, BC Sustainable
Energy Association
Dale Littlejohn, Community* Inclusion in the Acknowledgements does not explicitly or implicitly represent endorsement

Energy Associationof the Renewable City Strategy by the individual or organization presented.

Thomas Hackney, BC Sustainable
Energy Association

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Microconference Attendees
Amanda Ross, Wensley Architecture

City of Vancouver Staff
Developers and Advisors

Monica Kosmak, Project Manager,
Multi Material BC
Don Darrach, Landfill Gas Technician

Andrew Grant, Conversations for

Sustainability Group

Responsible Development (CRED)

Amanda Pitre-Hayes, Director

Planning

Arnold Sang, Co-operative Housing

Doug Smith, Assistant Director

Anita Molaro, Assistant Director,

Federation of British Columbia
Bob Purdy, Fraser Basin Council
Bryn Davidson, Lanefab Design/Build
Byron Smith, Greenhouse
PhotoGraphix Inc.
Charlotte Argue, Fraser Basin Council
Chris Bruntlett, Modacity
Christopher Hakes, Offsetters
Climate Solutions
Eesmyal Santos-Brault, Recollective

Ian Neville, Climate Policy Analyst
Lisa Brideau, Sustainability Specialist
Lloyd Lee, Monitoring
and Reporting Planner
Malcolm Shield, Climate Policy Manager
Sean Pander, Green Buildings
Program Manager

Transportation
Dale Bracewell, Manager,

Urban Design
Michelle McGuire, Senior Planner,
Vancouver-South
Sailen Black, Senior Development Planner

Financial Planning and Analysis
Grace Cheng, Senior Manager, Long-term
Financial Planning
Rob Evans, Senior Financial Analyst
Sean Martinez, Senior Financial Analyst

Active Transportation

Law

Eric Mital, Manager, Neighbourhood

Kelly Oehlschlager, Assistant Director,

Eoghan Hayes, Ions Engineering Ltd

Parking & Transportation

Construction, Procurement & Technology

Gord Kukec, President,

Mike Zipf, Senior Active Transportation

BC Sustainable Energy Association

Engineering AssistantLaura Jane, HUB Cycling

Neal Peacock, Senior Engineer, Strategic

Lauren Archibald, Bullfrog Power

Transportation Planning BranchCommunity Services

Michael Pullinger, BC Sustainable

Paul Krueger, Senior Planner,

Keltie Craig, Senior Social Planner

Energy Association

Transportation Plan

Michael Rodgers, Cooperative Housing

Paul Storer, Manager, Transportation 2040

Federation of BC

Plan Team

Morgan McDonald, Ledcor

Steve Brown, Manager,

Emilie Adin, City of North Vancouver

Nicole Ford, HUB Cycling
Patricia Bell, Community
Energy Association
Rola Nasreddine, SPEC
Ruth Briggs, SPEC
Suzanne Fairley, Vancouver Electric
Vehicle Association

Traffic & Data Management

Neighbourhood Energy
Utility Branch
Chris Baber, Utility Manager

Supply Chain Management
Rachael Carroll, Category Manager

Facilities and Real EstateManagement
Craig Edwards, Manager,
Energy and Utilities
Danica Djurkovic, Director of Facilities
Planning and Development

Permits and Licensing
Sarah Hicks, Deputy Chief Licence

Kieran McConnell, Systems Engineer

Inspector/Licence Office Manager

Waste Management and Resource
Recovery Division

Equipment Services
Amy Sidwell, Senior Equipment Manager

Brian Beck, Strategic Projects Engineer
Chris Underwood, Manager,
Solid Waste Strategy

59

GLOSSARY
Renewable energy is energy that is naturally replenished as it is used

Term

Definition

Anaerobic digestion

A collection of processes by which microorganisms break down biodegradable material in the absence ofoxygen. The process is used for industrial or domestic purposes to manage waste and/or to produce fuels.

BiofuelA fuel (such as wood or ethanol) composed of or produced from biological raw materials.

Biomethane

Methane produced by natural processes; can be used as a direct replacement for natural gas.

Clean tech

Clean technology is a diverse range of products, services, and processes that harness renewable materials andenergy sources, dramatically reduce the use of natural resources, and cut or eliminate emissions and wastes.

Climate resilience

The capacity for a city, organization or other system absorb stresses and maintain function in the face of
external stresses imposed upon it by climate change and to adapt, reorganize, and evolve into more desirable
configurations that improve the sustainability of the system, leaving it better prepared for future climatechange impacts.

CO2

Carbon dioxide, the primary greenhouse gas in the Earth’s atmosphere.

CO2e

Carbon dioxide equivalent: a quantity that describes, for a given mixture and amount of greenhouse gas, theamount of CO 2 that would have the same global warming potential (GWP), when measured over a specified
timescale (generally 100 years). For example, methane (CH 4) has a global warming potential that is 25 times
greater than carbon dioxide, giving 1 tonne CH 4 = 25 t CO 2e.

Electric vehicle

A generic term that usually includes any vehicle that plugs into an external electrical source, including both
battery electric vehicles that use only electricity; and, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, that primarily use abattery but have an on-board gasoline engine to extend range. 'EV' does not usually refer to more traditional'hybrid' vehicles, which do not obtain electric power from plugging into an external source.

Electrolysis

Chemical decomposition produced by passing an electric current through a liquid or solution containing ions.

Embedded carbon/

Also known as ‘embodied carbon’ is the amount of carbon released from material extraction, transport,

Embedded emissions

manufacturing, and related activities for a given product or energy source.

Embedded energy

Embedded energy, also known as embodied energy, is the sum of all the energy required to produce any goods
or services, considered as if that energy was incorporated or 'embodied' in the product itself.

FeedstockA raw material that supplies or fuels an industrial process.

Fuel cellAn electrochemical device in which the energy of a reaction between a fuel, such as liquid hydrogen, and anoxidant, such as liquid oxygen, is converted directly and continuously into electrical energy.

Fuel switch

The substitution of one fuel for another. In the context of greenhouse gas emissions, fuel switching implies theswitch from a high carbon fuel to a low carbon fuel.

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Term

Definition

Geothermal/geoexchange

Energy systems that obtain heat from the earth and/or use the ground for cooling.

Greenhouse gas

A gas that contributes to the greenhouse effect by absorbing infrared radiation, such as carbon dioxide or methane.

Heat pump

A device that transfers heat from a colder area to a hotter area by using mechanical energy. Heat pumps candraw heat from air external to a building (‘air source’) or from geothermal energy (’ground source’).

Hydrogen

A chemical element that can be burnt or used in fuel cells and which does not relsease any greenhouse gases.

Large hydroHydroelectric power stations that generate more than 10MW of electricity.

LED

A light-emitting diode (LED) is a semiconductor device that emits visible light when an electric current passes
through it.

Major Roads Network

Also known as arterial roads, are major through roads expected to carry the largest volumes of traffic.

Neighbourhood renewable

Neighbourhood renewable energy systems are local energy networks that have a neighbourhood energy

energy systemcentre to generate heat which is piped to local buildings for space heat, hot water and, in some cases, cooling.

Passive House

The term Passive House (Passivhaus in German) refers to a rigorous design philosophy that allows ultra-low
energy use.

Plug load

The energy used by products that are powered by means of an ordinary outlet. This term excludes building
energy that is attributed to major end uses (e.g., heating and ventilation, lighting, water heating, etc.)

Photovoltaic

A method of converting solar energy into direct current electricity (as opposed to heat) using
semiconducting material.

Renewable energy

Energy that is naturally replenished as it is used.

Residuals

Residuals are waste materials that remain after reusable, recyclable and compostable materials have been
removed from a waste stream.

Sewer heat

Wastewater (what gets flushed down toilets, mixed with millions of gallons of hot water from showers,
dishwashers, washing machines, and more) maintains a fairly constant temperature as it travels through sewers
to the treatment plant.

Small hydroHydroelectric plants that capture energy in flowing water, including run-of-river projects. Small hydro are
considered to be projects that generate between 2 megawatts (MW) and 10MW of power.

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Term
Solar thermal/solar heat

Definition
Heat radiation from the sun collected by heat-absorbing panels through which water is circulated: used fordomestic hot water, central heating, and heating swimming pools.

Solar power

The use of the sun's energy to generate electricity through solar photovoltaic systems.

tCO2e

Metric tonnes (equal to 1,000kg) of carbon dioxide equivalent.

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