FortisBC will operate a regulated utility within TELUS Garden that will help reduce carbon dioxide emissions by one million kilograms a year by capturing and re-distributing low-grade heat throughout the million square-foot development.
Created in partnership with TELUS and Westbank, the innovative District Energy System (DES) is one of the first systems in Vancouver to use waste heat from a neighbouring site to heat and cool a new development. Heat from the existing TELUS data centre and the new office tower’s cooling systems will be harvested by the DES to provide heating and cooling for the office and residential towers, commercial spaces and amenities, and to heat domestic hot water for both towers. The DES is a major element of TELUS Garden’s sustainability strategy and contributes to the development’s approximate 80 per cent reduction in energy demand from conventional sources.
“FortisBC is dedicated to delivering safe, reliable energy solutions to our customers,” said Doug Stout, vice-president of Energy Solutions and External Relations. “Our collaboration with Westbank and TELUS is an example of the innovation and energy savings available to customers using district energy systems.”
“The TELUS Garden District Energy System represents a shift in how we think about and utilize energy,” said Andrea Goertz, senior vice-present of TELUS Strategic Initiatives and Communications. “By recovering energy that would normally be lost and putting it to good use, we are innovating through design to create one of the most environmentally-friendly urban communities in North America. It’s a powerful and unique system, and we are so pleased to be undertaking this landmark project with FortisBC, a company that shares our commitment to environmental sustainability and building healthy communities.”
For a video about the DES, visit: http://telusgarden.com/office/ld02videoLink.html
The innovative sustainability features in TELUS Garden will help to reduce overall energy use and protect residents and employers from rising energy costs in the future. The British Columbia Utilities Commission has approved the construction of the TELUS DES system by the partnership, and for FortisBC to own and operate the energy system once commissioned.
The $750 million, one million square foot TELUS Garden development in the heart of downtown Vancouver will incorporate a LEED Platinum 24-storey signature office tower, a LEED Gold 53-storey residential tower with more than 425 green homes, and retail space along Robson and Georgia. Located adjacent to the SkyTrain, there will be facilities for bicycles and charging stations for electric cars.
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