Olympic Village district heating system should be replicated across Canada, mayor says

As Mayor Gregor Robertson unveiled the False Creek Neighbourhood Energy Utility today (January 14), he declared its model should be replicated elsewhere. All levels of government contributed to what is being called Vancouver’s first renewable district heating system, which is recovering heat from untreated wastewater to power the Olympic Village.

“It’s partnerships like this that will make it possible to replicate this kind of model—not only in our city but hopefully across our province and our nation—and make a big difference in terms of our carbon emissions and the efficiency that we see in our communities,” Robertson told the media against a grey backdrop. “If we get these models right here at the outset, it really stands us well for advancing this work and creating many more models throughout our country.”

The $30-million system has been in the works for about five years, and today Robertson flicked on the switch of the NEU, along with federal minister of state for sport Gary Lunn, B.C. education minister Margaret MacDiarmid, and Surrey city councillor Marvin Hunt, who sits on the Federation of Canadian Municipalities’ national board.

“The energy coming out of this plant will provide about 70 percent of the neighbourhood’s annual energy requirements,” Robertson said. “Three of these Olympic Village buildings will also produce a small amount of their own green energy on their roofs, with solar hot water and roof-mounted solar panels. That excess heat gets redistributed into this heat hot-water system powered here through False Creek Energy Centre.”