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Recommendations for Cool Vancouver’s Draft Community Climate Change Action Plan While the Draft Community Climate Change Action Plan contains many excellent plans for reducing green house gases, Vancouver Renewable Energy feels that more could be done to encourage renewable energy use in Vancouver, especially solar. Vancouver Renewable Energy is a non-profit environmental organization whose goal is to facilitate the installation of renewable energy installations on Vancouver residential buildings by means including fundraising, a revolving loan fund, negotiating for incentives and providing installation labour and education. Benefits A single solar photovoltaic (PV) system could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 1,000 kg per year. A hot water system would save over 800 kg per year of greenhouse gas emissions for a family in Vancouver. In addition: Solar power can complement existing energy systems, while providing energy security and reliability during energy shortages, failures, and price spikes. Solar technologies bring new skilled and unskilled jobs into localities. Solar power reduces air pollution by reducing the demand for energy that is produced by burning fossil fuels like coal, oil, or natural gas. Recommendations The following are some recommendations for legislation that has been implemented sucessfully in other municipalities to encourage and remove hindrances from solar energy installations. 1. Pass "Right to Light" legislation. This legislation would protect solar power installations from being blocked from sunlight by future construction. This has already become an issue in Toronto where a large solar power installation may be blocked by a planned development. The City of Boulder, Colorado has taken this regulation one step further by protecting the potential to produce solar energy. The ordinance guarantees access to sunlight for homeowners and renters in the city. This is done by setting limits on the amount of permitted shading by new construction and requiring that new buildings be sited to provide good solar access. The degree of solar access protection is defined by either a 12' or 25' hypothetical "solar fence" on the property lines of the protected buildings. The ordinance is designed to protect access for a four hour period on December 21st. Under most circumstances, new structures will not be allowed to shade adjacent lots to a greater extent than the applicable solar fence. A solar access permit is available to those who have installed or who plan to install a solar energy system and need more protection than is provided automatically in Solar Access Areas I and II. The permit application must include detailed information describing the solar energy system, existing structures and vegetation on adjacent properties and the location and dimensions of the solar easement requested. Solar access permits do not affect vegetation which exists at the time of permit application submittal. For more info see: http://www.greenpowergovs.org/Solar2strategies.html 2. Amend energy/building code to include renewable energy standards, Example: Aspen, CO City of Aspen / Pitkin County Energy Code and Renewable Energy Mitigation Program (REMP) In 1999, Pitkin County and Aspen, CO amended their Building Codes to include the Aspen/Pitkin Energy Conservation Code. In addition to energy efficiency standards that are higher than required by state law, the code regulates the amount of grid-tied energy used for big energy drains in the community: melting snow, spas, swimming pools, and houses over 5000 and 10,000 square feet. The energy for these uses must come from a prescribed energy budget. Or 50% of this energy can be supplied by on-site renewable energy systems. Under the Energy Code, the Renewable Energy Mitigation Program allows for the payment of a mitigation fee instead of installing on-site renewable energy systems. In addition, houses over 5000 square feet are required to install a small renewable energy system on site or pay a fee of $5000. The fee for houses over 10,000 square feet is $10,000. Fees going into REMP support an incentive program that leverages private investments in renewable energy and energy efficiency. Portions of the fees also provide funds for renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies, such as solar hot water, in public buildings and affordable housing. REMP is administered by the Community Office of Renewable Energy. All projects are subject to approval by the City of Aspen and Pitkin County. In its first year, the fund accumulated approximately $500,000. Over the next 20 years, it is estimated that REMP will offset at least 2 pounds of CO2 for every pound generated by the energy use allowed under the REMP provisions of the Energy Code. Currently the projects are offsetting 6-8 pounds of CO2 for every pound permitted. These funds will expand the clean energy ethic in the Roaring Fork Valley, Aspen initiated this ethic over 18 years ago by installing a 4.5 MW hydro-electric turbine at nearby Ruedi Reservoir and delivering clean power at a premium to the Aspen's municipal electric customers. For more information visit: http://www.greenpowergovs.org/Solar4aspencode.htmlREMP Funded Incentive Programs - http://www.greenpowergovs.org/Solar3aspenpowerpioneers.html 3. Incorporate climate-responsive design into municipal green building standards, Example: Hennepin Co., MN Hennepin County and Minnesota Sustainable Design Guide In 1997, leaders and staff from Hennepin County, MN took the initiative to design a program to ensure that new construction and renovations for the county addressed issues of green building design. Working with a multi-disciplinary team, Hennepin County set out to develop a sustainable design guide to inform architectural design and building operations. The first phase of the project involved development of the structure and content for the Minnesota Sustainable Design Guide. The second phase of the project (which is on-going) involves the development of resource materials and an educational program to assist designers in the implementation of the system. The Design Guide has been pilot-tested on projects for Hennepin County and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. In addition, the guide is currently being applied to projects for Ramsey and Carver Counties, Minnesota. This project has been developed with the support of the Minnesota Office of Environmental Assistance, Hennepin County, and the University of Minnesota Design Institute. The Minnesota Sustainable Design Guide is a design tool that can be used to overlay environmental issues on the design, construction, and operation of both new and renovated facilities managed by public agencies. It can be used to set sustainable design priorities and goals; develop appropriate sustainable design strategies; and to determine performance measures to guide the sustainable design and decision-making processes. It can also be used as a management tool to organize and structure environmental concerns during the design, construction, and operations phases. Among other green building strategies, the Design Guide contains strategies, performance measures, actions, and resources for maximizing a buildings energy performance through climate-responsive design. Strategies covered include: Optimize Building Placement and Configuration for Energy Performance Use Microclimate and Environmentally Responsive Site Design Strategies Provide Appropriate Thermal Conditions Provide Effective Lighting For more information: http://www.sustainabledesignguide.umn.edu/ |
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