Green Buildings B.C. helps school districts manage risks and overcome the cost of capital The BC Government recently enacted Bill 44, the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Targets Act, setting aggressive GHG emissions levels for all government agencies. The goals now require us to reduce GHG emissions by 33 per cent from 2007 levels by 2020, and by 80 per cent from 2007 levels by 2050. With climate change and energy in the forefront of the public’s interest, education and healthcare sectors in British Columbia are looking for ways to reduce their operating costs and environmental footprint. An energy efficiency retrofit of public and institutional buildings provides one of the best opportunities to combine environmental stewardship and economic opportunity. But an energy efficiency retrofit is about more than just saving money and reducing emissions. It also leads to an improved work environment, better building operation, renewal of equipment, and is a way to show leadership in the community. In the February 2008 Throne speech, the provincial government confirmed its intention that its operations be “carbon
Retrofit Program delivered vered bby
Tech-More ch-More Operations Ope Resources Ltd. Brian Milt Miltimore re 604-328-0797 604brianm brianm@tech-more.com nm@tec Peter Hill 604-990-8226 04-990-82226 peterh@tech-more.com @tech-more.c e
Let us help you help the environment ...
Why thee GBBC Re Retrofit Program is right for you! - facility & equipment improvements men paid fo ments for or by the utility savings they generate; gener o third parties; ; - enhanced comfort throug ghting y & temperature; - no competition with other priorities for funding; - stimulated local economies throug s - important contribution to the province's goals of resource conservation rvation and a greenhouse gas reduction
... by reducing GHG emissions and your operational costs. The program provides guidance through: - Instructional materials
The program offers safeguards through:
- Case studies - Workshops and broad non-technical planning support - Company directories - Reference to funding opportunities
- Pre-qualification of firms - Model procurement documents - Credit facility - Risk Transfer Mechanisms
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School Plant Officials Association of B.C. Spring 2008
neutral” by 2010. A climate action plan to reinforce those intentions will be released shortly after the budget. The plan will be annually updated, and founded on personal responsibility, sound science and economic reality. Green or high performance buildings, by definition, explicitly incorporate the principles of sustainability into their design, construction and operation. They incorporate: economic considerations (such as life cycle cost and value); social considerations (such as the health and comfort of building users); the impacts on surrounding community; and consideration of the stresses that buildings impose on regional environmental quality. As articles illustrate again and again, green buildings are consistently superior to their conventional counterparts in each of these respects. Progressive building owners and managers in BC, in both public and private sectors, have begun to embrace green building practices. In fact, BC is recognized as a leader in Canada in the design and construction of green buildings, with more than 50% of Canada’s registered LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) projects. While impressive, this still represents less than 5% of the new construction in our province. As a result, the Premier raised the standard for all new government buildings in BC to be built to LEED® Gold or equivalent standard. Green Buildings BC is a program of the Province of BC that can help start you on your way to a more energy efficient future. Available for provincial health and education facilities since 2000, Green Buildings BC has now been expanded to offer more services to the government sector. Whether it’s answering questions, undertaking an opportunity assessment of your facilities, or helping to develop a business case, they’re here to help. "The key to our success has been the program's ability to overcome the two biggest obstacles to implementing retrofits: cost of capital and management of risk," says Brian Miltimore, manager of Green Buildings BC. Under the Green Building BC Retrofit Program, retrofit projects don’t have to compete with other priorities for scarce operating and capital funds. The cost is repaid by the utility savings they generate. The program enables client institutions to borrow money at discounted interest rates, and to obtain either performance guarantees or insurance coverage guaranteeing specific energy savings. Here's how it works: clients borrow money from a $50 million pool of credit established for the program by the
