 |
|
|
Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources Ministry of Forests and Range and Minister responsible for Housing |
|
|
PROVINCE INVESTS $600K TO EXPAND GREEN SOCIAL
HOUSING |
|
VANCOUVER – The provincial government is investing $600,000
to expand a successful pilot project that will add energy efficiency features
to 90 more social housing developments, Minister of Energy, Mines and Petroleum
Resources Richard Neufeld and Minister responsible for Housing Rich Coleman
announced today.
“Increasing energy efficiency of our buildings will help curb the growing demand for electricity in British Columbia,” said Neufeld. “The BC Energy Plan identifies conservation as the first and best way of ensuring our energy security and achieving electricity self-sufficiency by 2016.”
“This project demonstrates the Province’s commitment to provide quality supportive housing and is in line with the new eco-friendly seniors’ and supportive housing developments the Province has built recently,” Coleman said. “The new features will save electricity, help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and allow energy cost savings to be directed to increased services for residents.”
The program works by installing energy efficient lighting, appliances and heating control systems to existing social housing units throughout the province and will raise conservation awareness among residents through a partnership with the BC Non-Profit Housing Association.
Last year, a pilot program saw
energy efficient features added to 49 social housing buildings across British
Columbia. These retrofits, combined with other measures implemented
by the Province, resulted in an estimated savings of 2.5
million kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity annually. The expanded program is estimated to
save five million kilowatt hours of electricity annually, the equivalent to
replacing 120,000 60-watt incandescent light bulbs.
The pilot program will be expanded for three years with the funding announced today from the provincial government, BC Hydro and Green Buildings BC – the agency responsible for increasing the sustainability of government buildings. The savings generated from the pilot program are also being reinvested into the program expansion. Part of the funds will go towards two new full-time positions: one to oversee the retrofits and one to provide energy conservation education in partnership with the BC Non-Profit Housing Association.
“Conservation action begins at home, so we are very pleased for these additional resources to be allocated for working with tenants,” said Karen Stone, executive director of the BC Non-Profit Housing Association. “We look forward to supporting this initiative.”
“British Columbia is leading the way in energy conservation measures through programs like this,” said BC Hydro CEO Bob Elton. “By identifying ways to make social housing more energy efficient and sustainable, these partnerships are helping BC Hydro achieve the goal of meeting 50 percent of the province’s future energy needs through conservation.”
-30-
For more information on energy efficient features and conservation, visit www.bchydro.com/powersmart
|
contact: |
Media Relations BC Hydro 604 623-4022
|
BC Housing 604 439-8583
|
|
|
Public Affairs Officer Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources 250 952-0628 250 213-6934 (cell)
|
|
|
For more information on government services or to subscribe to the Province’s news feeds using RSS, visit the Province’s website at www.gov.bc.ca. |
||
