Neighbourhood Energy Utility

The city of Vancouver is currently trying to figure out how to supply heat and hot water to 15,000 people in the Southwest False Creek area, which includes the new Olympic Village. To stick with the new green theme for the Village construction, they're looking at alternative energy sources.

The frontrunner? Wood pellet biomass energy. Creating biomass energy involves burning wood pellets in an incinerator to generate heat. The process has some environmental advantages but also some striking downsides. The process is considered to be carbon neutral but some locals in the area are raising concerns about the process. It will produce effluent that will likely blow towards the east end of False Creek. The process will also require 6,000 tonnes of wood pellets to be trucked in to the neighbourhood. Another concern is particulate production, but local engineers are downgrading this concern by saying that most particulates will be removed in the process by a precipitator.

Engineer Chris Baber is in charge of the project, named the neighbourhood energy utility or NEU. Baber says biomass is the greenest option for providing heat and hot water to residents.

The city has also considered capturing heat from the neighbourhood's sewer lines. This idea of recycling heat is a popular one, yet technically challenging.

Roger Bayley, the architect who is coordinating the project, is in favor of recycling heat from sewer lines. He has been raising concerns about the biomass option among various business groups and city council.

In a Vancouver Sun article from March 9th, Bayley says the proposed biomass project could lead to an "unwarranted increase in emissions," adding that "the use of a purchased and trucked product [is] not in keeping with the standards of sustainability for the community that sought to use 'local' and cheap sources of energy available at the site."

The city will be seeking public input on 'green' energy options until March 31st. Have a say: the NEU model of locally generated alternative energy may be replicated in other neighbourhoods if it is successful.

The photo above was taken by Steve Roe.