The 2020 global pandemic has made this an incredibly difficult year for everyone. Despite this unprecedented year, Energy Save New West is proud to continue supporting our local community with program solutions and incentives designed to improve energy-efficiency of buildings and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the City of New Westminster.
Below, we have compiled a list of notable achievements from this past year and the City looks forward to launching new initiatives in 2021 that will continue the evolution and growth of our community energy program.
Existing Homes
- Added 51 new participants in Existing Homes program bringing total participation to over 750 local residents.
- Provided ENERGY STAR® appliance rebates to over 75 local residents upgrading to energy-efficiency washers
- Issued 12 monthly e-newsletters and increased total subscriber base to 750 local residents.
- Launched new $350 municipal top-up incentive for centrally ducted and ductless heat pumps.
- Increased community awareness of the Clean BC Better Homes “Double the Rebates” incentive program providing up to $15,000 in rebates for home energy upgrades.
High Performance New Homes
- Added 12 new participants High Performance New Home program bringing total participation in the High Performance New Home program to 59 projects.
- Provided program support to New Westminster’s first fully certified Passive House located at 430 Alberta Street.
- Developed and issued a series of new technical bulletins to support implementation of new Energy Step Code requirements for Part 9 and Part 3 buildings in the City of New Westminster.
- Designed and delivered 3 Builder & Designer Breakfast training events that attracted over 250 attendees.
- Issued 12 monthly e-newsletters and increased total subscriber base to 210 to 210 builders, architects and designers.
Multi-Unit Residential Buildings
- Launched new pilot collaboration with Mysa that provided rebates for local residents to purchase over 600 new smart thermostats for electrically heated homes.
- Completed the Metro Vancouver Strata Energy Advisor pilot with 12 building representing 686 units participating. Building tune-ups, control upgrades and boiler replacement will result in greenhouse gas emission savings of 13.8 tonnes of CO2e.
Urban Solar Garden
- Urban Solar Garden installations at Queensborough Community Centre and City Public’ Works Yard passed 200,000 kWh in lifetime renewable energy generation or enough electricity to power 220 homes on an annual basis.
Coming in 2021
- Launch of Empower Me in the City of New Westminster. Empower Me is Canada’s only energy conservation and behaviour change program designed for and delivered by members of diverse, multilingual and underserved communities.
Stay tuned to Energy Save New West in early 2021 as we’ll be announcing additionally program solutions to increase participation, deliver deeper energy reductions and support City of New Westminster program/policy objectives (e.g. Energy Step Code and climate emergency declaration).
On behalf of the City of New Westminster, we want to thank everyone for their continued support! Best wishes over the holiday season.