Replacing natural gas boilers will cost more than ten million dollars
Photo by Fernanda Solorza.
UVic has set out to reduce its carbon emissions by 50 per cent below their 2010 baseline by 2030, and reach net zero by 2040. In 2023, UVic’s carbon emissions were just under ten thousand tonnes (10 000 tCO2e). To reach this goal, UVic aims to replace the natural gas boilers in the district energy plant with electric ones.
The biggest challenge UVic faces in achieving its sustainability goal is its current reliance on natural gas boilers. The four massive boilers, located in the district energy plant, supply heat to 80 per cent of campus buildings. Heating is the largest source of UVic carbon emissions, accounting for 97 per cent of total tCO2 emissions.
UVic’s solution is to source heating from a renewable, reliable, and sustainable source, such as hydroelectric power. Changing UVic’s heating source from natural gas to hydroelectric power would significantly reduce emissions, aligning UVic’s energy practices with its commitments under the BC Climate Change Accountability Act.
UVic has been working closely with BC Hydro to ensure success on this project. In an email to the Martlet, a UVic spokesperson said that “BC Hydro has been involved since the early stages of the project, to ensure sufficient capacity within the electrical grid to support the operation of the new boilers.”
UVic has continued to “transition away from the use of natural gas when building systems reach end-of-life or when equipment needs to be replaced,” said the spokesperson. New enhancements to energy metering and automation have helped UVic to access more detailed data and identify opportunities to conserve energy and lower emissions.
“When we are planning new construction or major renovations,” said the spokesperson, “Campus Planning and Facilities Management identify building project requirements that meet or exceed energy and green building design standards.”
Buildings such as the National Centre for Indigenous Laws and Fraser Building expansion, which are currently under construction, have replaced their natural gas boilers with heat pumps.
Since 2019, campus floor area has increased by 11 per cent, with the addition to the Fraser and Engineering building expansions, as well as adding new residence buildings — Cheko’nien House and Sngequ House. Nevertheless, according to a UVic spokesperson, these buildings contribute less than one per cent to UVic’s total GHG emissions, thanks to UVic’s prioritization of low-emission technologies.
The District Energy Plant Electrification Project’s initial design was completed in 2023, but is currently undergoing refinements. “Equipment has been selected and a construction manager [has been] hired to aid in project planning,” the spokesperson said. Once the project gets approval from the Board of Governors, construction is expected to start in Spring 2025.
“The first step of the District Energy Plant Electrification Project will be to build an expansion to the existing District Energy Plant to house two new electric boilers,” said the spokesperson.
Once the boilers are installed, as well as the associated pumps, heat exchangers, and transformers, UVic will prioritize the use of the electric boilers, effectively and immediately reducing its building-heating carbon emissions. The gas boilers will be kept as a redundancy in case of extremely cold days.
This project is estimated to require at least $10 million. In an email to the Martlet, BC Hydro said that it has multiple programs and incentives such as “Feasibility Study Funding” to support business customers. UVic confirmed securing this fund, stating that “BC Hydro has been a key partner in the project providing over $2 million in funding support.”
The remaining necessary funding will come from the Environment & Climate Change Canada’s Low Carbon Economy Fund, the provincial Carbon Neutral Capital Projects fund, and internal funding, although the spokesperson said that “additional Institutional funding is also required, and is under review by the Board of Governors.”
It is still unknown how disruptive this construction will be for everyday campus life, how long it will last, or if additional CO2 emissions may result from construction. According to the spokesperson, UVic has been working on developing interim measures to decrease CO2 emissions while the project is underway, such as the Continuous Optimization Program undertaken by UVic’s Energy Management team and Facilities Management, “which has historically reduced campus emissions by one–two per cent annually.”
“The right-sized electric boilers are efficient, low-maintenance technology designed to meet our heating needs without adding operational complexity or requiring new construction,” said the spokesperson.
Although there are still some aspects to revise, including construction planning and budget, decarbonizing UVic’s district energy plant is a critical step in its sustainability journey, and it’s alignment with the BC Climate Change Accountability Act.
