[officedweller]

Big article in the Vnacouver Sun on Ian Gillespie's takeover of Central Heat Distribution:

http://www.vancouversun.com/technolo...405/story.html

Westbank Projects developer Ian Gillespie takes control of low-carbon energy program with purchase of Central Heat
Ian Gillespie to convert city’s gas-powered steam heat system as first step

By Jeff Lee, Vancouver Sun
February 24, 2014

...

Central Heat, which provides steam heat to more than 210 buildings in the downtown area, has been in existence since the 1960s. But its six older natural gas boilers, which allow the utility to keep utility rates far below the rest of the industry, are also considered by Vancouver to be the single biggest source of greenhouse gases in the city, producing upwards of 70,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide annually.

As a result, getting Central Heat to convert to low-carbon sources has been a major target of the city’s plan. City Manager Penny Ballem said the city tried unsuccessfully for five years to convince the previous owners to invest in new technology and make the switch.

Last week, in an interview with The Vancouver Sun, Gillespie acknowledged he now plans to convert Central Heat to a low-carbon source and run it through a new company, Creative Energy Canada Platforms Corp. A number of Gillespie’s recent projects, including the Woodward’s and Shangri-La buildings, are hooked up to Central Heat. Eventually, he intends to expand the system to Gastown, Downtown Eastside, south downtown and the West End.

Those areas align perfectly with the city’s low carbon energy strategy, which city council approved in October, 2012. The program is modelled on a pilot project the city built for the 2010 Winter Olympics on the south shore of False Creek. That city-owned utility uses waste heat recovered from sewage lines to power the Olympic Village and surrounding buildings. It requires all new buildings in several key areas of the city to hook into district utilities. In areas where such utilities don’t yet exist, the city still requires new buildings to be built with connections that can be made at a later date.

...

Brian Crowe, the city’s director of water, sewers and district utility, said Central Heat, under its old owner, had also put together a partnership with Fortis BC to provide heat to the northeast False Creek lands being developed by Concord Pacific and Aquilini Investments. However, he said, Central Heat now indicates it will proceed with those service expansions itself.

http://www.vancouversun.com/technolo...405/story.html