GC 2020
18 results found
-
Control energy efficiency of systems in buildings, rate it as a standard like A, B, C, D, ...
Control, approve and publish the rate of energy consumption and carbon emission of the mechanical equipments in all of the buildings that encourage the people to utilizing the sustainable energy and environmental pollution free system and equipments.
6 votesPart of the draft Greenest City Action Plan is to implement mandatory energy performance disclosure through a building labeling program
-
Invent roofs with adjustable reflection coefficient
Expanding on the suggestion by Hashem Akbari's to combat climate change by painting all roofs and paved surfaces in the USA white, our idea is to develop roof materials that can change their reflection coefficient by changing their colour to cover a range from black to white. Regions like Vancouver, with warm summers and cold winters, should have white roofs in the summer and black roofs in the winter, to minimize air conditioning and heating energy needs throughout the year. Roofs with adjustable reflection coefficient could be "dimmed" from inside a house as simply as a light. Smart house technology…
6 votesCurrently exploring an approach to addressing cool roofs, green roofs & walls.
-
Green school/Demonstration Centre
The two biggest barriers I see for people choosing to ignore green principles and continue in a throw away mentality is 1) Education 2) Ease of change. People need to understand and it has to be cheep and easy to do---guess what, It is!!!!!! Lectures, pamphlets, workshops--these are all good things--but seriously lets stop yapping and just start doing and showing. There is no better way of understanding what and how things can be done then by actually doing it. By sight, by touch and by participating.
Lets build a demonstration centre on a vacant lot which aims to discover…15 votesA key strategy to meet the 2020 targets is education. The Draft Greenest City Action Plan indicates the City’s intention to support and encourage educational and training opportunities.
-
Grants for passive houses and buildings
The term Passive house (Passivhaus in German) refers to the rigorous, voluntary, Passivhaus standard for energy efficiency in a building, reducing its ecological footprint.[1] It results in ultra-low energy buildings that require little energy for space heating or cooling.[2][3] A similar standard, MINERGIE-P, is used in Switzerland.[4] The standard is not confined only to residential properties; several office buildings, schools, kindergartens and a supermarket have also been constructed to the standard.
20 votesThe draft Greenest City Action Plan includes strategies to make energy efficient new buildings more affordable through fee-bates, code relaxations and financial tools.
-
Reduce electrical permits for solar (saving...) Right now the cost of an electrical permit for a
Right now the cost of an electrical permit for a solar photovoltaic system is three times the cost of one for a diesel generator of the same capacity. By reducing this cost it would encourage green energy while not significantly affecting city revenues.
12 votesIn order to meet the target of carbon neutral buildings by 2020 the draft Greenest City Action Plan will address ways and means of making alternative energy systems more affordable.
-
Require all properties to capture rainwater/manage rainwater runoff on-site
In a city like ours, we should not be letting valuable rainwater sheet off the sidewalks and streets all winter, while we use drinking water to flush our toilets!
While this ventures into the territory of the provincial building code, the City of Vancouver can show leadership in requiring all buildings to capture and manage rainwater run-off on-site (e.g. through rainwater cisterns, stormwater planters, rain gardens, bioswales, etc.). There are many policy precedents for this in Germany, and excellent examples of beautiful rainwater management in Portland.
Reducing stormwater runoff will reduce incidents of sewage overflow (combined sewer overflow events) into…
19 votesThis is captured in rezoning requirements. The City has also developed a Waterwise Landscape Guide http://vancouver.ca/commsvcs/guidelines/W005.pdf
-
Solar Water Heaters on roofs
Change the building code to allow solar water heaters on residential roofs,
23 votesVancouver’s Solar Homes Pilot is offering $4300 towards the cost of solar hot water systems in Vancouver – this is roughly 50 per cent of the cost of a system. The funding is available to 30 homes on a first come, first served basis. In order to qualify for the rebate, your system must be installed by December 31, 2010.
Details here: http://vancouver.ca/sustainability/SolarHomes.htm
-
Avoid 50-100 year mistakes.
Ensure that long-term infrastructure, especially buildings, are sustainable from the very start.
4 votesOngoing green building programs address sustainability.
-
Mandatory 2 day "Green Building" 2 day workshop for Contractors & Sub Trades
Educate the small business tradespeople in Green Building technology and methods. Workshops would be geared to specific trades/phases in building/renovations e.g. demolition/salvage/recycling options, energy efficient design/products, sustainable and non toxic building materials and reducing what is sent to the landfill. Make it mandatory to attend every two years in order to operate in Vancouver. Offer the courses free to contractors, plumbers, electricians, painters, carpenters etc. Perhaps the province could also provide a tax incentive for attendance to offset their lost revenue.
10 votesWill not be mandatory but are exploring ways to promote, support and develop training & job creation opportunities as part of the draft Greenest City Action Plan.
-
Variable Property Taxes based on FSR
Many SF homes built in the city today have huge footprints. Real estate economics shouldn't govern the size of homes. Reward existing homeowners and new home builders by allowing property tax discounts for greater green space surrounding their homes. Smaller homes with larger proportion of the land landscaped in trees or gardens increases the quality of city life.
5 votesIncentives are being considered for homes that are built sustainability and to be energy efficient.
-
Heat pumps not electric baseboards in all new homes!
Electric baseboard heat is the single largest use of electricity for most condos. They are egregious wastes of electricity and provide inferior heating characteristics. Virtually all are installed with manual thermostats which wastes much more energy. If programmable heat pumps were required as the building code standard electricity consumption could be reduced dramatically, and heat pumps also have the ability of providing air conditioning during our global warming summer heat waves.
18 votesThis idea is included in the draft Greenest City Action Plan
-
Cap building energy consumption for different building types on a per occupant basis NOT area
There is no use in capping annual energy consumption on a per area basis if we continue building larger buildings. If we want to effectively limit total energy use, let's do it on a per occupant basis (i.e. kWh per building occupant).
6 votesWill move toward outcomes based codes which will take area and occupancy into account. This idea is included in the Draft Greenest City Action Plan.
-
15 votes
The draft Greenest City Action Plan includes strategies to make energy efficient new buildings more affordable through fee-bates, code relaxations and financial tools.
-
Futureproof Green Buildings by adapting to projected climate conditions
Green buildings that do not consider future climate conditions are not as energy efficient or as sustainable as they could be
3 votesThis idea is captured in all our green building policy work, particularly our emphasis on passive design.
-
62 votes
The City has an existing pilot incentive program for solar hot water. Incentives and financial tools to support the proliferation of renewable energy is included in the draft Greenest City Action Plan. Details here: http://vancouver.ca/sustainability/SolarHomes.htm
-
create incentives for every homeowner to install Photovoltaics, Wind Turbines, or Solar Hot Water
We have to have a GREEN REVOLUTION to really make a difference in our attempt to be "Sustainable". We have to remove our dependence on fossil fuels. Every home could generate enough power to run most of its appliances. We need a smart grid.
Read "Hot, Flat and Crowded" by Thomas Friedman.
"10 easy steps for a green future" - sorry, some sacrifice is required....
64 votesVancouver’s Solar Homes Pilot is offering $4300 towards the cost of solar hot water systems in Vancouver – this is roughly 50 per cent of the cost of a system. The funding is available to 30 homes on a first come, first served basis. In order to qualify for the rebate, your system must be installed by December 31, 2010.
Beginning January 1, 2011, we will be offering $3,000 towards the cost of a qualifying system. Systems must be installed by February 15, 2011.
Will consider extension of program to other areas/technologies.
Details here: http://vancouver.ca/sustainability/SolarHomes.htm
-
No more floor-to-ceiling windows
Change the building code to reduce floor-to-ceiling windows. This type of condo design requires an unecessarily large amount of energy for heating and cooling. These windows usually have a couch or TV unit or shelf shoved up against them and blocking the view anyway! Even putting a solid wall on the bottom 25% of each storey would reduce energy use. (And hopefully liven up the architecture compared to the currently ubiquitous - and boring - walls of glass condos.)
10 votesGlazing ratios are addressed in our passive design toolkits and may be revised in design guidelines. This idea is included in the Draft Greenest City Action Plan.
-
Label local/green building materials.
I would choose local/green building materials if there were some system of assurance. I would prefer to buy BC wood/materials for my house.
7 votesThe City is supportive of building materials labeling however not in our jurisdiction to implement this.
