Western University in London, Ont., will be able to slash its greenhouse gas emissions by more than 10 per cent by replacing a single natural gas-powered boiler with an electric steam one.
The project is thanks to nearly $4.75 million in federal funding through proceeds of the carbon tax program.
Currently, Western has five natural gas boilers which account for 75 per cent of the entire university’s carbon emissions. Electric boilers produce 80 per cent less emissions than natural gas, meaning replacing one of the boilers — a four-year project — will reduce Western’s overall emissions by roughly 12 per cent.
“The electric boiler will allow us to achieve our target of reducing GHG emissions by 45% before 2030. We celebrate these accomplishments while still remaining committed to achieving net zero emissions for our campus operations by 2050,” Andrew Konowalchuk, associate vice president of facilities management, said at an announcement in Hamilton on Thursday.
Konowalchuk used the opportunity to tout Western University’s other efforts to reduce emissions.
“The new Ronald D. Schmeichel Building for Entrepreneurship and Innovation Is Western’s first net-zero building, and it’s currently under construction … We must also reimagine the existing utility systems at the campus level and also individually in our nearly 100 buildings.”
The university is in the process of “implementing deep energy retrofits” and “optimizing” building systems in order to provide GHG emissions reductions of 60 to 80 per cent in each building, he added.
Thursday’s announcement was part of a wider reveal of funding for universities through Canada’s Decarbonization Incentive Program. In addition to the $4,745,000 allocated to Western, McMaster University in Hamilton will receive $2,087,600 for the installation of electric boilers while York University in Toronto will receive $2,080,000 to upgrade its heating and cooling energy management system to improve energy efficiency.
“In all, these federal investments will enable McMaster, Western and York universities to cut over 35,000 tons of carbon pollution in 2030 through these projects,” said Filomena Tassi, Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario.
“This significant reduction in carbon pollution aligns with Canada’s commitment to the Paris Agreement in its ambitious target to reach net zero emissions by 2050.”
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