Government of Canada reducing emissions at the University of Guelph by upgrading the campus heating system

GUELPH, ON, Oct. 9, 2020 /CNW/ - The Government of Canada will continue to protect the health and safety of all Canadians, and to ensure a safe, sustainable, and greener economic recovery. Canadians have come together and done their part. These collective efforts have helped us during the pandemic, and will continue to do so as we work to build a healthy, more resilient, and more prosperous country for everyone.

Today, the Member of Parliament for Guelph, Lloyd Longfield, on behalf of the Minister of Environment and Climate Change, the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, announced approximately $640,000 from the Low Carbon Economy Fund to support the University of Guelph's heating system upgrades. This expansion of the campus flue gas heat recovery system will reduce emissions by decreasing the natural gas used for heating the university centre building and improving heat recovery efficiency through the installation of heat pumps.

Over the lifetime of this project, the University of Guelph will see a cumulative reduction of about 62,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions ? equivalent to removing approximately 19,000 passenger cars off the road for one year.

The University will also connect the university centre building with the main campus heating system using low-temperature hot water piping, making use of underutilized capacity to reduce the consumption of natural gas for heating. Heat pumps will also be installed at the central plant, increasing the use of electricity for heating and improving the efficiency of the heat recovery process.

The funding comes from the Partnerships stream of the Government of Canada's Low Carbon Economy Challenge, which invests in projects that reduce carbon pollution, save money, and create good jobs.

Canada's climate plan is on track to deliver the largest emissions reduction in the country's history. These initiatives are just the beginning. The Government of Canada will continue to bring forward new and enhanced climate action measures to exceed our 2030 target and achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.

Quotes

"The Government of Canada is proud to support innovative projects that reduce emissions and create good jobs. Today's announcement highlights some of the important work the University of Guelph is doing to build a stronger, more resilient, and sustainable community and to mitigate the impact of a changing climate without sacrificing the economy and clean growth. The campus heating system upgrade is a great example of local climate action, which will help Canada meet and exceed its 2030 Paris target, as well as achieve net-zero emissions by 2050."
? The Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Environment and Climate Change

"Local climate action in Guelph is getting a boost from our Government's Low Carbon Economy Fund. Even through a pandemic, we are focused on creating clean jobs and fighting climate change. Great to see the University of Guelph partner with Environment and Climate Change Canada to build a cleaner heating system for the students on campus. This new system will reduce emissions equal to removing 19,000 cars from the road for a year."
? Lloyd Longfield, Member of Parliament for Guelph

"We are pleased to partner with Environment and Climate Change Canada to expand the University's flue gas heat recovery system. It is a win-win for the environment and for our campus to have greater use of this system. The generous support from the federal government helps make improvements like this possible."
? Martha Harley, University of Guelph vice-president (finance, administration and risk)

Quick facts

• The heat pumps improve the amount of heat captured from the flue gas, which is redirected to heat the university buildings.
• The Partnerships stream of the Low Carbon Economy Fund is an important part of Canada's climate action plan, helping put Canada on a path to meet and exceed the Paris Agreement target for 2030.
• The Low Carbon Economy Fund is supporting energy-efficiency projects in provinces and territories across Canada, which will help Canadians and businesses save money by lowering energy bills. Additionally, support is available for industries to put in place clean technologies that will help them be more efficient and innovative, creating jobs and savings across Canada.

Associated links

• Low Carbon Economy Challenge
• Low Carbon Economy Fund
• Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change

Environment and Climate Change Canada's Twitter page

Environment and Climate Change Canada's Facebook page

SOURCE Environment and Climate Change Canada