Vancouver's Leader in Transition toward Strong, Resilient, Complete Communities

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Join VV's Energy Network to help pare our energy "needs" down to the minimum, using only renewable and sustainable sources. We are a network of solutions at every scale, from homes to communities and cities to the globe.

Members: 51
Latest Activity: Dec 14, 2014

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Summary and Resources

Current Project: FED-AP. Our Food Energy Descent and Action Plan.

(Community Food Resiliency Plan.)

Our city claims its "emissions have already been reduced to 1990 levels and Vancouver is on track to meeting the Kyoto target (6% below 1990 levels by 2012)." But with Vancouver BC's largest city, how does this square with the fact that the province's GHG emissions are up 32% in this same time period? Vancouver added a hundred and forty thousand people (+28%), built 70,000 new dwelling units with insulation at just R-2 while ripping down and carting away 20,000 better-insulated homes in the process, and all this growth and development activity "reduced" Vancouver's carbon emissions?

If this assertion by Vancouver City Hall were even true, is it due to the de-industrialization of Vancouver and the flight of jobs out into surrounding cities, causing ever more commuting traffic and harder-to-serve pathways for transit? And why are Vancouver's huge port GHG emissions strangely left out of its reporting? What else was excluded? Cement production, the most carbon-intensive building material, doubled since 1990, and Vancouver used much of it. But of course, all of it came from Delta or Richmond.

Do you feel Vancouver has an adequate Energy Descent Plan? How would we live using only a fraction of the energy we currently use?

This Village Vancouver Energy research and project Team is charged with analysing and critiquing Vancouver's energy performance, making recommendations for improvements, and--most importantly--implementing them. We are not just a talk shop. We set targets and measure our progress, openly and right here on this site.

A unique and comprehensive resource on energy sustainability across almost all uses is David MacKay's Sustainable Energy Without the Hot Air, available free on-line by clicking here.

Check out how to install a Solar Roof here.

The best collection of research links on Peak Oil and alternative energy, the latter customized to the climate of the Northwest, is here on the Sightline Institute's web site. If you know of other important resources, please post them on these pages here or

While acting locally, global thinking is also needed. Few better arguments for building a green energy economy, and suggesting clear policy means of to do so, are the subject of this April 2010 article by Nobel-Prize-winning economist Paul Krugman--click here to view as a PDF . Carbon taxes, carbon tariffs, and global carbon cap-and-trade are all discussed here, rationally and fairly.

Discussion Forum

New Policy in Vancouver Increases Cost of Solar PV Installations

Started by Rob Baxter Dec 14, 2014. 0 Replies 0 Likes

A new policy at the City of Vancouver means that the cost of permitting a PV system in Vancouver is 6 times the cost of an equivalent system in Toronto.Please consider contacting the City of…Continue

7 Years of 100% Solar Energy In North Vancouver

Started by Rob Baxter Apr 9, 2013. 0 Replies 0 Likes

This June will mark seven years that North Vancouver resident Doug Horn has been producing all of his electrical needs from a solar energy system on his roof.read more at:…Continue

Tags: north, vancouver, energy, solar

Peak Oil Preparation - What Else To Think About

Started by Ross Moster. Last reply by lucien.power Nov 8, 2012. 1 Reply 0 Likes

Time: August 19, 2012 from 5pm to 8pmLocation: Kitsilano, near beach, RSVP for…Continue

UBC Study on reducing energy consumption in Vancouver by 80% by 2050

Started by Ann Pacey. Last reply by Kiefer Elliott Jun 21, 2012. 1 Reply 0 Likes

Hi AllInteresting article about transitioning to a lower energy (80% less) city by 2050, prepared by a UBC professor and students …Continue

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The Energy Bulletin of the non-profit Post Carbon Institute

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Comment by Rob Baxter on October 23, 2014 at 12:41pm: Come learn about an energy descent plan for Vancouver:

At the Zero Fossil Fuels launch on October 27 learn how Vancouver could move to zero fossil fuels using solutions that are already available. SPEC President Rob Baxter will present a detailed overview of possible solutions as we launch this campaign to educate the public about alternatives to fossil fuels. Ben West of Forest Ethics will also speak about his experience campaigning on climate change and about his upcoming book on global warming solutions.

Event begins at 6:30 p.m. at Room C300, UBC Robson Square, in Vancouver. It’s FREE but per-registration is required:
http://spec.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=532c1f022fc0c1b8ba6f6...

Comment by Rob Baxter on December 31, 2013 at 12:46pm: Record-Breaking Year for Solar Energy in Vancouver -
http://ow.ly/s9Dsj

Comment by Rob Baxter on September 25, 2012 at 9:14pm: Free windows! I have a pile of windows left over from greenhouse / cold frame building projects. Build your own cold frame and or greenhouse.

Comment by Rob Baxter on January 23, 2012 at 12:57pm: BC Hydro has applied to raise the rate paid for electricity generated under the net-metering program. This means that owners of solar photovoltaic, wind or micro-hydro energy systems will receive more for the excess energy they produce.

For more info see:
http://www.vrec.ca/bc-hydro-to-raise-rates-paid-for-renewables

For information on the public comment opportunities see:
http://www.bcuc.com/Documents/Proceedings/2011/DOC_29477_B-6_BCH-Co...

Comment by myna lee johnstone on January 26, 2011 at 4:42pm: @Kiefer Elliott

got some data on this?

Comment by John Robertson on January 26, 2011 at 10:59am: This is my installation of vacuum tube solar water heater on the south facing open porch or loggia of my cottage. I used 3 inch PVC tubes through a rubber vent boot from the attic to contain the input and output lines and wrapped the lines with heat tape. Heater is working well. Solar heated water feeds into 25 gallon water tank inside cottage.

Comment by Ann Pacey on January 19, 2011 at 9:02am: I highly recommend the recently released scheme of Tradable Energy Quotas (TEQ). Transition's Shaun Chamberlain presents the system on 2 video clips, and the report is available here http://teqs.net/report/.

This is a brilliant scheme for tackling fuel shortages and climate change.

Comment by myna lee johnstone on November 25, 2010 at 12:14am: I live on Saltspring Island. Our 2 major sources of C02 are: woodstoves and ofcourse automobiles.

Comment by Randy Chatterjee on November 24, 2010 at 8:54pm: John,
It sounds like you have already built with significant resilience. Many homes were without heat and/or power this past few days, and it sounds as if you fared better than most. I think the wood stove is a godsend, high tech in the way you've rigged it for heat distribution, but ultimately still 500-year-old bullet-proof simplicity. You are many steps ahead of the rest of us.

Comment by John Robertson on November 24, 2010 at 3:51pm: No power for 45 hours last weekend. Burnt a cord of wood to keep house warm. We have gravity water tanks so plumbing works. Propane for lighting. No machine noise or media. Read quite a bit. Neighbours with propane stove had a potluck. Not so bad really.