{"id":7295,"date":"2021-05-26T22:28:32","date_gmt":"2021-05-26T22:28:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/impacteng.ca\/?p=7295"},"modified":"2021-05-26T22:28:33","modified_gmt":"2021-05-26T22:28:33","slug":"bc-electrification-roadmap-low-carbon-future","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/impacteng.ca\/news\/bc-electrification-roadmap-low-carbon-future\/","title":{"rendered":"BC Electrification Roadmap \u2013 Low Carbon Future"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
In March 2021, British Columbia\u2019s Building Electrification Road Map was issued.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The overarching goal of the Road Map is to significantly reduce the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions attributable to BC’s building sector and to achieve the following vision:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
By 2030, nearly all new and most replacement space heating and domestic hot water systems in BC’s homes and buildings will be high-efficiency electric, in pursuit of a province-wide shift to low-carbon buildings.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n British Columbia\u2019s Building Electrification Road Map, March 2021<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n British Columbia has abundant access to clean, renewable energy in the form of Hydroelectric power, and this fuel source provides a pathway to achieving carbon reduction targets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Heat Pump technology can be implemented in new and existing buildings to electrify traditional fossil fueled equipment, such as boilers and help us achieve net zero emission targets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A heat pump is a device that transfers heat from one location to another location using pressurized liquid and gas refrigerant. A simple example of a typical heat pump can be found in the home, where split DX systems are often installed to provide cooling in summer, and heating in winter. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Heat pumps are not new technology, but have advanced significantly in recent years, as they have been applied to buildings to provide heating and cooling, as a low carbon alternative to traditional fossil fueled heating equipment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Heat pumps use electricity to provide heating and \/ or cooling. The ratio of electrical energy input to heating output is referred to as the Coefficient of Performance (COP). Heat pumps typically have a COP in the range of 3.0 to 5.0, that is, they are 300-500% efficient. The most efficient natural gas furnaces have an efficiency of 95%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As natural gas is typically one third the cost of electricity in our province, heat pumps will need to operate at COPs of 3.0 or greater to have an equivalent (or better) operating cost that traditional gas fired heating equipment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Heat pumps are typically broken into Water Source (WSHP) <\/strong>and Air Source (ASHP)<\/strong> types and can be used for building heat\/cooling applications, as well as the generation of domestic hot water. <\/p>\n\n\n\n ASHPs typically use outdoor air to extract or reject heat, although certain heat pumps can be used internally as well, typically in parkade structures, where ambient temperatures remain stable, year-round. ASHPs can use hydronics or refrigerant as the thermal energy transfer medium.<\/p>\n\n\n\nWhat are heat pumps?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Heat Pump Types<\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Air Source Heat Pumps (ASHPs)<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n