INNOVATION November-December 2018

investment from all levels of government in coming years. With increased capital funding available and support programs in place for societies to obtain professional advice, there is a significant opportunity for more professional engineers to become involved in the non-profit housing sector. Over 75 societies have already submitted applications for SHRSP, for projects ranging from simple lighting retrofits to deep, full-building retrofits. The opportunity now exists for professional engineers to apply their knowledge and expertise to ensure that BC’s affordable housing sector remains sustainable for generations to come. j Mike Gamble, P.Eng., is a mechanical engineer within the Asset Management department at BC Non-Profit Housing Association, which is the provincial umbrella organization for the non-profit housing sector. The Asset Management department supports its members to maximize long-term operation of building assets though education, energy retrofit coaching, and capital planning services.

future projects. For example, Senior Citizens Housing of Surrey, BC, decided to proactively replace their boilers to prevent an unexpected loss of service in the winter. They asked professional engineers to help—and Don Beaton, their maintenance manager, now says other societies should think about doing the same. “The engineers took care of everything so that we could focus on running the building, he says. “Whether it was obtaining permits, coordinating with the contractor, or accessing rebates, they managed the process For years, BCNPHA has been lobbying for funding programs that not only incentivize high-eÆciency retroÅts, but also provide funding for professional advice to ensure projects are professionally evaluated and implemented. There has been broad agreement that lack of funding for professional support was a major barrier to energy-saving potential. A collaboration led by FortisBC, between BCNPHA, BC Housing, and BC Hydro, resulted in a new program called the Social Housing Retrofit Support Program (SHRSP). Through a single SHRSP application, non-profit housing societies can access: • up to $5,000 of funding towards an energy study to help identify measures and provide an accurate business case for the board to consider; • up to $7,000 of funding towards retaining an engineer to prepare design documentation and manage the construction process; and • financial incentives to reduce the cost of high-efficiency equipment, such as boilers, envelope retrofit, and heat pumps. In addition, the Ministry of Energy, Mines, & Petroleum Resources has collaborated with utilities to integrate EfficiencyBC’s Social Housing Incentive Program with SHRSP, ensuring a streamlined experience. The EfficiencyBC program offers societies additional funding to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, through natural gas efficiency and fuel switching measures that complement the traditional demand-side management measures offered by the utilities. What makes these programs innovative is that multiple utilities and stakeholders have come together to make professional advice available, and to promote energy conservation and efficiency across the sector throughout BC. ENGINEERS HAVE A ROLE TO PLAY The timing of these new programs is ideal, because the affordable housing sector is about to experience significant so that we can focus on what we do best.” FUNDING IS PART OF THE SOLUTION

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