As Canada’s Green University™, UNBC is committed to being a leader in renewable energy thought and practice, a goal identified in the most recent University Plan. We are demonstrating excellence in energy efficiency while providing leadership to communities in the transition to renewable energy sources.
UNBC's bioenergy project is comprised of two components: a wood pellet system and the biomass gasification system.
In the spring of 2009, UNBC installed Canada’s first university-owned wood pellet heating system. The project showcases the use of bio-energy as a sustainable, carbon-neutral energy source. With much higher energy efficiency than the previous fossil fuel-based heating system, this project has resulted in a savings of 140 tonnes CO2e/year.
One of the project goals was to monitor and mitigate the stack emissions produced by the system. Third party emission tests revealed that the system produced particulate emissions at the same level of natural gas. Beyond its operational function, the facility serves as a valuable demonstration site for public education, with more than 700 political leaders, industry officials, and community residents visiting during the first year alone. This has shown bioenergy to be an attractive alternative heating system in Canada's more than 650 forestry-reliant communities.
Click to view an image of UNBC's Wood Pellet Project:
UNBC’s biomass gasification system began heating the Prince George campus in March, 2011. Provided by Vancouver-based Nexterra, the system provides heat to the core campus buildings and is offsetting about 85% of previous fossil fuel consumption. This $15 million project was funded by the federal and provincial government and fuel is being provided by Lakeland Mills, a family-owned sawmill in Prince George. In addition to being carbon-neutral, the cost of acquiring the sawmill residue is only about 35% of the cost of natural gas.
These projects have swapped more than 63,640 GJ of fossil fuel per year for a clean, renewable source of energy. This reduction is equivalent to driving an average-sized car around the world 391 times.
UNBC’s bioenergy projects are also creating an array of educational and interdisciplinary research opportunities that are of great value to forest-based communities across Canada. UNBC's ability to integrate our teaching, research, and operational activities in the use of bionergy recently resulted in being honoured with the top campus sustainability award in North America.
Click to view an image of the Biomass Gasification System:
Campus Energy Distribution
The Prince George campus is a
showpiece for renewable energy. All of the core campus buildings are
connected to the Power Plant via a utility corridor for the efficient
distribution of heat and power.
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The interior of UNBC's Biomass Gasification building, featuring the oxidizer (centre) and the gasifier behind it to the left.
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| Wood residue from Lakeland Mills, a local sawmill, will provide heat to the core campus buildings in place of fossil fuel. |
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Wood pellets provide heat to the I.K. Barber Enhanced Forestry Lab. |
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Left to right: UNBC president George
Iwama, UNBC Green University Projects and Capital Projects Managers Danielle
Smyth and Doug Carter, and Harvard representative Kevin Bright, accept the 2010 AASHE Award for Best Campus Sustainability Project in North America. UNBC was recognized for leadership in bioenergy.
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