Client
Vancouver Community College
Location
Vancouver, BC
Service Areas
Project background
Vancouver Community College (VCC) has consistently prioritized energy management and lighting upgrades to reduce costs and emissions while improving operations and occupant comfort.
In recent years, VCC has expanded its focus to climate action, emphasizing both mitigation (emissions reduction) and adaptation (identifying and addressing climate change impacts). As a long-standing client, VCC engaged Prism to assess its existing building systems and identify opportunities for decarbonization and climate resilience improvements.
Our approach
Prism developed building decarbonization studies for both the Downtown and Broadway campuses. By conducting these studies simultaneously, we minimized disruptions for VCC staff, streamlined data collection, and optimized available funding.
Additionally, our multidisciplinary team collaborated internally to identify low carbon resilience solutions that addressed both decarbonization and climate resilience objectives, as seen in Figure 1.
Our approach focused on two key areas:
- Energy Management and Decarbonization
Identifying low-cost, immediate actions and long-term capital upgrades that VCC can implement during equipment renewals to manage energy consumption and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
- Climate Risk and Resilience
Engaging stakeholders and analyzing site data to identify climate hazard vulnerabilities, assign risk scores, and recommend targeted resilience measures. These measures will help VCC integrate climate adaptation into asset management planning, ensuring that new equipment and system upgrades mitigate existing risks and meet future climatic demands.
Figure 1: Prism’s Low Carbon Resilience Approach combines climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts.
Data support from PUMA
Our analysis included a review of the facilities’ historical energy data, which we accessed with support from PUMA. Moving forward, PUMA’s utility data and GHG tracking modules will enable VCC to monitor the impact of implemented measures, ensuring progress toward sustainability goals.
Building internal staff capacity
Prism also provided Climate Risk Assessment training for VCC staff, raising awareness of regional climate hazards, their potential impact on building equipment and operations, and strategies to increase climate resilience in the short and long term.
Benefits beyond campus
Climate resilience improvements provide multiple co-benefits for students, faculty, staff, and the community, including:
- Improved occupant comfort and air quality.
- Reduced risk and length of time for service disruptions.
- Enhanced ability for VCC buildings to serve as community cooling shelters during heat waves.
Looking Ahead
Vancouver Community College’s next step is to develop an implementation plan that ensures timely action on recommended measures and maximizes funding opportunities. By prioritizing climate resilience and decarbonization, VCC is reinforcing its commitment to sustainability and preparing its campuses for a changing climate.
Banner image: Vancouver Community College – VCC Broadway Wikimedia Commons