Heat Pump Project Will Reduce SCRD’s Total Carbon Pollution by Estimated 15%

Three heat pumps recently installed at the Sechelt Aquatic Centre will keep the pools warm while reducing natural gas use. A fourth heat pump installation is almost complete, returning the pool’s solar thermal system to use.

Implementing energy conservation measures is critical to managing costs and reducing the Sunshine Coast Regional District’s (SCRD) environmental footprint.

Buildings account for 54% of the SCRD’s corporate greenhouse gas emissions. These predominantly come from 12 facilities that rely on natural gas and propane. Of these, the four recreation facilities account for approximately two thirds of building emissions.

Approved as part of Budget 2024, the $250,000 project will reduce SCRD’s total corporate carbon pollution by an estimated 15%. This is the equivalent of a pickup truck driving from Vancouver to Halifax and back 61 times on the Trans-Canada highway! Funding for this project also came from a Provincial Local Government Climate Action Program grant.

This project is directly linked to the SCRD’s Corporate Carbon Neutrality Plan and its targets to reduce carbon pollution by 20% from SCRD services by 2026 and 45% by 2030 from 2019 levels.

For more information on the work being done by the SCRD’s sustainable development division, visit www.scrd.ca/climate.