Industry News

The boiler system residing at the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) is a little ways yet from operational, but as Alexandre Hebert explains, the system is much more than just a biomass boiler; it’s a learning tool.

“Our core business is education – everything we do is for students first, and the co-benefit is that it’s good for the planet,” says Hebert, who is BCIT’s manager of zero-emissions buildings and energy systems application.

Hebert and his team have planned the boiler system down to the last screw. Every facet of the system was designed with an educational purpose in mind.

Energy from the boiler will heat what BCIT calls its Factor Four buildings, seven buildings used by the college’s School of Construction and the Environment. Factor Four is an initiative led by the department to reduce its emissions by 75 per cent (check out their blog at www.commons.bcit.ca/factorfour). The welding shop, in particular, uses significant energy in the winter because of its ventilation system to control particulates from the welding process.