Public Content Library

Bioenergy Research Demonstration Facility

At UBC's Bioenergy Research Demonstration Facility, a first of its kind project in North America, the system processes renewable biomass to generate thermal energy supplied via UBC’s new district energy system for heating campus buildings. The BRDF reduces UBC’s reliance on fossil fuels, provides a quarter of campus heating needs, and eliminates 14% of campus greenhouse gas emissions. In addition, a 2MW cogeneration engine uses Renewable Natural Gas to generate over 5% of the power for UBC’s electrical grid, while waste heat from the electrical generation process is also used for heating buildings. The BRDF is a signature Campus as a Living Laboratory project, integrating UBC’s core academic mandate of research and teaching with our district infrastructure, all within a facility that is a showcase for cross-laminated-timber products made in British Columbia (CLT).

Campus Energy Centre

The Campus Energy Centre (CEC) is UBC’s $24 million state-of-the-art hot water boiler facility. Located in the heart of our 1,000 acre campus. The CEC is part of UBC’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction program. Through the CEC’s high-efficiency energy production, our new district energy system, BRDF and demand side energy conservation programs, we have reduced UBC’s annual carbon dioxide (CO2) footprint by 34 per cent from a 2007 baseline levels. The CEC utilizes three 15 megawatt (MW) thermal, natural gas fired, high-efficiency boilers a Condensing Economizer to improve the facility’s energy efficiency and three Bell and Gosset 250hp distribution pumps to supply the thermal energy through UBC’s 24k kilometers of supply and return water piping. The CEC is a LEED® Gold certified building, and the second utility facility UBC has constructed using CLT that has achieved the LEED Gold standard, the first being the BRDF.