Biomass energy generator of Dockside Green

Dockside Green is a

mixed-use Mixed-use is a kind of urban development, urban design, urban planning and/or a zoning type that blends multiple uses, such as residential, commercial, cultural, institutional, or entertainment, into one space, where those functions are to some ...

community in

Victoria, British Columbia Victoria is the capital city of the Canadian province of British Columbia, on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific coast. The city has a population of 91,867, and the Greater Victoria area has a population of 397,237. Th ...

, Canada owned by

Vancity Credit Union Vancouver City Savings Credit Union, commonly referred to as Vancity, is a member-owned financial co-operative headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. By asset size, Vancity is the largest community credit union in Canada , with ...

and noted for its strict adherence to the principles of

sustainable architecture Sustainable architecture is architecture that seeks to minimize the negative environmental impact of buildings through improved efficiency and moderation in the use of materials, energy, development space and the ecosystem at large. Sustainable ...

green building Green building (also known as green construction or sustainable building) refers to both a structure and the application of processes that are environmentally responsible and resource-efficient throughout a building's life-cycle: from planni ...

. The development sits on of Victoria’s Inner Harbour, and was a

brownfield site In urban planning, brownfield land is any previously developed land that is not currently in use. It may be potentially contaminated, but this is not required for the area to be considered brownfield. The term is also used to describe land prev ...

used by

light industry Light industry are industries that usually are less capital-intensive than heavy industry and are more consumer-oriented than business-oriented, as they typically produce smaller consumer goods. Most light industry products are produced for ...

for more than a century. Cleanup cost estimates were up to $12 million, from spilled petrochemicals, toxic heavy metal and the site's landfill (garbage and hazardous factory materials). The project's first and second phases, completed by 2011, have achieved globally significant ratings for sustainability. Dockside Green has a centralized

biomass Biomass is plant-based material used as a fuel for heat or electricity production. It can be in the form of wood, wood residues, energy crops, agricultural residues, and waste from industry, farms, and households. Some people use the terms bi ...

gasification plant that converts waste wood into a heating gas for hot water and heat, with peak period support from natural gas boilers. Biomass generation makes Dockside carbon neutral in

greenhouse gas A greenhouse gas (GHG or GhG) is a gas that Absorption (electromagnetic radiation), absorbs and Emission (electromagnetic radiation), emits radiant energy within the thermal infrared range, causing the greenhouse effect. The primary greenhouse ...

production, with some energy sales to surrounding communities. The development treats its sewage, using treated water for its toilets, irrigation, creeks and ponds system. High-efficiency shower heads, faucets, urinals, dishwashers and clothes-washing machines are standard. Each Dockside accommodation can meter its own cold and hot water, space heating and electricity. Internet connection allows residents remote heating control when they are away. Dockside Green has a

car sharing Carsharing or car sharing (AU, NZ, CA, TH, & US) or car clubs (UK) is a model of car rental where people rent cars for short periods of time, often by the hour. It differs from traditional car rental in that the owners of the cars are often pri ...

program, a planned dock for the harbour ferries, bicycle racks and showers for people commuting to the development’s commercial areas. Bike access is linked into the region's Galloping Goose regional cycling trail. Dockside Green is committed to using the "LEED for Neighborhood Development",USGBC: LEED for Neighborhood Development
/ref> similar to the LEED environmental rating system. Overall design aligns with the principles of

New Urbanism New Urbanism is an urban design movement which promotes environmentally friendly habits by creating walkable neighbourhoods containing a wide range of housing and job types. It arose in the United States in the early 1980s, and has gradually inf ...

, favouring mid-to-high density neighborhoods, a focus on community and a walkable range for most of its residents' daily needs. As a genuinely "mixed use" community Dockside hopes for a mix of suites, a thriving retail and office culture and residents of varying ages, ethnicity and socio-economic levels. The development's team has worked with the municipality of Victoria on a Housing Affordability Strategy to create "affordable housing" (or families in the $30,000 to $60,000 income range). Dockside Green stands on land originally home to the First Nations

Songhees The Lekwungen or Lekungen nation (lək̓ʷəŋən often called the Songhees or Songish by non-Lekwungens) are an Indigenous North American Coast Salish people who reside on southeastern Vancouver Island, British Columbia in the Greater Victoria a ...

people. Developers have included them in on-site celebrations and by including First Nations art and history throughout the site. Dockside has also supported local and Canadian business wherever possible: innovative technology companies involved from British Columbia companies include Nexterra (the

biomass gasification Gasification is a process that converts biomass- or fossil fuel-based carbonaceous materials into gases, including as the largest fractions: nitrogen (N2), carbon monoxide (CO), hydrogen (H2), and carbon dioxide (). This is achieved by reactin ...

plant) and Sol-Air Systems (ultraviolet air decontamination for the sewage facility), and the Canadian company Zenon (sewage treatment process). On October 15, 2017 it was announced that Bosa Development is buying the Dockside Green development from Vancity. The sale for the mixed-use residential and commercial real estate development closes on Dec. 15. Bosa Development will continue to build the project to Dockside’s LEED-ND (leadership in energy and environmental design – neighbourhood development) standards.

References

External links

* https://web.archive.org/web/20070507004556/http://www.docksidegreen.ca/ – the official website for Dockside Green * http://docksidegreen.com/images/stories/bottom/itn/SustainabilityReport2009.pdf – Dockside Green's 2009 Sustainability Report * https://web.archive.org/web/20080306105751/http://www.victoria.ca/cityhall/currentprojects_dockside.shtml – the City of Victoria's resources on Dockside Green * https://web.archive.org/web/20071217212158/http://www.victoria.ca/cityhall/pdfs/currentprojects_dockside_indctr.pdf – a "performance measurement framework" for Dockside Green * http://www.cagbc.org - Canada Green Building Council {{coord , 48.4294, N, 123.3763, W, display=title Buildings and structures in Victoria, British Columbia Sustainable urban planning