Ziptrek Ecotours

Building the Future

March 2009

While the state of the global economy is obviously a cause for concern, it is also a time of unprecedented opportunity. Stimulus packages are directing tremendous amounts of money towards “infrastructure development”, and if we are going to spend, it is just common sense to direct these resources towards greener options. The coming large-scale financing of projects can be used to firmly establish the industries that will matter in a more sustainable future.

Whistler committed itself to sustainable development long before this crisis, and as federal governments and local municipalities consider where to allocate these dollars, they would be wise to look to Whistler as a model. As this community considers growth and development, it ensures that it uses all available technologies (and the industries that develop them) to build a more sustainable future.

Reduction of carbon emissions is an essential goal of any responsible community. Whistler will become home to the world’s largest fleet of hydrogen fuel cell buses by the 2010 Olympic Games.  The five-year, $89-million project, while costly, is a landmark commitment to both zero emissions technology and domestic industry. The buses, manufactured in Winnipeg and equipped with fuel cells from Burnaby’s Ballard Power Systems, are twice as efficient as internal combustion engines. They can reach 90 kph, and can travel 500 kilometres before requiring re-filling.

In a similar commitment to efficiency, the building of the Whistler Athlete’s Village for the 2010 games required the development of a sustainable energy strategy. With the assistance of B.C.- based Terasen Energy Systems, the village is incorporating a district energy system that will utilize waste heat from the effluent of the waste water treatment plant. Using heat exchangers, this energy is transferred to a fluid which is pumped around the village in pipes. The fluid in the pipes is then upgraded by heat pumps in the homes to produce usable heat for space heating and domestic hot water production.

This district energy system will provide in excess of 90 percent of the annual heating requirements and up to 75 percent of the domestic hot water requirements for the village. The cost to the consumer will be equal or less than the cost for conventional heating systems.

With a sustainable community as the goal, Whistler has partnered with local cutting-edge businesses to mutual benefit. We can only hope the rest of the world is watching.