District Energy Plant

Project completion

Construction of the new District Energy Plant was completed in summer 2019. 

Project background 

UVic’s heating system is comprised of a loop of underground piping, providing heat and hot water to 32 buildings across campus. The system is serviced by natural gas-fired boilers located in the Engineering Lab Wing, the McKinnon building and the Cadboro Commons building. The existing plants have reached the end of their operational lives and require refurbishment or replacing.

The replacement of aging heating infrastructure with the new District Energy Plant will ensure UVic’s ability to accommodate future load growth and provide long-term reliable and cost effective operations. The site provides flexibility for future expansion and connections to buildings not currently part of the district energy loop as well as the possibility to integrate renewable energy systems. 

The system will provide increased capacity to the heating system with a full design capacity of 27.5 MW of thermal heat; enough heat for 3 million square feet of building space or 2,000 single-family homes. The use of efficient boilers fitted with new control systems, and ultra-efficient energy transfer stations across campus will lead to a minimum of 10% in energy savings annually and a reduction in GHG’s by 6,500 tonnes.

The new building demonstrates UVic’s commitment to leadership in sustainability through various strategies including: rainwater-harvesting, use of structure wood, and high efficiency glazing. As of summer 2020, the building design and construction are LEED Gold Standard certified. 

The new District Energy Plant was also built on an existing parking lot and underutilized lanscaped space, as identified as a priority in the Campus Plan to promote a compact campus. 

For more information contact planning@uvic.ca