
(Left to Right) TRU Board Chair Hee-Young Chung, Chancellor DeDe DeRose, Creative Energy Senior Vice-President of Development Diego Mandelbaum, and TRU President Brett Fairbairn at a groundbreaking ceremony for the new Low-Carbon District Energy System. (Photo via TRU)
Thompson Rivers University has broken ground on a new Low-Carbon District Energy System (LCDES) at its Kamloops campus.
It says the project, which is a collaboration between TRU, Creative Energy, and BC Hydro, will make the university one of the first in North America to reach a zero carbon, meaning no carbon emissions are being produced from a product or service
“Today marks a pivotal moment in TRU’s sustainability journey,” TRU President Brett Fairbairn said. “The LCDES will not only transform our campus into one of the greenest in North America but will also serve as a model for universities and communities around the world.”
“Our partnership with Creative Energy and BC Hydro is crucial in realizing this vision and together we are making a lasting impact on our environment.”
TRU says in a statement that the LCDES will replace the university’s aging natural gas boilers with a high-efficiency electrified district heating system powered by renewable electricity – a move that they say will eliminate over 100,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions over the next 30 years.
The groundbreaking ceremony was held at the future site of the Sustainability Powerhouse on the TRU Kamloops campus, with construction expected to begin this fall.
“The powerhouse features cutting-edge air-source and water-source heat pumps, along with backup and peaking boilers, ensuring that TRU’s campus remains resilient and energy-efficient,” the TRU statement said.
“The system will initially connect 13 key buildings on campus, with plans for future expansion to additional buildings, including those owned by the City of Kamloops and those being developed by the TRU Community Trust.”
For more on the LCDES project, go here.