Whistler2020 Accelerated is a series of columns I am writing for WHISTLERtoday: Your Inside Edge to the 2010 Winter Games. The series profiles sustainability initiatives and stories that are accelerating Whistler’s community journey toward sustainability.
Last week, the Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) was given an award from the Canadian Green Building Council (CaGBC) for its achievements in green buildings related to the Games, of which the library (Whistler Canada Olympic House during the Games) is one.
Green buildings don’t just happen, they are the result of vision and planning. In Whistler, they happen because of the community’s commitment to Whistler2020. The impact of green buildings goes beyond just environmental protection, they enhance the social and economic well being of the community, and the library is a perfect example of this.
First of all, the library will be LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold certified. The building incorporates passive solar design principles, a geothermal heating and cooling system, high efficiency baseboard heaters, and compact fluorescent light bulbs, all of which earn LEED credits. LEED is one of the most recognized third party green building rating systems and is administered by the Canadian Green Building Council.
The building uses low-emitting and local materials, maximizes the use of natural light and air, and reduces water use. It is projected to use 45 to 50 per cent less energy and to produce 13.7 tonnes less of greenhouse gasses than a comparable facility with no environmental initiatives.
The library’s green roof incorporates the use of hemlock, a locally available, renewable, and abundant local resource.
How was this all paid for? External funding helped partially underwrite the costs of environmental initiatives: BC Hydro’s Small Commercial High Performance Building Program awarded the project a one-time grant of up to $10,987 for energy efficient lighting design and capital costs based upon an evaluated lighting energy savings of 63,344 kWh/year.
In 2006, the Federation of Canadian Municipalities Green Municipal Fund awarded the project a one-time grant of $560,000 plus a loan of $3,200,000 to offset costs of designing and building an environmentally responsible building.
The Community Foundation of Whistler contributed $10,000 towards the additional costs for a green roof. The Coast Forest Lumber Association donated $20,000 to use hemlock wood in the construction of the library roof and the wood was purchased at cost.
Whistler’s library is not the only green building in town; this week we will profile other green building initiatives what Whistler is engaged in, that help keep us on the cutting edge.
The library is Whistler Canada Olympic House during the Olympic Games. It will be open to the public every Saturday morning and for the Closing Cermony.
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