There is “tremendous interest in electrifying buildings” in Canada, according to Mariko Michasiw.
And Michasiw, program manager for British Columbia’s Building to Electrification Coalition, would know.
The Building to Electrification Coalition was launched in 2021 by Vancouver’s Zero Emissions Innovation Centre (an independent non-profit organization that acts as hub for urban decarbonization in BC) to unify builders, governments, and industry groups toward lower-carbon tactics.
The network aims to shift the market toward “a future where electrification is the most compelling choice for new and existing buildings.”
This month, the B2E celebrated its 250th member: Village Mechanical, an HVAC contractor based out of Terrace (a small but entrepreneurial town, having also sprouted rural food delivery startup Spyce).
Among the Coalitions diverse array of members are Colliers, Vancity, Concert Properties, BC Housing, the City of Victoria, the Township of Langley, YVR Airport, the City of Nelson, Thomspon Rivers University, ForeSight Canada, Mitsubishi Electric, and Johnson Controls.
In total, the Coalition counts 15 government entities, 28 associations, 186 industry members, 65 across trades and manufacturing, 93 in design and engineering, 50 in education, research, nonprofit.
“Across B.C., our members see economic opportunity for energy-efficient, electric homes and workplaces,” says Michasiw. “We’re working to break down silos and share knowledge and practice to get there.”
For example, “Heat pumps provide low-carbon heating and cooling, using up to three times less energy than gas furnaces,” Michasiw offers, “cutting emissions and energy bills while creating healthy homes and workplaces.”