VANCOUVER: Coast Salish Elementary is leading the charge toward sustainability, becoming School District No. 43's newest and first 'green' school thanks to innovative energy measures, a strong commitment to education, funding from the Government of B.C. and a partnership with BC Hydro.
Equipped with solar panels, a hybrid heat pump, LED lighting and advanced technology to track energy production and consumption, the school has seamlessly integrated sustainability into classroom learning while significantly reducing its carbon footprint.
"Coast Salish Elementary benefitted from more than $46,000 in CleanBC funding, allowing them to offset 40 per cent on the cost of installing a heat pump," said Adrian Dix, Minister of Energy and Climate Solutions. "Our government remains committed to providing British Columbians with the tools they need to make greener choices."
Coast Salish Elementary's energy systems are projected to save about 742 tonnes of carbon emissions over 15 years, equivalent to taking almost a dozen gas-powered cars off the road. Additionally, these energy efficiency measures have contributed to operational savings, allowing the school's bills to be 20 per cent less on average compared to other schools of similar size.
"It fills my heart to see projects like this one come to fruition in my community," said Jodie Wickens, MLA for Coquitlam-Burke Mountain. "Coast Salish Elementary is an amazing example of cross-government collaboration – first through providing childcare spaces onsite and now by becoming Coquitlam's first 'green' school."
Since opening in 2023, Coast Salish Elementary has leveraged innovative technologies to boost energy efficiency and reduce emissions. Students actively engage with BC Hydro's MyHydro app, which allows them to track energy consumption in near real-time and make informed decisions to conserve electricity and lower costs.
"Energy education is embedded in our students' learning experience," said Frank Pearse, Principal of Coast Salish Elementary. "Our teachers love using My Solar Edge, a real-time solar panel monitoring app, to show students the energy being captured by our solar array. It's exciting to see Grade 4 and 5 students look out the window, watch the sunlight hit the panels, and then track the increase in energy capture on the classroom graph."
School District No. 43 has been prioritizing carbon-neutral school design, leveraging funding and other support from the Province and BC Hydro. Their green school strategy emphasizes the use of clean energy – both produced on site and supplied by BC Hydro – to reduce emissions to as close to net zero as possible.
"Using energy efficiently is the cleanest and most cost-effective way to meet growing demand," said Chris O'Riley, President and CEO of BC Hydro. "BC Hydro has been a leader in energy efficiency for over 30 years, helping our customers reduce their bills and electricity usage. Through our new expanded Energy Efficiency Plan, BC Hydro is investing over $700 million in tools, technology, programs and rebates for customers over the next three years to encourage energy-efficient choices."
For their commitment to energy conservation and sustainability, BC Hydro has awarded Coast Salish Elementary the Clean Energy Champion designation. BC Hydro is accepting nominations from B.C. residents, businesses, municipalities, or Indigenous and community groups that have taken steps to lower their carbon footprint and adopt new clean energy technologies. If you or someone you know is a Clean Energy Champion, nominate them at bchydro.com/cleanenergychampions.
Contact:
BC Hydro Media Relations
Email: media@bchydro.com
Phone: 604 928 6468