Blatchford Field's ambitious green goal could be a decade away

City administrators say they can achieve council's vision fora clean, green Blatchford Field neighbourhood. Butnot with the technology that exists today.

Whenthe old City Centre Airport propertywas closed in 2009, city council approvedan ambitious plan: a carbon-neutral neighbourhood for 30,000 people that runs completely on renewable energy.

Obviously, it's a lot of work to get something that ambitious to the finish line.-Mayor Don Iveson

Nowa new city report says it could take more than a decade for theplan to befully implemented.

The report, submitted to council's executive committee Tuesday, lays out actual details on several approachesto reach that goal.

It lays out a plan that combines energy-efficient buildings with a district energy sharing system (DESS).instead of every home having an individual heating system, it proposed the whole neighbourhood would be connected by pipes that pump in heat from a central location.

That heat would be generated from a combination of solar power, geo-exchangeand capturedwasted heat from Blatchford's sewer system.

The report says council's goal of 100 per cent renewable energy is technically feasible. However, Mayor Don Iveson says that with current technology, it will cost more than what the city can currentlyafford.

Betting on future tech

Instead, the report suggests a piecemeal approach, starting development and then adding to the DESS as new technology makes it more cost-effective.

"We can add on whatever technologies emerge in the next zero to 25 yearsbasically," said Mark Hall, executive director of the Blatchford Field project.

"We haven't limited our ability to respond to technology."

Part of the equation the city has to consider is changing trends in the way people use power, pluslooming advances in solar power.

"It doesn't happen overnight," Hallsaid.

Hall said one of the challengesis finding builders who are interested in the modular approach.

Iveson says he's comfortable with the project's timeline.

"Obviously, it's a lot of work to get something that ambitious to the finish line," he added.

Iveson said even though the heating system might not be ready initially, most of the energy savings will come from highly-efficient buildings, which will be in place right away. New technology will eventually get the projectcloser to thegoal.

City council scaled back the development last year, scrapping a planned geothermal/biomass powerplant and a pneumatic waste-removal system due to cost.

Residents are expected to start moving into Blatchford Field in late 2016 or early 2017.