Market Square in Saint John, N.B. (Brad Perry/CHSJ News)
A number of buildings in Saint John could soon be powered by evergy created by water in the Harbour.
The money from the Low Carbon Economy Fund be used to develop a District Energy System at Market Square.
The system would connect and provide sustainable heating and cooling to four buildings: Market Square, Genesys, the Hilton, and the Canada Aquatic Games Centre.
Various energy sources will be explored, such as heat recovery, waste energy, and even harnessing geothermal energy from the harbour water.
Other buildings could be connected to the energy system in future phases of the project, including the police station
The total cost for the project is approximately $4.7 Million, with the feds pitching in around $1.8 million. The cost to the city is approximately $2.8 Million.
The project will result in a number of benefits to the city, including reducing energy and operating costs for the four buildings by around $225,000 per year, and reducing the city’s GHG emissions by 1065 tons of CO2.
The city could also save over $4 million in asset renewal and capital expenditure costs.
As per the city’s agreement with the government, the project must be completed by March 2022.
The city is also working on a retrofit of its municipal buildings to make them more energy efficient. That involves putting in new windows, replacing lights, and exploring more renewable energy sources.
