Georgetown on the Path to Net Zero
October 19, 2023
The Government of Prince Edward Island is working with the UPEI Canadian Centre for Climate Change and Adaptation and the UPEI Faculty of Sustainable Design Engineering to assess Georgetown as PEI’s first net zero community.
The first step is to understand how Georgetown uses energy for homes and buildings, and then perform comprehensive simulations to assess energy consumption and emissions. After that, researchers will look at the effects of electrification of homes and buildings and assess the possibility of reducing carbon emissions and improving energy efficiency.
Georgetown residents may be asked to participate in surveys to support the research, and researchers may fly drones in the area to collect data about the exteriors of buildings in the town, which will be used to create 3-D models of neighbourhoods. UPEI researchers from the Future Urban Energy Lab for Sustainability (FUEL-S) will be in touch with local community members to provide more information about the project.
Quotes:
“Understanding how Georgetown uses energy will help the community address climate change, reduce carbon emissions, and enhance energy resilience through sustainable energy planning. This will set a course for Georgetown to become the province’s first net zero community.
Hon. Steven Myers, Minister of Environment, Energy and Climate Action
“This research will help to advance our understanding of energy modeling and explore innovative ways to improve efficiency. This project has great potential to create positive environmental and community impacts. We are excited to see the insights and outcomes this project will generate.”
Dr. Aitazaz Farooque, Professor and Associate Dean, UPEI Canadian Centre for Climate Change and Adaption.
“Phase I involves data collection and energy modeling for Georgetown neighborhoods, while Phase II will assess the impact of building envelope improvements and electrification on energy efficiency and emissions. This project is a foundation for energy planning and resilience to achieve a net-zero future, which is our overarching goal.”
Dr. Kuljeet Grewal, Principal Investigator and Assistant Professor, UPEI Faculty of Sustainable Design Engineering, and Founder of FUEL-S
UPEI’s research group FUEL-S, in collaboration with the UPEI Canadian Centre for Climate Change and Adaptation, is set to deliver reports on phase I and phase II of the project in 2025.
Georgetown is also the home of PEI’s first clean tech hub. The Georgetown Clean Tech Park will attract companies, entrepreneurs, and talent, all focused on advances in clean technology growth. It will bring together people in key provincial priority areas including education, the economy, and the environment, and will help create a new sector for growth on PEI.
