Energy, Water and Transportation
Halifax Regional Municipality Community Energy Plan
In 2007, Jacques Whitford led the development and implementation of a comprehensive community and stakeholder consultation program on behalf of the Halifax Regional Municipality in Nova Scotia.
The program involved the development of workshops, organization-specific interviews, focus group meetings, and “open house” discussion sessions. Feedback was consolidated and helped to form the basis of the Community Energy Plan. A briefing document on community energy planning was prepared, regarding the project’s objectives and potential application, as well as a web site and online presentations which served as the key component in an outreach and education process. The resulting plan provides the municipality a holistic view of how to meet their energy needs including the identification of clean energy sources including renewable energy source, and more efficient ways to use energy, in order to benefit the environment and reduce energy costs.
National Great Rivers Research and Education Field Station LEED Building
Jacques Whitford NAWE was engaged in 2007 by the National Great Rivers Research and Education Field Station in Alton, Illinois to engineer a natural system to treat wastewater onsite for the purpose of providing the option for water reuse and incorporate water features into their new “green” building. Once completed, the wastewater system will also serve as an educational tool for visitors on the importance of green solutions, provide aesthetic water features for the building and help to achieve LEED Gold Status for the project. The JW NAWE project team prepared a feasibility analysis for the use of engineered wetlands for wastewater treatment and reuse for the project. After the costs and sizes of the wetland system were determined the project team began the design of a two-stage wetland treatment system with ultraviolet disinfection. The wastewater will be treated to a quality that allows for non-potable reuse, including a waterfall, a free surface wetland and subsurface wetland. The design of these water features will incorporate native plants of the area. This will achieve the goal of creating a natural system that will be aesthetically pleasing, provide exceptional treatment and be an educational tool for the facility.
The wetland wastewater system project is currently in the permitting phase. The building is on track to achieve LEED gold status.
Model Wind Turbine By-laws and Best Practices for Nova Scotia Municipalities
In early 2008, Jacques Whitford completed a report for the Union of Nova Scotia Municipalities (UNSM) providing resource management and development information for wind turbines and wind turbine regulations for municipalities in Nova Scotia.
The report’s objective was to balance existing practices with emerging trends in wind turbine regulations and guidelines resulting in model wind turbine bylaws. The Jacques Whitford team provided an overview of wind turbine regulations and guidelines approaches by municipalities and the implications and constraints to wind turbine development. The resulting model wind turbine bylaws will serve as a flexible tool for municipal decision-making. The report concluded that wind energy development is an important societal priority, but cautions that accelerated wind development must take into consideration all risks and concerns regarding safety and protection of human and ecological health or quality of life. It also recognized the rapid and continual improvement in wind energy technologies and practices and sought to support Nova Scotia’s municipalities through the ability to create wind energy by-laws that incent and are oriented towards progressive approaches to industry development.
Straight-Highlands Energy Asset Map
Jacques Whitford has undertaken a unique approach to developing an Energy Asset Map for the Straight-Highlands Regional Development Agency (S-HRDA) in Nova Scotia. Through a comprehensive study of local resources, existing infrastructure, and the community’s need for energy sustainability, a systematic methodology was developed to facilitate the development and deployment of renewable energy technologies in the region.
Aspects of the Energy Asset Map include identification of potential sources of indigenous energy, opportunities for commercial and residential applications in earth energy, economic opportunities in wind energy, small scale hydro-electric power generation, and passive and active solar power. Analysis of the potential to deliver waste heat from mine water to communities, the supply potential of coal bed methane reserves, and the potential synergies between large industries will be incorporated within this project, utilizing the latest GIS technologies and tools.
The results of this study, expected to conclude in the summer of 2008, will allow the S-HRDA to grow their sustainable community development activities through the identification of opportunities for energy development that will encourage social, environmental, and economic benefits for the region.