Neighbourhood District Energy System (NDES)

The NDES is a centralized energy supply system that has been providing heat and domestic hot water to Wesbrook Place since 2015.

How the NDES Works

District energy systems centralize the production of thermal energy to provide heating and/or cooling to a network of interconnected buildings. By centralizing thermal energy, buildings need less equipment and building owners have lower operations and maintenance costs. 

Image
photo of the "underground piping network"; 3 homes with arrows connecting them

 

NDES and the Neighbourhood Climate Action Plan

Decarbonizing the NDES energy supply will decarbonize all the existing buildings serviced by the system and all future ones that connect. The original NDES concept envisioned a switch to 60% low carbon energy supply. UBC’s Neighbourhood Climate Action Plan takes this concept further and maps out a plan to bring the NDES to 100% low carbon operations.  

About Corix Utilities

The NDES is owned and operated by Corix and regulated by the BC Utilities Commission (BCUC), similar to how BC Hydro provides electricity to municipalities across the province. UBC partnered with Corix to develop the NDES, which has been providing heat and domestic hot water to new homes built in Wesbrook Place since 2015. 

Notice from Corix

On December 31, 2024, Corix filed a rate application with the BCUC requesting approval of increased rates for the NDES over the next three years (2025, 2026, 2027) with increases effective January 1 of each year. The BCUC has provided interim approval of Corix’s 2025 rate increase and initiated the regulatory proceeding. To learn more about the rate application and how the community can get involved, see this Frequently Asked Questions document prepared by Corix.  

Public Consultation

When the project was first introduced in 2013, two rounds of public consultation were held to provide the community with an opportunity to learn more and to provide feedback. Select the drop down below to learn about each phase of consultation. 

The first UBC Neighbourhood District Energy System Project Open House was held on November 26, 2013 at 3:00 pm - 7:00 pm. Information about district energy, and the proposed project and timeline were provided at the open house. Feedback was also collected through an online questionnaire, which was available from November 25 to December 6. 

The Public Consultation Summary Report as well as links to full transcripts of the feedback we received from stakeholders and the general public are available below: 

 

The second UBC Neighbourhood District Energy System Project Open House was held on June 25, 2014. The purpose of this consultation was to present more detail about the first phase of the project and gather additional input from stakeholders and the public. Feedback was also collected through an online questionnaire, which was available from June 16 to 29. 

The Public Consultation Summary Report as well as links to full transcripts of the feedback we received from stakeholders and the general public are available below: