THE City of Surrey has received a QUEST Community Energy Builder Award for the development of the district energy system in its downtown core and its planned Organic Biofuel Facility that will turn organic waste into renewable natural gas.

“Creating viable clean energy infrastructure is a part of the long term vision for continuing to build Surrey into a well-planned, urban centre,” said Surrey Mayor Dianne Watts. “It is a part of our overall commitment to sustainability.”

“The District Energy System and the Organic Biofuel Facility are the results of applying advanced technologies to sound, sustainable city planning,” said Councillor Bruce Hayne, Chair of the Environmental Sustainability Advisory Committee, who attended QUEST 2013 Conference November 12-14 as a keynote panellist discussing energy in a growing community. “I am proud to be part of a city that is forward-thinking and implementing clean energy infrastructure.”

Surrey’s District Energy System will distribute thermal energy, in the form of steam, heated or cooled water, through a network of pipes to heat, cool and provide hot water for the City Centre Library, the new Surrey City Hall, and 3 Civic Plaza, a planned 50-storey mixed-use hotel and residential project.

District energy systems are considered ‘clean energy’ systems that help to conserve energy through improved efficiency over conventional heating and cooling systems and do not contribute to harmful greenhouse gas emissions.

Surrey’s Organic Biofuel Facility will be the only fully integrated, closed-loop waste management system in North America upon its 2015 completion. Organic waste collected in Surrey will be processed into fuel and used to power the City’s fleet of waste collection vehicles.

QUEST – Quality Urban Energy Systems of Tomorrow – is a national non-profit organization supported by a collaborative network of partners that undertakes research, policy analysis, outreach, and capacity building to advance smart energy communities in Canada. The award was presented the QUEST 2013 Gala Dinner and Awards Ceremony in Markham, Ontario, as a part of the QUEST 2013 Conference and Tradeshow.