City of Port Coquitlam | Green Roofing and District Energy System Research

As preparation for a bylaw review, the City of Port Coquitlam turned to Prism Engineering to provide research support on green roofing and district energy system policies and best practices.
Prism’s research helped the City better understand lower environmental impact roofing options for the local climactic zone, including green and cool roofs and other roofing systems. Specific research questions included: efficacy of blue roofs and tray systems, the precedence of creating bylaw triggers based on types of ownership, the efficacy of white rock ballast, the product selection for cool roofs, and if performance differs between cool roof products.

Prism also provided research support to outline district energy options, as it relates to City-owned buildings. This included:
• Is there enough load OUTSIDE the project boundary to justify the commitment?
• Do the benefits (using excess heat) offset the cost of piping to the residential area?
• Do we want to add solar thermal to boost temperature?

The research conducted by Prism Engineering contributed to ongoing discussions within the City of possible bylaw amendment and policy change.