Sandwich South lands with a view towards developing a Net 0 Neighbourhood policy for the area. Clerk’s File: EI/10822 May 25, 2020
This report serves to address the council question.
Discussion:
What is a Net-Zero Energy Neighbourhood?
A net zero energy district is a place where no more energy is consumed than is supplied by non-fossil fuel sources to approach zero emissions. In practice this means:
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Minimizing energy consumption;
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Maximizing efficiency of energy conversion; and
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Maximizing use of low-carbon/renewable energy sources at both the building-scale, as well as the block/district scale
While the priority is utilizing low-carbon energy sources from within the Sandwich South Planning District (SSPD) the word "net" recognizes that there will still be a connection to utilities and that energy imported from the electricity/natural gas grids will be offset by exports. Regeneration and renewal activities with the objective of achieving net zero energy import in the SSPD will assist in both addressing pressing environmental issues, as well as contributing to the City’s ambitious greenhouse house red uction target of 40% below 2014 levels by 2041.
To proceed with a net-zero community, the City must have planning policies in place to provide a framework to work with developers to achieve the ambitious goals of the Community Energy Plan, Environmental Master Plan, and Active Transportation Masterplan.
Guidelines for a Net-Zero Neighbourhood
The Sandwich South lands represents the largest greenfield development area in the City. With a relatively blank slate, there is high potential and opportunity for development of net-zero (or near-zero) neighbourhoods. If the City of Windsor, wishes to achieve its environmental and sustainability goals, it is important to develop greenfield areas in a manner consistent with those goals. Those goals include emissions reduction, low-carbon economic development, and climate change resilience. The SSPD represents a unique opportunity for Windsor due to its central location, size and greenfield nature. Unlike most areas throughout the city, development is being completed after both the approval of the Community Energy Plan as well as the Climate Change Emergency Declaration. This creates the policy framework to create new,