Low-carbon fund begins third round in B.C.

VICTORIA—The CleanBC Building Innovation Fund (CBBIF) is now open for a third round of funding.

The fund supports organizations developing low-carbon building solutions and is offering up to $5 million for made-in-B.C. building projects that support the availability and affordability of energy-efficient and low-carbon building components, designs, construction methods, HVAC systems and digital technology solutions.

“With this fund, we are further investing in innovative projects developed here in our province that will reduce pollution and increase energy efficiency in our homes and buildings, while boosting local economies,” said Bruce Ralston, minister of energy, in a press release. “The CleanBC Roadmap to 2030 builds on the progress we have made across the building sector.”

This funding is part of the province’s CleanBC Roadmap to 2030 strategy, which chart’s a path to address B.C.’s climate goals while continuing to boost the economy.

The second intake of the fund supported 21 building projects, including a project that sought to reduce the amount of construction waste going to landfills, and the resulting greenhouse gas emissions, in the Lower Mainland and on Vancouver Island.

Unbuilders Deconstruction received $500,000 to expand its receiving facilities for reclaimed lumber and for retooling and refurbishing its value-added manufacturing facility.

“We launched Unbuilders Deconstruction in 2018 and Heritage Lumber the following year in order to disrupt the extremely wasteful way the industry currently demolishes old buildings and disposes of primarily old-growth lumber,” said Adam Corneil, CEO and founder of Unbuilders Deconstruction. “Our companies dismantle and salvage buildings and their materials to recirculate them in the supply chain. With help from the Building Innovation Fund through CleanBC, we are supported in continuing to grow this vision into an industry-changing reality. We have made great strides this year after funding and the future is bright – both for our company and the fight against climate change.”

The third intake of the CBBIF will again provide funding through five different streams:

– Material, component and system manufacturing (up to $1 million per project)

– Digital technology solutions (up to $1 million per project)

– Demonstration projects, including mass timber (up to $1 million per project)

– Open call for innovations (up to $1 million per project)

– Information sharing and market transformation (up to $500,000 per project).