Energy matters: evaluating the use of the energy mapping approach in Winnipeg, Manitoba

Abstract

In light of pressing challenges including climate change and energy security, urban planners are increasingly being required to make decisions that can be attributed to reductions in energy use and greenhouse gas emissions. Energy mapping is an emerging approach used to make improved energy-related decisions and predict energy performance, although at the time of writing, has not been applied within a Manitoban context. Informed by promising practice utilized in other Canadian locales, this research creates an energy mapping process for use in the City of Winnipeg’s residential sector. The Ebby-Wentworth neighbourhood is analyzed to develop and test the mapping process. The process begins with determining baseline energy use for the neighbourhood, and is then compared to three development scenarios, which include the use of retrofits, and new construction on an adjacent development site. The results of applying the energy mapping approach in Winnipeg demonstrates this to be a key decision-making tool for planners looking to make informed decisions related to energy-using equipment, building and site design, and land use and infrastructure. Recommendations include: increased use of the energy mapping approach as a decision-making tool through enhanced collaboration between federal and provincial authorities, municipalities, and utilities; incorporating energy considerations into the planning and development process through revised and updated energy legislation, policy and programming; and, further refining and testing of the energy mapping process designed for this research to develop a best-practice approach for mapping energy use within the Province of Manitoba.