Decarbonizing Rooftop Units on Commercial Buildings

Past Event: Oct 24, 2025 @ 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm

Slideshow

Overview

This session will cover best practices for, and common barriers to, decarbonizing HVAC systems in existing commercial buildings, with a focus on Rootftop Units. 

In this ZEBx Decarb Lunch, we’ll share learnings from the City of Vancouver’s recent On-Site Barriers to Commercial Building Equipment Electrification Study, highlighting both the obstacles and practical solutions for decarbonizing HVAC systems. We’ll also hear about fuel-switching in action with a peek inside Vancity Credit Union’s pilot HVAC retrofit. 

Speakers will provide strategies for maximizing the decarbonization potential of hybrid dual-fuel equipment while keeping projects cost-effective and technically feasible. Participants will learn best practice approaches to electrifying existing buildings and discover how to maximize the carbon reduction potential of dual-fuel systems.

Speakers

Ashley St. Clair – Senior Green Building Planner, City of Vancouver 

Ashley has been involved in the sustainability and energy sector in British Columbia for over a decade. In her current position, she is a Senior Green Building Planner with the Sustainability group at the City of Vancouver with a focus on developing equitable carbon reduction policies for the commercial building sector. She has a Master of Science in Sustainable Energy from the University of Calgary, and a Bachelor of Arts from St. Francis Xavier University. 

Nicole Montgomery – Sustainable Operations Manager, VanCity Credit Union

Nicole is a sustainability specialist who has spent over a decade working in sustainable building design & infrastructure, economic development and sustainability reporting. In her current position she is Vancity Credit Union’s Sustainable Operations Manager, charged with building the organization’s operational net zero and carbon offsets and removals strategies. Her multidisciplinary and international experiences ensure a holistic understanding of systemic sustainability issues.

Stephanie Poole – Principal, SES Consulting

Stephanie is a professional engineer with extensive experience in energy efficiency and decarbonization projects, including audits, implementations, commissioning, project management, and strategic planning. A former teacher, she now applies her expertise to develop and deliver energy and decarbonization courses for organizations such as the Canadian Institute for Energy Efficiency (CIET), BC Hydro, and FortisBC. She is also a contributing editor for AutomatedBuildings.com and sits on the Building Decarbonization Alliance (BDA) expert advisory panel.

Co-hosts

Omar Bhimji, SES Consulting

Thanks to the financial support of BC Hydro and the City of Vancouver, this event is free of charge!