Photo courtesy BCIT. Photo © Scott McAlpine.

Funding from Western Economic Diversification Canada was announced last month at the BCIT Great Northern Way Campus in Vancouver.

To strengthen B.C.'s green building sector, the Canadian government is investing more than $500,000 in the British Columbia Institute of Technology's (BCIT's) research on green roof and living wall technologies. The funding from Western Economic Diversification Canada (WD) allows BCIT's Centre for the Advancement of Green Roof Technology (CAGRT) to expand its activities, which include:
• research and demonstration projects around living wall technology;
• expanding green roof research into various climate zones;
• developing industry partnerships; and
• securing equipment for demonstrations.

BCIT also received a $25,000 grant under Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation's (CMHC's) External Research Program (ERP) to investigate the benefits of green roofs with regard to stormwater runoff, roof deck thermal performance, and space conditioning energy savings.