The Building to Electrification Coalition (B2E) recognized six champion projects, organizations, and innovators for significant contributions to building electrification in B.C.
The B2E Awards were handed out at Momentum 2026 held at the Anvil Centre in New Westminster. The event brought together 200 leaders from design, construction, policy, retrofit, supply chain and other sectors to review progress and discuss what’s next.
“Building electrification in B.C. has gained ground because people, organizations, and governments are making it happen. The six B2E Awards winners, from all-electric duplex homes and hospitals to energy-saving shopping centres and credit unions, are cutting emissions while supporting healthier homes and workplaces,” said Mariko Michasiw, B2E program manager. “B.C. has an opportunity to continue to grow this sector through deliberate policy choices.”
Most Outstanding Large New Construction (Part 3): Quw’utsun Valley Hospital — ZGF Architects (Cowichan Valley)
B.C.’s first all-electric hospital is more than three times the size of the hospital it replaces. The Quw’utsun Valley Hospital uses heat pumps, electric boilers, heat recovery, and energy-efficient design, saving 30% more energy than the previous building, cutting emissions and costs for health districts, which spend tens of millions of dollars annually on energy. The project is Canada’s first health facility to meet the Canada Green Building Council’s Zero Carbon Building – Design Standard.
Most Outstanding Small New Construction (Part 9): Big Blue House — Lanefab Design/Build (Vancouver)
Four homes on a single lot, shows how housing density, electrification, and cutting costs and emissions go together. The project combines all-electric space and water heating, solar PV, and high-performance insulation to achieve Net Zero certification.
Most Outstanding Large Retrofit (Part 3): Pacific Centre Heat Recovery Project — FirstLight Energy Solutions (Vancouver)
At Vancouver’s signature downtown shopping centre, the CF Pacific Centre Heat Recovery Project can recover up to 53,000 gigajoules of waste heat annually to heat nearby office towers, cutting up to 1,400 tonnes of GHGs. This project demonstrates how existing commercial buildings can capture and re-use heat that would otherwise go wasted.
Most Outstanding Small Retrofit (Part 9): North Van Net Zero — Twin Lions Contracting (North Vancouver)
As the North Shore’s first Net Zero-certified renovation, this project shows how existing homes can deliver major climate benefits. By retaining much of the original structure and adding high-performance insulation, electric heat pumps, and 27 solar panels, the home generated 108 per cent of the energy it used in its first year, while cutting annual operational emissions by 98 per cent, from approximately eight tonnes to just 0.125 tonnes of CO₂e.
Most Impactful Strategy for Electrification: Vancity’s Operational Electrification Program — Vancity (BC-wide)
Vancity replaces gas rooftop units with electric heat pumps, providing much-needed cooling, across multiple locations. Since 2024, Vancity has electrified seven locations across four Lower Mainland cities, cutting GHGs by 15 per cent — including an 85 per cent drop at its Surrey Guildford branch.
Electrification Champion — Shauna Sylvester, Founder & Lead Convenor, Urban Climate Leadership (BC-wide)
Voted by B2E Coalition members, Shauna Sylvester has been committed to advancing building electrification in B.C. through strategic partnerships, advocacy, and a focus on economic opportunity. She is a driving force behind the Keep it Cool Initiative, a proposed made-in-B.C. strategy to equip 5,000 low-rise multi-unit residential buildings with energy-efficient heat pumps, improving home comfort and resilience to extreme temperatures while reducing emissions and pressure on the electricity grid.
