Energy Conscious Community: An Energy Planning Course for Planning Professionals

This course was developed for planning professionals who would like to expand their knowledge of existing strategies to pursue community energy pathways and the support tools required to execute these initiatives. By investigating system integration, stakeholder engagement, community benefits and implementation strategies, this course will be beneficial as a support tool for professional planners in their central role of integrating local, renewable and conventional energy sources into their communities.

Highlights:

    • 2 days of in-class learning
    • 3 pre-class online modules
    • Examine integration of energy and policy in land-use planning
    • Earn Learning Credits through OPPI’s Continuous Professional Learning (CPL) program
    • Subject matter experts

Next Course Dates To Be Announced!

Course Description

The Community Energy Planning (CEP) course was designed for professional land use planners to expand the skill-set needed to accelerate the integration of energy and climate policy into land use planning (i.e., official plans, secondary planning, non-statutory master plans, and zoning by-law) and their implementing development review processes. In an effort to build capacity for energy conscious cities, this course will examine the feasibility of a standardized and structured approach to transformative urban greenhouse gas (GHG) reductions and enhanced energy system resilience in communities across Canada, this course will examine best practices (i.e., policy, procedures and tools) to improve the quality, consistency and municipal capacity to implement CEPs.

Who is this Course for?

This course was developed for planning professionals who would like to expand their knowledge of existing strategies to pursue community energy pathways and the support tools required to execute these initiatives. By investigating system integration, stakeholder engagement, community benefits and implementation strategies, this course will be beneficial as a support tool for professional planners in their central role of integrating local, renewable and conventional energy sources into their communities.

Why Take this Course?

Successful community energy planning is only possible if energy planning is integrated in the entire urban planning process. With the growing challenge of climate change, municipalities and energy utilities are charged with implementing both measures that adapt to the present conditions and measures that mitigate against future impacts. This course, which contains both an online and in-class component, will explore ways for municipalities and utilities to coordinate their actions to develop a comprehensive set of tools and strategies to manage their resources.

Concepts Addressed Through Course

  • How land-use planning influences energy consumption and emissions
  • The interrelationship of energy systems and municipal infrastructure (e.g., mobility, water, solid waste)
  • The contribution of communities to national energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions
  • The role of land use planning in promoting low carbon choices for transportation, electricity generation and space heating
  • Sustainable community energy planning
  • The mainstreaming of energy and climate policy in land-use planning
  • The fundamentals of energy systems.
  • A brief history of energy transitions in Ontario and the role of communities
  • The impact of the modern energy transition on communities and land-use planners
  • The value proposition, rationale, and business/economic/social case for

Course Dates

Two days of in-class sessions, led by subject-matter experts will take place on February 20 and 21st, 2020 from 9am – 5pm.

Course Delivery Partners

The Energy Conscious Community: On-Line Modules

For those unable to attend the course in person, the on-line components of the course are available for personal use and, for institutional use on an open licence basis. "Community Energy Planning On-Line Module" form is located here: https://euc.apps01.yorku.ca/machform/view.php?id=105719