Featured Content
Low Impact Development Practices Life Cycle Costing Study and Decision Support Tool
There is increasing interest in the use of Low Impact Development practices to manage urban runoff. However, those considering implementing the practices continue to wonder how their use will affect the bottom line. Now we can start providing some answers. In this project, conducted in collaboration with the University of Toronto’s Civil Engineering Department, we provide well documented estimates of the initial capital and life cycle costs of several Low Impact Development practices based on a robust and replicable methodology and local practice designs and cost sources. A user friendly spreadsheet costing tool, developed based on the costing data, provides users with the ability to generate planning level cost estimates of site specific LID practice designs and projects. More >
New STEP research study evaluates the effectiveness of permeable pavements in cold climates!
Permeable pavements represent a paradigm shift in pavement technology. Whereas conventional impermeable pavements are designed to rapidly drain water across the surface, permeable pavements do just the opposite. They allow rainwater to filter through the surface into a gravel reservoir, where it is stored, and either infiltrates into the native soils, or is released slowly through underdrains to receiving waters. By doing this, permeable pavements help treat the water, reduce downstream flood risk, and protect aquatic habitats in streams. This multi-year intensive study of three types of permeable pavements conducted in collaboration with researchers from the University of Guelph provides a wealth of information on the functional, hydraulic and water quality performance of permeable pavements in cold climates. More >
SolarCity Partnership
If you own or are considering the purchase of a large urban solar energy system, the SolarCity Partnership can help! We have case studies of solar installations, third party performance verifications, a best practices guide, and more. Check out our SolarCity website and join us! www.solarcitypartnership.ca