Surrey’s first all-electric school hailed as a blueprint for future B.C. schools

École Snokomish Elementary, which opened in January in Surrey’s Sullivan area, is being hailed as Metro Vancouver’s first all-electric school and a potential blueprint for future schools in Surrey and British Columbia.

The 27-classroom school uses heat pumps for heating and cooling. Proponents say its design is expected to reduce emissions by 89 per cent over 15 years and avoid an estimated 961 tonnes of greenhouse-gas emissions. A news release said the finalized design reduced annual greenhouse-gas emissions to fewer than five tonnes, compared with about 77 tonnes for a typical Surrey elementary school.

The building also includes occupancy sensors, daylight-responsive lighting, heat-recovery ventilation and an efficient building envelope. With CleanBC funding from the B.C. government and technical support from BC Hydro, Surrey Schools received more than $14,000 for an energy study to identify the most effective route to an all-electric building.

School board chair Gary Tymoschuk said the project was delivered without significantly increasing construction costs compared with a traditionally built school. At a news conference on Friday, Sept. 11, Energy and Climate Solutions Minister Adrian Dix said the project was intended to demonstrate that such a school can be built and that more could follow.

Located at 14778 58B Ave., the three-storey building has a circular design inspired by an Indigenous wheel and centred on a multi-use courtyard for outdoor learning and gatherings. Supporters say the smaller footprint preserves outdoor learning and play space in rapidly growing communities. Its bright, flexible interior includes floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the North Shore Mountains, Fraser Valley and Mount Baker.

The school is BC Hydro’s latest Power Smart Champion, an award recognizing British Columbians who lower their carbon footprints and adopt clean-energy technologies.