The city of Vancouver (Canada) continues to move forward with plans to create centralized heat delivery systems for some of its most densely populated neighborhoods, says The Vancouver Sun. Some areas, including the Olympic Village, are already served by central systems that function as autonomous utilities delivering heat and hot water to nearby customers.

The city's efforts are driven by a commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 120,000 tonnes (132,277.35 tons) per year by 2020 - and statistics indicate that buildings represent one of the most attainable sectors for reductions. Shifting buildings from individual systems to centralized delivery of heat and hot water also means lower overhead for building operators and tenants.