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Chemainus Village Square going green

The new shopping centre being built in Chemainus is embracing geothermal energy.

The new shopping centre being built in Chemainus is going green.

Chemainus Village Square is currently installing a geothermal energy system. Workers are busy drilling 44 holes 280 feet deep to harvest the warm, stable temperature of the earth. They’ll install pipes and heat pumps to transfer the energy to heat and cool the shopping centre’s buildings.

Canadian company Geotility is installing the system.

“Geothermal energy is very efficient and costs less than conventional energy sources,’ John Kelly, of Chemainus Village Square and Geotility, said in a press release. “Shopping centre tenants will benefit from lower common costs such as heating and cooling. Geothermal units are quieter than traditional systems, plus they’re self-contained and chemical-free.”

Drilling will carry on until the first week of July. During this time, walls, roofs and windows continue to appear as the shopping centre takes shape.

Chemainus Village Square is anchored by 49th Parallel Grocery, Island Savings Credit Union, Pharmasave and Village Liquor Store, and it is expected to open late this summer.

“I’m excited about geothermal because it doesn’t use fossil fuels or produce greenhouse gasses,” said Dee Kinnee of Chemainus Village Square. “In the long run, the use of geothermal could cut back on natural resource extraction.”





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