District energy for ecodistrict Carré Laval
This project is in partnership with Concordia University PLAN/NET ZERØ.
Goal
To transform Carré Laval into a sustainable, energy-efficient, and climate-resilient urban district that serves as a benchmark for innovation and a living lab for best practices in energy transition. This collaboration also aims to strengthen long-term partnerships between the city and the university to support Quebec's urban energy transition efforts.
Description
Concordia University and the City of Laval are collaborating to design a zero-emission district energy solution for the Eco district Carré Laval, a flagship downtown revitalization project. This partnership leverages Concordia's expertise from its PLAN/NET ZERØ initiative, which integrates engineering, sustainable finance, governance, and clean technologies to support urban energy decarbonization. The Next Generation Cities Institute supports the co-creation process and uses its expertise on district energy planning with the digital models of Tools4Cities,
The collaboration focuses on five strategic pillars: project mobilization and governance, integrated scientific analyses for energy decisions, technical planning and network deployment scenarios, development of legal and financial frameworks, and documentation, including a white paper on urban energy networks in Quebec.
Budget: $215,000
Duration: 2026-27
Our team
Scientific director
Prof. Ursula Eicker, Canada Excellence Research Chair Laureate in Smart, Sustainable and Resilient Communities and Cities, and Founding Director of NGCI
Project coordinators
- Stéphane Chayer, Strategic Advisor to the President, PLAN/NET ZERØ
- Oriol Gavaldà, Research Support Manager at NGCI
