First all-electric school in Surrey hailed as blueprint for others in B.C.
Published 10:27 am Friday, September 11, 2026
Metro Vancouver’s first all-electric school is BC Hydro’s latest Power Smart Champion.
École Snokomish Elementary, opened last January in the Sullivan area of Surrey, is considered a blueprint for future schools in Surrey and B.C.
Using heat pumps, the heating/cooling system is expected to reduce emissions by 89 per cent over 15 years and avoid an estimated 961 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions.
Energy-saving features include occupancy sensors, daylight-responsive lighting, heat-recovery ventilation and an efficient building envelope.
The project results are “significant,” proponents say. “The finalized design reduced the school’s greenhouse gas emissions to fewer than five tonnes annually, compared with about 77 tonnes for a typical Surrey elementary school,” says a news release.
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 that identified the most effective path to an all-electric building.
The school “was delivered without significantly increasing construction costs compared to a traditionally built school,” said Gary Tymoschuk, school board chair, echoing Adrian Dix, Minister of Energy and Climate Solutions, at a news conference Friday, Sept. 11.
“Whenever you’re bringing about change, there’s always a first,” Dix said. “This project (was) to demonstrate that you can do it, and when there’s one, there’ll be more.”
At 14778 58B Ave., the 27-classroom building is hailed for its circular design, inspired by an Indigenous wheel and centred around a multi-use courtyard that serves as an outdoor classroom and gathering place.
The three-storey design “preserves outdoor learning and play space while maximizing a smaller footprint — an important consideration in rapidly growing communities. Inside, students benefit from bright, flexible spaces with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the North Shore Mountains, Fraser Valley and Mount Baker.”
École Snokomish Elementary is BC Hydro’s latest Power Smart Champion, an award that celebrates British Columbians “taking action to lower their carbon footprint and adopt clean energy technologies.”