Mayor Darrell Mussatto

"I thought if I'm asking other people to look at alternatives to energy production I should do the same," says Mayor Darrell Mussatto.

He spoke to SolarBC about his experience installing a solar hot water system on his own home last year:

Mayor of the City of North Vancouver Goes Solar

Four mayors and one chief have installed solar hot water on their homes in BC and joining the solar revolution is Mayor Darrell Mussatto, of the City of North Vancouver, who had his system installed in last summer.

"I really try to role model behaviour that I’d like to see in people," he says. "I thought if I’m asking other people to look at alternatives to energy production I should do the same."

Since becoming mayor he says he’s grown more educated about energy alternatives, and realized that he could do more with his own home. After finding that his home was well oriented for solar hot water and while the payback is a bit longer nothing beats taking advantage of the free energy provided by the sun.

"People think that in Vancouver there isn’t a lot of sun but we have quite a significant amount," says Mayor Mussatto. "The province gets quite a bit of sun and even in the winter during the Olympics we had that long period of sun where the temperature on my solar hot water tank was quite significant."

The mayor says he’s enjoyed seeing a decrease in his energy bills since his system has been installed, which has been a great indicator that solar hot water works like it should. "Sometimes you make decisions that aren’t such a good idea but this isn’t one of them," he says. "This has just got better and better, from the experience with the installers to the efficiency of the system. I can sleep better at night knowing I’m reducing my fossil fuel use and maintaining a high quality of life," he says.

His Enerworks system was installed with the help of SolarBC Registered Installer Terratek Energy Solutions, who teamed up with local contracting company ParkerDean Plumbing and Mechanical. An interesting challenge the team had during the install was finding space for the solar hot water tank, as he did not have extra room next to his existing tank. This was resolved by installing the solar tank in a convenient crawl space. The mayor was also impressed with the job that was done on the outside of his house - he says his panel looks like a skylight and the piping along the side of the house is almost invisible.

"It just fits in," he says of the overall aesthetic.

Mayor Mussatto has been so impressed that he is looking at how to integrate building solar ready homes into the bylaws of the city. "We’re getting our staff to look at the City of Vancouver and what they’re doing," he adds, regarding the current $3500 incentives for new homes installing solar hot water, provided by the city. The mayor of Vancouver, Gregor Robertson, also has solar hot water installed on his home.

Mayor Mussatto's Bio

Mr. Darrell Mussatto is serving his second term on City Council as Mayor. Previously, he served four terms as Councillor and participated actively in community advisory committees. Mayor Mussatto is also a Director of Metro Vancouver, serving as Chair of the Port Cities Committee, and as a member of the Metro Vancouver Waste Management, Intergovernmental, Regional Planning, Housing and Mayors committees. Mayor Mussatto's priority issues are sustainability, affordability and homelessness. He is passionate about making the City a place where the benefits of growth are shared by all, supporting affordable housing initiatives, social programs, and new parks and trails. He is committed to lowering the City's carbon footprint by making the City more bike-friendly, reducing energy use, managing our liquid and solid waste in a more environmentally friendly way, supporting urban gardening and expanding the award winning Lonsdale Energy Corporation. A paramedic with B.C. Ambulance Service, Mayor Mussatto also garnered the B.C. Ambulance Services Executive Director's Commendation in 1995. In 1991, he received the Red Cross Community Service Award. Mayor Mussatto holds a BA and Professional Teaching Certificate, as well as a Health and Fitness Certificate from Simon Fraser University. Born and raised in North Vancouver, Mayor Mussatto continues to make his home in the City, and is honoured to serve this community in his role as Mayor of the City of North Vancouver. Mayor Mussatto's Local & Regional Appointments include:

City appointments:

• Finance Committee (Chair)
• Policy Committee
• Parks and Recreation Committee
• Parcel Tax Roll Review Panel (Chair)
• Street Naming Committee
• North Vancouver Police Management Committee (City of North Vancouver & District of North Vancouver)
• Waterfront Industrial Noise Control Committee

Metro Vancouver appointments:

• Metro Vancouver GVRD Board of Directors / Sewerage & Drainage / Water Districts
• Housing Committee
• Intergovernmental Committee
• Metro Vancouver Mayors Committee
• Port Cities Committee (Chair)
• Regional Planning Committee
• Waste Management Committee

Meetings With Mayor Mussatto

Mayor Mussatto is committed to an open and responsive local government, and aims to create an inclusive and welcoming environment at City Hall. Public consultation is encouraged, as well as private meetings with the Mayor.

Members of the public are invited to meet with Mayor Mussatto at City Hall on a regular basis to discuss any concerns, issues or suggestions. To book an appointment, please contact Alison Brookfield at 604-998-3280 or book an appointment online at mayor@cnv.org.

Sustainability Message From Mayor Mussatto

Are we doing enough to create the kind of community we want to live in 10, 20 or 50 years from now? The City's award-winning Lonsdale Energy Corporation, now using solar energy in Central Lonsdale, and our new Long Term Transportation Plan focusing on walking, biking and transit are a start. As well, our successful stormwater management, curbside recycling, sustainable development guidelines, and network of parks and greenways make the City's total per capita greenhouse gas emissions 56% less than the BC provincial average.

But is this enough? Climate change scientists have already noted the shrinking snow pack on our North Shore mountains, and say this will present long-term changes for our community. While our successes are noteworthy and receiving attention, we can't be complacent. We must keep moving forward. The City is actively working with Metro Vancouver on solid and liquid waste plans. LEC is looking to use air, ocean and geothermal energy for cooling and heating. The Edible Garden Project is inspiring us to grow our own food, and zero emission electric vehicles will soon be on our roads. All these initiatives are leading towards lowering our carbon footprint.

North Vancouver City Council is committed to a more sustainable City. We recognize that sustainability needs a truly integrated approach - balancing social, economic and environmental priorities. When we reach for our car keys or put out a bag of garbage let's ask ourselves, how can we do things differently?