Events

Jobs & Contracts

Sustainable
Energy Directory

Email Lists

Links

Contact Us

Tell a Friend

Sponsors

Site Map

Quote/Unquote:

"Investing in a home on your street could be more profitable than investing in Wall Street."
- Home Energy Saver

Issue 4      May 2005
Editor: Andrea Wilmot
( Download PDF - 2.3MB)

A Publication of Sustainable Solutions for all of BC’s Energy Needs

Sustainable Energy News from China

by Guy Dauncey

China’s top legislature approved the country’s first renewable energy promotion law on February 28^th, 2005, which will help China meet ambitious targets. With the potential to become a world leader in renewables, China could transform the global markets for sustainable energy. China is already the world leader for solar hot water systems.

The Renewable Energy Promotion Law, which takes effect on January 1^st 2006, will allow the renewable energy industry in China to take off. The law guarantees grid access for renewable energy producers and spreads the cost of new technologies across the electricity sector. In 2003, China’s renewable energy consumption accounted for only 3% of the country’s total energy use. The government has set a goal of 10% by 2020.

According to the law, renewable energy includes hydroelectricity, wind, solar, geothermal and marine energy, all of which must now be included in state and local development plans. The law offered a series of favorable policies for developing renewable energy, and requires all state grids to purchase renewable energy, even though the cost is high.

The law is a signal of China’s intentions with regard to global climate change, as well as its commitment to cleaner air and energy security. China has no binding obligations under Kyoto, but

as the world’s second largest emitter of CO2, international attention has focused on its efforts to curb its CO2 emissions growth.

There is enormous international interest in China’s potential as a huge market for wind power and other renewable energies. China’s wind energy growth in 2004 was 35%, even without the new law. China has similarly huge potentials for solar, wave, tidal and biomass power. Combined with energy efficiency, it could meet all its needs solely from clean energy. (Source: Greenpeace)

China has 1300 GW of sustainable energy potential, excluding any new large dams (see below). It uses around 400 GW of electricity today; state planners estimate that it will need 725 GW by 2020. With a doubling of all efficiencies, this could fall to 362 GW.

China Revives Market for Plug-In Electric Vehicles

In an effort to help commuters traveling short distances and reduce smog in urban areas, China is ushering in a new generation of plug-in electric vehicles powered by cutting edge batteries. Long abandoned by US automakers due to short ranges and difficult cold starts, plug-in electric vehicles are all the rage in China.

At the recent Challenge Bibendium, a green car exhibition sponsored by Michelin, Chinese automakers showcased electric scooters and bikes in widespread use. According to government officials, as many as one million Chinese are using electric bikes and scooters. China also hopes to replace thousands of exhaust-spewing diesel-powered buses with cleaner electric models for use during the 2008 Olympics in Beijing as a showcase for clean mass transit.

On its own, a transition to electric bikes and scooters will help urban Chinese breathe easier, but it will not help in the battle against global warming, since much of the electricity will be generated using fossil fuels. Combined with China’s new drive to accelerate its use of sustainable energy, however, it could lead to a permanent sustainable energy economy. (Source: Magazine)

China Resources:

• Beijing Energy Efficiency Center: www.beconchina.org
• China E-News: www.pnl.gov/china
• China Clean Energy Program: www.chinacleanenergy.org
• China Sustainable Energy Program: www.efchina.org
• Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy in China: www.nrel.gov/international/china

China Facts:

• Population: 1.3 billion
• Economic growth: 8% per year.
• Coal: 1.4 billion tonnes (1996) (US = 1.47 billion tonnes)
• CO2 emissions: 740 million tonnes (1998) 13% of world’s total. (US = 24%)
• Electrical generating capacity: 310 GW (2000). By 2020: 725 GW
• Energy mix (2000): coal 68%; hydro 24%; renewables 7%; nuclear 1%.

Sustainable Energy Potentials:

• Hydro: 378 GW (41 GW developed so far)
• Micro-hydro: 75 GW (25 GW developed so far)
• Tidal: 20 GW
• Geothermal: 3.5 GW
• Groundsource: 6 GW
• Wind: 253 GW
• Biomass & Biogas: 1-2 GW
• Solar PV: 800 GW
• Solar Hot Water: 100 GW
• China’s electricity needs in 2020 (with 50% efficiency): 362 GW
• Renewable Energy Potential (incl. existing large-scale hydro only): 1328 GW

Source: Stormy Weather: 101 Solutions to Global Climate Change, by Guy Dauncey (NSP 2001)

Driving in China

In 1986, China had 4.2 million vehicles. By 2004, the total was around 20 million, and it is increasing by 2 million a year. If the Chinese were to drive as many vehicles per person as Americans and Canadians do today, they would need 47% more vehicles than today’s entire global fleet, and use 18% more oil than today’s entire global oil consumption.¹ They would also have to pave the equivalent of 40% of the nation’s cropland.²

Guy Dauncey is President of the BC SEA.

Fact of the Month
SOLAR HOT WATER IN CHINA

By Guy Dauncey

• Typical size of rooftop installation: 2 square metres
• Total cumulative area installed, Dec 2003: 52 million square metres (26 million homes)
• Total production, 2003: 12 million square metres (6 million homes)
• National target for 2005: 65 million square metres (32.5 million homes)
• National target for 2015: 230 million square metres (115 million homes)
• Current annual growth of the solar hot water industry: 27%
• Market share of the vacuum tubes in 1996: 30%
• Market share of the vacuum tubes in 2002: 85%
• Market price of vacuum tube installation in warmer regions: $225 CAN
• Market price of vacuum tubes installation in colder regions: $337 to $450 CAN
• Number of solar hot water jobs in 2002: 200,000
• Solar hot water heating market share: 11.2% (gas 57.4%, electricity 3.3%)
• CO2 emissions offset by currently installed solar hot water systems: 13 million tonnes

Source: Renewable Energy World, Jan/Feb 2005

¹ China at the Crossroads: Energy, Transportation and the 21^st Century, by James Cannon (1998), INFORM Inc (www.informinc.org)
² Seven Wonders: Everyday Things for a Healthier Planet, by John Ryan (Random House, 1999), p.11.

Our First AGM

By Guy Dauncey

It was six o’clock on the dot, and "BANG!" I slammed my father’s wooden mallet down on the table to indicate that the BC SEA’s first ever AGM was underway.

A first AGM is always a bit nerve-wracking. Will people come? Will we get the legalities right? Will we need to hold an election if there are more nominations for the Board than spaces to fill?

My approach was to run the meeting as if driving a Formula One racing car. I must have read the Presidents Report without pausing to breathe once. (Well, maybe once). It’s all on our website at www.bcsea.org/agm/presidentsreport.asp, so I’ll not repeat it here.

Next was "President’s Privilege": our first Annual Awards of Honour. They went to two people: Tom Hackney, for his incredible commitment to the Duke Point intervenor process and to building our Sustainable Energy Policy Document, and Randyn Seibold, a young volunteer from Victoria/Nanaimo, for leading our College Outreach Initiative. Thankyou, Tom and Randyn!

Next: our financial report: all in good shape. The new Chapters Bylaws: approved. The bylaw changes to allow electronic voting at future elections: approved. We’re zipping along. Any questions? No. That’s good. And now: the election!

We had fifteen great candidates, eight from last year’s Board, and seven new people. "Are there any other nominations?" Nitya Harris called out three times, as she ran this part of the meeting. I hoped not, since we already had a great line-up, and 15 was our allotted number. No calls for the floor. The hands were up, and just like that, we had our new Board!

So now let me introduce them:

• Guy Dauncey (President). Author and consultant, Victoria
• Kevin Pegg (Vice-President). Owner of Energy Alternatives Ltd, Victoria
• Tom Hackney (Secretary/Treasurer). President of Georgia Strait Crossing Concerned Citizens Coalition, Victoria.
• Naomi Devine. UVic Environmental Studies and Political Science student, Victoria.
• José Etcheverry. Climate Change Research & Policy Analyst, David Suzuki Foundation, Vancouver.
• Gunther Honold. Retired engineer. Life Member of ASHRAE, Victoria.
• Adam James. GeoTility Systems Corp, groundsource heat pump firm, Kelowna,.
• Todd Johnson. Business Admin student, Camosun College. Owner of electric scooter company, Victoria.
• Dale Littlejohn. Management consultant, Deloitte Touche, Vancouver
• Bruce Mackenzie. Project manager and business analyst, Victoria
• Morgan McDonald. Taylor Munro Energy Systems Inc. solar water company, Delta
• Chris Mott. Completing Masters degree in electrical engineering at UBC. V.P. Engineering in local start-up company. Vancouver
• Scott Sinclair. President of Sinclair Environmental Solutions , energy efficiency consulting, Vancouver.
• TJ Schur. Director External Relations, Aeolis Wind Power Corporation, Sidney.
• Taylor Zeeg. Stewardship Program Co-ordinator, Grasslands Conservation Council, Kamloops.

Each Director gave a short introduction, and there being no other business, BANG!, the mallet came down, and we were done. Forty minutes! That left plenty of time for socializing over organic vegan snacks (thankyou, Thrifty Foods) before the evening’s entertainment, and to admire the Positive Energy Quilts that were on display, beautifully made by 50 quilters on Gabriola Island as a protest against the planned gas-fired power plant. See www.kristinmillerquilts.com.

Entertainment? How can a combination of global climate change, looming peak oil, and an almost complete lack of political leadership to address these issues in BC be entertaining? It’s all in the way you do it.

First, we had a report on the Victoria Chapter’s ambitious plans to organize a weekend ShowCase Event on Sustainable Energy Now! at the BC Royal Museum in Victoria June 4/5^th, and on the Kamloops One Tonne Challenge Board Game that they created for use in schools. Then everyone formed into teams of three for our Sustainable Energy Quiz, with the teams being eliminated every time they failed a question. When it was down to the last team, they broke into three to compete against each other, and the winner was…. Kim Hendess, our Coordinator! (Honest, it was not a fix).

I then amused everyone with a colourful half-hour PowerPoint show that pointed to a world without fossil fuels, powering and heating itself on sustainable energy, and we finished with a Q & A Panel, covering everything from the biodiesel vs. hydrogen debate to ways to heat a heritage house. -GD

Sustainable Energy Policies for BC

By Guy Dauncey

Our paper on Sustainable Energy Policies for BC was finally completed in April, and released to the world. This was not a quick process! There were 12 members on the Policy committee, chaired by Board member Tom Hackney, and another ten people contributed their expertise towards the end.

Policy is sometimes seen as boring, but it really is one of the seven essential keys to a world without fossil fuels. (The other six are sustainable energy technologies; simpler sustainable living within nature’s limits; grassroots activism; community organizing; political organizing; and global treaties).

The full policy paper can be found out our website with all 29 of the policies we have chosen to advance the cause of solar, wind, tidal, biodiesel, hydrogen, cycling, transit, and smart growth (etc).

The simplest policy? A new law, based on the Spanish example, that requires every new home to have solar hot water heating system.

The most complex? Probably the Sustainable Energy Feed-In Tariff, based on the highly successful system that has been embraced in Denmark, Germany, and 15 other European countries, which provides guaranteed access to the grid for all forms of sustainable electricity, and a set of 20-year guaranteed tariffs designed to create a stable investment environment for each technology, with the increased cost being spread among all rate-payers.

The full paper can be read and downloaded at www.bcsea.org/policy

Letter to the Editor:

Eye on Efficiency

Nice piece on geothermal [Groundsource Heat Pump and How it Works, January 2005]. I am, however, disappointed that no mention was made about energy demand.

There is a great misconception that going geothermal is a great green solution to space heating and hot water heating energy demand. As was mentioned in the piece, the great benefit of geothermal is that for each 1 kilowatt (kWh) of energy you put in, you get 3 or so out of the system - that is its great efficiency advantage (300% efficient). However, you still have to put in the 1 kWh. If the home (or building) has a large heat load, while you get the benefit of savings, there is still the input demand.

These systems should ideally be sized after all possible conservation measures are implemented - this means all the passive elements that will reduce heat loads such as better insulation levels over the entire building envelope (including basement), high performance windows, solar orientation wherever possible, and airtight construction.

As a minimum, the home design should meet the R-2000 Standard for energy consumption. Only after all these passive energy efficiency measures have been done should you look and size a geothermal system. This will mean that the system is quite small - and more cost effective.

What most people don’t appreciate is that unlike conventional gas furnaces, each increment of heat output from a heat pump system has a cost increment. If you double the size of a high efficiency gas furnace, the cost increment will be very small (not double). However, for a heat pump, each increment of increased size has a significant cost associated with it, so it actually is much cheaper to have a smaller heat pump more closely sized to the energy demand. This is especially significant forgeothermal systems, because each increment of size requires not only a larger heat pump unit, but also requires more piping in the ground, and that can be expensive to install.

Too many people are jumping on the green bandwagon with geothermal heat pumps, without putting them in context. Just installing geothermal is not green unless all the other conservation aspects are dealt with.

Cheers,
Richard Kadulski
kadulski@direct.ca

All Your Windy Questions Answered

What is wind energy?

In reality, wind energy is a converted form of solar energy. The sun’s radiation heats different parts of the earth at different rates—most notably during the day and night, but also when different surfaces (for example, water and land) absorb or reflect at different rates. This in turn causes portions of the atmosphere to warm differently. Hot air rises, reducing the atmospheric pressure at the earth’s surface, and cooler air is drawn in to replace it. The result is wind.

Air has mass, and when it is in motion, it contains the energy of that motion — "kinetic energy." Some portion of that energy can converted into other forms — mechanical force or electricity — that we can use to perform work.

What is a wind turbine and how does it work?

A wind energy system transforms the kinetic energy of the wind into mechanical or electrical energy that can be harnessed for practical use. Mechanical energy is most commonly used for pumping water in rural or remote locations — the "farm windmill" still seen in many rural areas of the U.S. is a mechanical wind pumper — but it can also be used for many other purposes (grinding grain, sawing, pushing a sailboat, etc.). Wind electric turbines generate electricity for homes and businesses and for sale to utilities.

There are two basic designs of wind electric turbines: vertical-axis, or "egg-beater" style, and horizontal-axis (propeller-style) machines. Horizontal-axis wind turbines are most common today, constituting nearly all of the "utility-scale" (100 kilowatts, kW, capacity and larger) turbines in the global market.

Turbine subsystems include:

*Some turbines do not require a gearbox

Wind turbines vary in size. This chart depicts a variety of turbine sizes and the amount ofelectricity they are each capable of generating (the turbine’s capacity, or power rating).

The electricity generated by a utility-scale wind turbine is normally collected and fed into utility power lines, where it is mixed with electricity from other power plants and delivered to utility customers.

How much electricity can one wind turbine generate?

The output of a wind turbine depends on the turbine’s size and the wind’s speed through the rotor. Wind turbines being manufactured now have power ratings ranging from 250 watts to 1.8 megawatts (MW).

Example: A 10-kW wind turbine can generate about 10,000 kWh annually at a site with wind speeds averaging 12 miles per hour, or about enough to power a typical household. A 1.8-MW turbine can produce more than 5.2 million kWh in a year--enough to power

more than 500 households. The average U.S. household consumes about10,000 kWh of electricity each year.

Wind speed is a crucial element in projecting turbine performance, and a site’s wind speed is measured through wind resource assessment prior to a wind system’s construction. Generally, an annual average wind speed greater than four meters per second (m/s) (9 mph) is required for small wind electric turbines (less wind is required for water-pumping operations). Utility-scale wind power plants require minimum average wind speeds of 6 m/s (13 mph).

The power available in the wind is proportional to the cube of its speed, which means that doubling the wind speed increases the available power by a factor of eight. Thus, a turbine operating at a site with an average wind speed of 12 mph could in theory generate about 33% more electricity than one at an 11-mph site, because the cube of 12 (1,768) is 33% larger than the cube of 11 (1,331). In reality, the turbine will not produce quite that much more electricity, but it will still generate much more than the 9% difference in wind speed. The important thing to understand is that what seems like a small difference in wind speed can mean a large difference in available energy and in electricity produced, and therefore, a large difference in the cost of the electricity generated. Also, there is little energy to be harvested at very low wind speeds (6-mph winds contain less than one-eighth the energy of 12-mph winds).

From American Wind Energy Association www.awea.org

Wind Energy Industry Set to Complement Hydro

By TJ Schur

Over the last three years, the wind energy sector has grown up in BC. There are now 10 or more companies that are actively pursuing wind energy development in British Columbia; most of these are home-grown BC companies situated to bring BC into a new era of clean energy production.

Preliminary testing and modeling suggests that BC has world-class wind resources. Commonly, in the industry, people refer to three prime wind resource zones in BC: North Vancouver Island, the Peace Region, and the North Coast. This does not preclude that other areas of specific locations have wind potential, just that these zones display excellent resource for power production.

Wind energy is the perfect compliment to hydro-electricity, particularly in BC, initial analysis suggests that wind energy production potential is highest in the winter months just as hydro energy (water) is being stored (as snow). Wind energy, throughout the year, allows for precious water resources to be stored – when the wind is blowing and creating energy, hydro-dams read this a reduction of load (or energy use), thereby storing their water.

Going the Distance

Since most of the province is not privately owned, over the last year, Wind Independent Power Producers (IPPs) have worked with Land & Water BC Inc (LWBC) (www.lwbc.bc.ca) to develop policy and process around testing and potentially developing wind energy projects. Companies also engage with First Nations and other local communities around wind energy in general and their specific project. As of January 2005 there have been over 110 Investigative Use Permit applications made to LWBC to investigate wind energy in BC – wind energy developers are getting busy.

The Independent Power Producers Society of BC (IPPBC) (www.ippbc.ca)

has been an excellent resource for wind companies to work with LWBC, BC Hydro, and BC Transmission Corp. Within the last year, BC Wind Energy Association (BCWEA) (www.bcwea.org) has been launched to continue to accentuate the opportunities of wind energy in BC and works with the Canadian Wind Energy Association (CanWEA) (www.canwae.ca) on federal incentives like the Wind Power Production Incentive (WPPI). BC Hydro (www.bchydro.com) has announced that there will be an Open Call for Power, Wind IPPs will be going the distance to ensure clean wind energy has a future in BC.

The Players

Here are some of the companies working to develop Wind Energy in BC. This is not an exhaustive list and the author apologizes for having left any companies or sites out.

More Information

There is an incredible array of reliable resources on wind energy on the web. A recently new resource is the Canadian Wind Atlas – check out the website at www.cmc.ec.gc.ca/rpn/modcom/eole/CanadianAtlas.html.

TJ Schur is the Manager of External Relations at Aeolis Wind Power.

Kyoto Rap
(C, Am, F, G)

By Tim Turner

I come with a message, my name’s Homey Yo!
Ya want me to be brief? Okay – KYOTO!
This word of five letters just means simply this –
Keep Your Options Tomorrow Open or no doubt you will miss

Chorus:

I say homies – everywhere, Home’s a hurtin’- do you care?
I say homies – you and me, Home’s a hurtin’ can you see?
I say homies – what’s the deal? Home’s a hurtin’ – will you feel?
I say homies – in your prime, Home’s a hurtin’ – Now its time!

Choices the future will deliver so long,
as we learn some restraint and stop doin’ what’s wrong.
There’s way more to this story if you open your eyes,
than wackier weather or sea levels that rise.

On a planet where everything’s interconnected
if something goes down the whole world is affected.
What’s causing this ruckuss, what’s creating this fuss?
You don’t have to look far ‘cause it’s all about us.

Convenience and ignorance with a dose of ‘don’t care’
and presto! A gas blanket that warms up the air.
Molecular garbage that’s easy to hide,
like CO2, methane, and nitrous oxides

From the tailpipes of cars and people you meet
come these gases you can’t see creatin’ sponges for heat.
So they heat up the air causing glacial retreat,
ice pack starts shrinking while polar bears freak.

These icecaps allow them to hunt for their prey –
when they’re forced to the water it’s a very bad day.
Now summer’s are hotter and the rain doesn’t fall –
Wha’ dup for the salmon who re-spawn to their call?

Their ticket to home is a freshwater flow,
but with creek levels down there’s nowhere to go.
Spring comes too soon and Fall sticks around
til the ‘pesticide’ we call winter cannot be found.

Then out come the beetles that cold air killed off,
but not any more cause winter’s too soft.
So the pine trees are hit by these teeth that can chew
and the forests die off – it’s a ‘bye bye for you’.

So we’re messin’ with climate, that’s capital C!
There’s nothing that’s bigger that affects you and me
One of us each year produces 5 tonnes of gas –
those pesky GHG’s that make climates change fast.

So give up a tonne, take a carbon weight diet –
you’ll like what it does for the world - so go try it.
To lose 1000 kilos just think Power of One –
the belief that one homey can shed a whole tonne.

It begins with desire to use a lot less
of those old-school-fossil-fuels that make such a mess,
Of all those good things that can’t take the heat
so step number one - move more with your feet.

Then think about turning over a new leaf,
not having a cow by saying ‘no thanks’ to beef.
Or deciding its time to ride public transit
and instead of buying new decide you can fix it.

Since transporting the goods creates GHG’s,
buying local, second-hand or in season is key.
So lower the thermostat replace incandescents
with bulbs that are twisters called compact fluorescents.

Tune into efficiency of the fuel that you use
so that weather disasters take up less of the news
And shorten your showers then go plant some trees
on your way to off loading a tonne, if you please.

So wherever you are whether you’re here or you’re there
just activate the beauty lying under your hair.
Cause those choices you make can add to the heat
or get Canada much closer to goals we must meet.

To drive down those heat trappers below 6 percent
from nineteen-ninety levels ‘cause that’s our intent.
But right now we’re too high – by some 26 percent
so that’s what we’ll drop to make a sig-nificant dent.

Now 95 countries have joined in the fight
to shrink their emissions, to downsize their bite
of the energy pie that’s hardly renewable
and spend some good coin on clean power that is doable.

Like hydrogen, wind, hydro and solar –
if we just get a movin’, see the green light and go-for’er!
Act now with resolve and de-termin-a-tion
and be done with the waiting and pro-crasti-nation.

So Homey you see KYOTO’s a good thing –
where the phrase "less is more" has a really good ring.
So seester listen up and look at me bro
there’s stuff that need’s doing so the future can grow.
Hey! I’ll say what needs saying not to see some folks squirm
but to speak for the P bear and hope we can learn.

Tim Turner owns Sea to Sky Adventures in Sechelt, BC.
www.seatosky.bc.ca

Energy for Change - the Youth Energy Action Summit

by Adam Sanders

Climate change is the social issue of our generation. Catastrophic climate destabilization will occur in our lifetime. It’s time to do something about it! Filled with a passion for energy issues, I attended the Energy Action Youth Leadership Summit in Washington DC in January as the BC SEA representative.

Energy Action (www.energyaction.net) unites diverse organizations to support and strengthen the student and youth clean energy movement in North America. EA leverages its collective power to create a clean, efficient, just and renewable energy future. EA focuses on four strategic areas: campuses, communities, corporate practices, and politics.

The January Energy Action (EA) Summit brought together its member organizations with two goals - to set up a structure for EA and to learn more about energy issues.

Setting up structure took time. Summit participants eventually agreed that EA will operate with an organically developing structure, consisting of a council, a steering committee, the possibility of paid staff, campaign committees, and regional networks. I am part of the council.

The speakers and workshops informed participants on a wide range of topics. Environmental gurus and scientists taught technical issues in layperson’s terms. First Nation ambassadors and chiefs stressed the importance of having a diverse organization and some of the ways climate change is affecting First Nations. A speaker presented ways to frame and communicate messages to the media and public. Some Direct Action veterans put on a workshop that taught participants how to be effective protesters, through role-playing. Attending the Summit helped me understand the state of energy issues in North America and gave me the tools to work with EA to make change.

The Summit was informative and inspirational. Spending four days with 70 young energy activists instilled me with hope for our planet. By working together BC SEA and Energy Action will be playing a major role in the fight against catastrophic climate destabilization.

To learn more about Energy Action visit www.energyaction.net

Adam Sanders is a member of the BC SEA Kamloops Chapter
adamsware@hotmail.com

Neil Young Recieves Biodiesel Award

By Kees Schaddelee

Neil Young received the "Eye on Biodiesel – Influencer" award at the 2^nd Annual National Biodiesel Conference in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Daryl Hannah presented the award, as last year’s recipient. The legendary singer/songwriter used biodiesel during his last tour and spoke of its benefits to his audiences at every show. "I thank the National Biodiesel Board for this great honor," said Young. "[Biodiesel is] a way of life; it’s a better way of moving around the planet."

As a member of the budding BC biodiesel industry, Victoria’s WISE Energy attended the conference where a record-setting 1,000 attendees gathered to spend three days discussing various aspects of the worlds fastest growing alternative fuel.

Other highlights of the conference included Daimler/Chrysler’s announcement of a B5* factory fill in its new diesel Jeep Liberty CRD. B5 is a big step for the biodiesel industry in building consumer awareness. Also at the conference, John Deere announced that all of its diesel powered farm equipment will come with a B2* factory fill.

And finally, Peter Bethune, presented the Earthrace to conference attendees. Earthrace is a bid to break the 75 day world record for circumnavigating the globe in a powerboat, and using only renewable fuels. A high profile 18 month world tour will promote the race and biodiesel. To read more about Earthrace go to: www.earthrace.net.

With a mixed bag of attendees representing various aspects of the biodiesel industry, the conference and trade show focused on five continuous

educational tracks; a technical track, a fuel distribution track, a policy/regulations track, a markets track, and a users track making up 39 sessions in total.

Now that the emission reduction benefits of biodiesel have been well proven and documented, the main focuses of the conference were quality, distribution, marketing, and feedstock supply. The North American biodiesel industry will likely have significant growth in 2006. BC will certainly see some exciting new developments. With spokespeople like Neil Young backing the industry, it’s certain to catch on!

*Petroleum diesel can be splash blended at any ratio with biodiesel.  Blends are referred to as BXX, whereas XX equals the biodiesel portion of the fuel. In this case B5 is 5% biodiesel and B2 is 2% biodiesel.

Kees Schaddelee is a Managing Partner, WISE Energy and a past BC SEA Director.

A solar-powered yurt in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, China

Biodiesel "One Tank Challenge"

As a part of the Vancouver Island Biodiesel Evaluation Study (VIBES) the City of Victoria has launched a "One Tank Challenge" to private and public fleet operators in the Greater Victoria Area.

From March 14^th to June 10^th, fleet operators can try biodiesel in their diesel-powered vehicles. The goal of the Challenge is for fleets to try at least one tank of biodeisel.

Biodiesel is created from renewable plant materials and is a clean, safe and biodegradable and renewable alternative to diesel fuel. Biodiesel uses existing diesel refueling infrastructure, and can be splash blended at any ratio with petroleum diesel.  Biodiesel blends are referred to as BXX, whereas XX equals the biodiesel portion of the fuel.  B20 is the most common blend used in North America. B20 Biodiesel creates 20% fewer harmful emissions than diesel.

One Tank Challenge participants can fill up at the card lock refueling facility on Garbally Road,Wayne Carolow, Manager, Operations Division at the City of Victoria says, "one of the main goals of the Biodiesel Evaluation Study is to raise public awareness and acceptance of alternative fuels and the environmental benefits of using them. There’s no better way to understand the benefits than to try it, that’s why we’re making it available to all large fleets in the region"

For more information:Vancouver Island Biodiesel Evaluation Study www.vibesproject.ca

Millijoules

Written and researched by Guy Dauncey

BEST JOBS UNDER THE SUN

Canada’s solar industry could create 60,000 jobs by 2025, according to the Canadian Association for Renewable Energies. The current total of 1,000 jobs could grow to 60,000 by 2025, excluding export-related employment which now accounts for most sales. Currently, the industry in Canada is very under developed and few economies of scale can be applied, with manufacturing plants operating at only one-third of capacity.

A CHEAP DISH

The world’s largest solar dish has the potential to generate energy for about 5 cents US per kilowatt hour (kWh), according to David Faiman, director of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev’s National Solar Energy Center in Israel, where the dish has been built. Solar PV generally costs around 30 cents/kWh (37 cents in Canada).

The 400-square-meter dish, known as the Photon Energy Transformer and Astrophysics Laboratory (PETAL), can generate approximately 400 kW of thermal energy at intensities up to 10,000 times stronger than noontime sunshine. To generate solar energy at 5 cents, the dish must be used in conjunction with solar photovoltaic cells. Faiman plans to use the dish to illuminate 1 m2 of PV cells, which will be actively cooled to 60 °C. "Under such conditions, the cells should have a peak power of about 100 kW and produce about 150,000 kWh," he explains.

Faiman’s calculations are based on using 23% efficient solar cells (current commercial efficiencies are around 17%). The 60 °C cooling water could also be reused for other purposes, such as refrigeration or water desalinization projects. www.bgu.ac.il/solar (Thanks to Kellyn Betts).

[Editorial Note: Every 3 months or so, there is a new announcement about a solar breakthrough that can revolutionize the industry. These generally come from research laboratories, and do not always translate into commercial reality. So all solar "hot talk" needs to be consumed with a gram of salt.]

MIRROR MIRROR ON THE WALL, WHO’S MOST EFFICIENT OF THEM ALL?

The Energy Efficiency Best Practices Project website provides details about the best utility and non-profit practices in energy efficiency programs in the USA. It includes programs that cover both residential and commercial, and that encourage more efficient lighting, heating, cooling, energy audits, HVAC, and overall efficiency programs.

The site offers a detailed comparative analysis of best practices, key issues, and the lessons learned, with individual program profiles. You can search the database to find best practices by sector, end use, technology, program size, program focus, and incentives.

See www.eebestpractices.com

SOLAR SCHOOL KIDS

Students at Cochrane High School, Alberta, are using solar panels and a wind turbine to create sustainable energy for their classrooms. Although other schools in Canada are trying to do the same, this is the first project pushed forward by students and teachers. $47,000 was raised in a matter of months to cover the cost of 30 solar panels and a small turbine. The project will generate about 3.3 kilowatts of electricity, enough to power a small home, or 1% of the high school’s energy needs.

It began as the brainchild of science teachers Stephanie Bennett and Earl Binder, who wanted the curriculum concepts of energy conservation to be more than dry preaching about the threat of global warming and greenhouse gases. Bennett was blown away by how the 15 students who adopted the plan took charge.

A template for other schools to follow is found on the school’s website and outlines the steps taken by the students and teachers. A large portion of time was spent going through the paperwork and bureaucracy for grants and regulatory approval. The biggest stumbling block was getting approval to hook into the electrical grid, that took months. For the know-how and details, see www.sustainabledevelopment.ca. (Thanks to Judy Monchuk, Calgary CP)

TIDAL POWER ROCKS

At last! Clean Current Power Systems, of Vancouver, is going to install Canada’s first tidal current turbine at Race Rocks, southwest of Victoria. The 65 kW, $4 million project will place a stationary turbine in about 15 metres, anchored to the bottom of the ocean, and use the energy to provide power for the Race Rocks marine education centre, run by Lester Pearson College. It will be ready to produce power by 2006. One of the challenges will be seeing how the equipment stands up to the saltwater environment. If it works well, the company wants to see further tidal projects, with up to 800 turbines in each. The project has received $3 million from the EnCana Corporation of Canada (a major natural gas company), and needs to raise an additional $1 million from private investors.

See www.racerocks.com/racerock/energy/tidalenergy/tidalenergy.htm.

A 300 kW tidal turbine off Lynmouth, North Devon, UK, about to enter the water.”
Photo: Marine Current Turbines Ltd.

Kicking off 'One Tonne' Board Game

By Ernie Ware

Sara Goddard and the Kamploos Chapter developed the One Tonne CHALLENGE board game for classrooms. The game will be implemented in eight classes in the Kamloops School District. The board game and its associated lesson plans aim to educate youth about global warming and what they can do to help reduce their families’ energy consumption.

The project comes with a take home checklist that helps youth understand what is necessary to reduce their energy consumption by one tonne in one year. The board game will educate youth in the Kamloops area and it will bring positive media attention to the Kamloops Chapter and give it credibility.

Kamloops Chapter meetings and presentations are drawing larger audiences. The recent presentation on wind power drew nearly fifty community members. A greater awareness of BC SEA and strong effort to promote meetings to the community are paying off.

Plans are in place to organize an Energy Fair for this summer. David Simms, a Kamloops BC SEA member has taken the lead on this initiative. The fair will include educational booths and exhibits

and sustainable energy deomonstrations.

The Kamloops Chapter has worked hard to kick off the New Year. The pay off is well worth it: delicious ‘fruits of labour.’ Mmmmmm.

Ernie Ware is the Kamloops Chapter Correspondent

Member Focus:
Taylor Zeeg

by Monika Marcovici

Taylor Zeeg is the Chair and found of the BC SEA Kamloops Chapter. He has always had an interest in sustainable energy, so he was naturally attracted to BC SEA. He also liked the approach: grass roots, yet centralized, which allowed for plenty of community-level autonomy while still benefiting from the leverage of a larger, provincial organisation.

Taylor contacted BC SEA president Guy Dauncey in July of 2004. Guy encouraged him to start his own chapter, and being the man of action that he is, Taylor held the first Chapter meeting in August at the "Smorgasbord Deli". Due to Taylor’s contagious enthusiasm, staff at the Deli volunteered after hours for the event and served up coffee and snacks.

Taylor’s educational background is in Journalism and English, soon to be expanded to include urban planning at UBC’s School of Community and Regional Planning. His intended focus is Energy Planning for urban areas. Taylor works at the Grasslands Conservation Council of British Columbia, a conservation organisation in Kamloops, as a Natural Resource Planner. Taylor used his contacts from his job and within the community to spread the word about BC SEA.

Taylor is highly optimistic about the future of sustainable energy. He feels the sustainable energy field "is on fire". Taylor has noticed there is a lot of interest to start up BC SEA chapters; many people are becoming active at the community level; which is where real change happens; there are even new chapters up north in Prince George and a potentially budding chapter in the Burns Lake area.

The Kamloops Chapter has exciting projects and activities on the go that have huge potential to affect change. The Chapter has extended a One-Tonne Challenge to local schools with an educational board game. Eight classes participated in one week with striking results. There was a marked change in the students’ knowledge about energy,

suggesting a positive behaviour change, that will hopefully be extended to parents.

Each Chapter meeting features a guest speaker from the community that have applied their own ideas and creativity to use alternative and sustainable energy. Taylor feels a high degree of enthusiasm from university students, so the Kamloops chapter is making extra efforts in reaching out to them.

Taylor believes that the basis for creating behavioural change is through increased awareness... if we can reduce energy consumption, then we have already won half the battle.

Taylor lives in a high density neighbourhood in downtown Kamloops. He gave up his automobile over a year and a half ago, but does admit to renting a car on occasion for work related travel. He buys as much organic produce as possible from Nature’s Fair, a local supplier. "I’m not the patron saint of sustainability, but I try, and I only do full loads of laundry!"

His hope for the future is for an "ideal world" scenario, in which energy is generated at the community level solely by alternative and renewable means. This puts the decision-making in the hands of the community – where lasting change takes place.

Taylor stresses the value of starting up a BC SEA Chapter within one’s own community. It is not only personally gratifying because "energy issues bring such interesting people out of the wood work" but it also "creates relationships in the community with people that you otherwise wouldn’t get to meet. Energy is relevant to everyone."

For more information about the Kamloops BCSEA, see the chapter website at www.bcsea.org/kamloops/

Monika Marcovici is a member of BC SEA monika@greendreams.com

Big Dedication: Members Drive up to 5 Hours for First Meeting!

by Russ Purvis

Dedicated sustainable energy gurus drove up to 5 hours to attend the first meeting of the Central Interior BC SEA Chapter in Prince George. With a small population and a large land base, this is the reality for BC SEA’s northern-most chapter.

Fourteen people from Prince George, Barkerville, Dome Creek, Smithers, Telkwa, and Willow River met at the UNBC campus on February 12^th. It was an eclectic mix including a civil engineer, a wood worker, a physician, a therapist, a banker, a telecommunications specialist, and a green developer as well as UNBC graduate students and professors.

The group shared introductions, reviewed the objectives of BC SEA and shared their dreams for the Central Interior Chapter. Education and community outreach were commonly cited goals for the chapter. To learn more about what people hope the Central Interior Chapter to achieve, attendees filled out a detailed member survey.

Initial logistic plans point to Prince George as the central rallying point for smaller surrounding communities and

to UNBC as a regional resource for the Chapter.

Asst. Prof. Dave Connell, UNBC School of Environmental Planning; Greg Pearen, Telus communications technologist; and Russ Purvis, Kakwa Ecovillage hosted the meeting.

Russ Purvis is the Central Interior Chapter Correspondent, info@kakwaecovillage.com

Leading the way in the Okanagan

By Barry Milner

The Okanagan Chapter elected its Steering Committee on January 27^th, 2005. The new committee is made up of representatives from three alternative energy industries (photovoltaic systems, heat pump manufacturing and GeoExchange technology), as well as a professional electrical contractor, a video producer and a retired RCMP officer with a passion to build a passive energy home.

After the elections the group of 23 members enjoyed a presentation by Rod Carle of the City of Kelowna Energy Management Committee which highlighted the City’s commitment to addressing responsible growth and energy management. As a result, the Okanagan Chapter will be working with the City of Kelowna to coordinate an Energy Forum in the fall of 2005.

The Energy Forum will promote energy conservation and alternative energy developments such as the new Okanagan Biofuels Ethanol Plant. With this project and others, Okanagan Biofuels is giving a perfect example of how everyone benefits from a green economy.

In March, the Okanagan Chapter hosted the Chairs of the Canada Green Building Council - Okanagan Chapter to hear about the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program and discuss how the two organizations can support each other in achieving the goal of a sustainable future for our communities.

Barry Milner is the Okanagan Chapter Correspondent

Sustainable Energy Here & Now:
Solving the Fossil Fuel Puzzle at the Royal BC Museum

By Don Goodeve

‘Sustainable Energy Here & Now: Solving the Fossil Fuel Puzzle’ is an exhibit put together by the BC SEA to illustrate how humanity interacts with energy in its many forms, and proposes the choice facing the world today; breaking from a dead-end dependence on fossil fuels and entering into a new era of ‘sustainable’ sources of energy. The exhibit will be at the BC Museum on June 4th and 5^th, 2005.

The exhibit is designed to be interactive, inviting guests to investigate our history with energy, our present dilemmas, and see first-hand the many technologies that are available to allow us to make the transition from our societal addictions to fossil fuels to a detoxified existence, realizing a new level of harmony with our planet.

A key feature of the exhibit is the assurance that these technologies are available now. The aim of the exhibit is to challenge the political and social agenda, specifically in BC, to realize that a true sustainability is desirable, realistic in the present, and the lowest risk option for the future of our society.

Don Goodeve is a BC SEA Director a member of the Victoria Chapter

City Hall Unplugged: Support for Duke Point Project Rescinded

By Walt Jones

A new Chapter has been written in the fight for sustainable energy and it’s a formidable force. Guy Dauncey spoke of "Living in a World Without Oil: Challenges and Opportunities for Nanaimo" at the 2nd Annual Nanaimo Fall Environmental Forum on November 10^th, 2004. His talk inspired BC SEA members in the area to start a Nanaimo Chapter.

Ten people attended the founding meeting of the Nanaimo Chapter on November 17. Since then, the Chapter has made persuasive arguments to city council against the Duke Point Power Plant and even had some time to organize a tour of a home that undergoing an energy upgrade.

Dr. Steve Earle made two separate presentations to the Nanaimo City Council, as a representative of the BC SEA in January. His first presentation encouraged the City to institute a Green Building Policy for all new building construction. The City is planning to build a new Vancouver Island Conference Centre and a twin ice rink, so the timing of a Green Building Policy is important.

Dr. Earle’s second presentation addressed climate change and the need to look at alternatives to the Duke Point Power Plant. Dr. Earle and five other members of the community requested Council rescind the letter of support it sent to the BC Utilities Commission (BCUC).

The Nanaimo Chapter organized an extensive education and letter writing campaign. Letters were sent to the BCUC, local media, and politicians regarding alternatives to the Duke Point power plant, for the BCUC Town Hall meeting on January 15, 2005.

We had some great success at the local level. Acting with many other individuals and groups, we to persuaded the Nanaimo City Council to withdraw it’s letter of support for the Duke Point Power Project. This is an extraordinary victory as I t can take a great deal of effort to change the prevailing attitudes of decision makers on topics such energy policy and security.

A good number of members also attended the BC Hydro Integrated Electricity Planning (IEP) public meeting and the day long workshop in Nanaimo, to continue to encourage a change toward the use of more sustainable sources of energy.

The Nanaimo Chapter arranged a tour of a local home, built in the 1940’s, that has been the subject of a project to upgrade it to R2000 standards of energy efficiency, as an example of what can be done for currently existing homes, for a chapter meeting, and which may also be included as one of the field trips for the Renewable Energy Conference.

Walt Jones is the Nanaimo Chapter Correspondent, www.bcsea.org/nanaimo

Duke Point Power Plant: Update

by Tom Hackney

In January, the BC Utilities Commission reviewed BC Hydro’s electricity purchase agreement with Duke Point Power Limited Partnership, which proposes a 252 MW gas-fired power plant at Duke Point. The BCSEA joined with the GSX Concerned Citizens Coalition and SPEC to oppose the agreement, claiming the plant is not needed and its greenhouse gases are unjustifiable.

Despite strong public and business opposition, the Commission approved the power plant in February. On 6 April, GSXCCC, BCSEA and SPEC jointly applied to the BC Court of Appeal for leave to appeal the decision, alleging, among other things, a reasonable apprehension that the Commission was biased, i.e. that it had made up its mind before hearing all the evidence and arguments. The Joint Industry Electricity Steering Committee, an industry group, also filed for leave to appeal.

On 12 April, Judge Thackray of the Court of Appeal dismissed both applications, issuing reasons on 20 April. GSXCCC, et al and JIESC are examining the reasons and considering whether to exercise their right to have a three-judge panel review the dismissal. Motions for reconsideration, if we proceed with them, would likely be heard on 2 and 3 May.

Crucial Component Missing from British Columbia’s Climate Change Plan:
A Smart Strategy to Ensure the Development of Renewable Energy Options

By Jose Etcheverry

British Columbia’s climate change plan (titled Weather, Climate and the Future) released on December 16, 2004, and the provincial budget released in February 15, 2005 largely missed the opportunity to implement smart strategies to support renewable energy. In fact, BC’s climate change plan lacks any targets or milestones to reduce provincial greenhouse emissions.

Furthermore, both documents lack policy measures to attract manufacturing of renewable energy systems to our province and to ensure that a diverse variety of renewable energy installations are implemented throughout British Columbia. Instead of following such strategies, which would lead to the creation of vibrant new industries and a sophisticated economic engine that guarantees sustainable supply security and climate protection, the province is giving thumbs up to fossil fuel projects such as Duke Point Power and the Mount Hayes LNG storage plant.

In fact, the 2005 provincial budget concentrates heavily on fossil fuel development for example the 2005 to 2008 Ministry of Mines operating expenses just for its offshore oil and gas component are five times greater than the entire electricity and alternative energy business component.¹

Fortunately, sources of inspiration to develop better energy policy are readily available. Germany and Spain are leading the world in the adoption of renewable energy and provide clear examples of what can be quickly achieved if the right policy mechanisms are in place. Germany does not have remarkable wind or solar resources, but has become a world leader in wind manufacturing and installations, and is second to Japan in solar photovoltaic installations and manufacturing.

Germany has over 14,600 MW of installed wind capacity, and in 2003 alone installed 2645 MW of wind turbines. By comparison the U.K., which has one of the best wind regimes in Europe, has only installed a total of about 649 MW of wind turbines.² Spain, in less than 7 years, has become the second world leader in the wind industry, and in 2004 alone installed 2,065 MW of additional wind power.

The leadership and success of Germany and other leading European countries (e.g. Spain, Denmark) is based on a set of common factors. Their record shows the importance of active political commitment for renewable energy combined with the implementation of far-sighted policy making.

These governments have shown that they are prepared to fund research and development of renewable options and they are able to launch effective public awareness campaigns to achieve wide public participation. But most importantly, they have implemented strong policies to actively foster their growing domestic renewable energy markets. Countries that are currently leading in manufacturing and installation of renewable energy systems have achieved their success by establishing Advanced Renewable Energy Tariffs (ARTs). ARTs are also known as minimum price standards, electricity feed laws, renewable energy mechanisms, and standard offer contracts.³

The concept is simple – ARTs help connect renewable systems to the grid and then specify the price paid for renewable generation in the form of fixed-price contracts. Legislation determines the premiums to be paid for every kilowatt-hour generated from different renewable technologies. These premiums represent informed, politically negotiated prices, as opposed to politically determined quotas that can actually limit the use of renewable energy options.

ARTs eliminate two of the most important obstacles inhibiting renewable energy development - the ability to connect to the grid and market uncertainty. This is done by providing fair prices for an extended period of time to warrant the financial risk of investment. Most importantly, ARTs enable widespread participation of diverse participants such as farmers, co-operatives, community associations, municipalities and businesses. They market adoption of a variety of renewable options, both large and small. Countries currently using ARTs include Austria, Brazil, France, Germany, Greece, Luxembourg, Portugal, Spain, Turkey and the Netherlands. The Czech Republic, Italy, and here in Canada, Prince Edward Island and Ontario are considering implementing their own version of ARTs.⁴

The experience from the countries leading in the worldwide adoption of renewable energy is clear. Success is achieved through policy decisions that create stable demand for all renewable energy technologies and by ensuring favourable access to the electricity grid at attractive prices for a diverse variety of participants. These policies are also supported by access to low-cost financing, smart tax incentives and well-targeted premiums, strong standards, supportive education initiatives, and meaningful stakeholder participation.⁵

To develop the full potential of all renewable energy options in British Columbia and to ensure that the multiple benefits of renewable energy are achieved (such as job creation, industrial development opportunities, environmental and climate protection, and improved public health) we need to secure strong political commitments of support for sustainable energy options, which are subsequently matched with clear implementation policies.

¹ See page 8 of Budget 2005 Ministry of Energy and Mines Service Plan 2005/06-2007/08 available at http://www.bcbudget.gov.bc.ca/

²See graphic 2 press release of European Wind Energy Association press (March 10, 2004):
"Record €8 Billion of wind power installed globally in 2003" available at www.ewea.org/04media/press.asp

³ For more details see the Ontario Sustainable Energy Association site at www.ontario-sea.org/Forum/Forum.html

⁴ The Ontario Liberal Party adopted in November 2004 a resolution supporting ARTs at its Provincial Policy Conference--the first ever held by the party on energy policy. The Liberal party resolution (T2) endorsing Advanced Renewable Tariffs can be found at www.ontarioliberal.ca/prov_policy_conferenceCFR.htm

⁵ For the past decade six countries: Denmark, Germany, India, Japan, Spain and the United States have achieved 80 percent of the world’s wind and solar installation through policy mechanisms that address these factors for more details see Sawin, J. (2004). National Policy Instruments: Policy Lessons for the Advancement and Diffusion of Renewable Energy Technologies Around the World. Bonn: Secretariat of the International Conference for Renewable Energies. Available at www.renewables2004.de/pdf/tbp/TBP03-policies.pdf

Final Ruminations

Guy Dauncey

Central Africa, Summer, 400,000 BC.

Returning from my morning stroll around the savannah, I passed a brush-fire. There being no-one around, I paused to look at it, and happened to see a long stick burning at one end. Cautiously, I picked it up. Weird! Then I got this idea. I took it back to the camp, thinking we could use it to build a fire of our own, to keep warm at night. Well, hullo! Not a good idea. Everyone ran away as I approached. What did they think I was, Booga-Booga, the Thunderman? Still holding the stick, I gathered some bits and pieces, put them in a pile, and touched them with the fire. Whoomf! Even I was surprised. Ooga Booga: we have fire! I gathered some sticks, and sat down on my haunches to watch them burn. My family slowly returned. Was I still alive? Noticeably. Was I crazy? Seemingly not. It might take them a while to get used to it, but I think we’re onto something here!

Newcastle, England, Winter, 1178 AD.

No more firewood! I’ve walked 30 miles today, and there’s nothing to be had. And it’s freezing! My pal Jeremiah tells me there’s some strange black stones lying down on the beach, and if you put them in a fire, they burn. Filthy black smoke, but it’s worth a try. What else are we supposed to do? I think they call it "coal".

Richmond, BC, Fall, 2005 AD

No more fossil fuels! That’s what they’re telling us. They say the oil and gas is going to be gone within thirty years, and we shouldn’t be using it anyway, since it’s cooking the atmosphere, and going to cause sea levels to rise by more than the dinky little sea wall Richmond has built. What’s a person supposed to do? I’m gonna make our home nice and tight, then I’m off to buy myself some solar hot water tubes, enough to cover the roof. I’m going to rent myself a drill and drill myself some holes, 100 feet deep, right under my driveway. We’re gonna gather the sun in summer, pump it into the earth, and pull it back in winter to keep us snug and warm. What else are we supposed to do? I think they call it "sustainable."

Events

AROUND BRITISH COLUMBIA

June 2 – 5,

Vancouver
Economies for the Living Good.
3^rd Annual International BALLE Conference
Business Alliance for Local Living Economies
www.livingeconomies.org

June 3 - 4,

Prince George
Renewable Energy Trade Fair and Conference
Contact Russ Purvis, BCSEA Central Interior Chapter
russ@kakwaecovillage.com

June 4 – 5,

Victoria
Sustainable Energy Here & Now: Solving the Fossil Fuel Puzzle
Royal BC Museum,
Presented by the Victoria Chapter of the BCSEA

July 3 - 6,

Victoria
Canadian Youth Climate Change Conference
www.yc3.net

AROUND THE WORLD

May 15 - 18,

Denver, Colorado
Windpower 2005 Conference and Exhibition.American Wind Energy Association. www.awea.org/wp05.html

May 19 - 21,

Vicenza, Italy
SolarExpo – Delivering a Sustainable Future
www.solarexpo.com

May 25 - 27,

Vilnius, Lithuania
North Sun 2005.
10^th International Conference on Solar Energy at High Latitudes www.northsun.org

May 25 - 28,

Havana, Cuba
4^th Internatio­nal Conference for Renewable Energy, Energy Saving and Energy Education
www.cujae.cu/eventos/cier

June 6-10,

Barcelona, Spain
20^th European PV Solar energy Conference, www.wip-munich.de

June 21 - 22,

Freiburg, Germany
European Solar Thermal Energy Conference
www.estif.org

June 23 - 25,

Freiburg, Germany
Intersolar 2005
www.intersolar.de

July 18 - 22,

Austin, Texas
Waterpower XIV Conference
www.hcipub.com

August 6 - 12,

Orlando, Florida
ISES 2005 Solar World Congress
www.swc2005.org

September 12 - 15,

Jyvåskylå, Finland
Bioenergy 2005 – International Bioenergy &Wood Exhibition.,
www.finbioenergy.fibioenergy2005

September 27 - 29,

Tokyo
World Sustainable Building Conference: Action for Sustainability www.sbo5.com

August

Vancouver
Solar Energy Society of Canada, 30^th Annual Conference

August 10 - 11,

Beijing, China
China Power Conference
www.powerinchina.com

August 11 - 24

Biodiesel Fuel Processor
(Do-it-yourself)
Kakwa Ecovillage, McBride, BC
www.kakwaecovillage.com/sls.htm

Events - please visit our Events section for other listings!

---

= Top =