Issue 7 June
2006
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PDF - 1.08mB)
A Publication of Sustainable
Solutions for all of BC’s Energy Needs
Climate
Change
Superheroes
hit BC’s
Lower
Mainland
by Scott Sinclair
Have you ever wondered what the future will be like? When
the climate change game comes to their classroom, this is
the question
grade 5 kids are asked just before our team heads off in
a time machine to the year 2086.
In time machine magic, Keltie, Nathan and I return to the
present
time in just 30 seconds, though we’ve had a one-year
visit to the future. But, as we explain to the class, something
very strange happened along the way. The team was hit by
a time distortion and two of us were sent to an alternate
future. As it turns out, the future is not fixed, and while
our team leader Keltie was sent off to our projected future,
Nathan and I ended up in a very different place.
 Here’s what Nathan and I saw in our alternate future.
What an incredible transformation the Earth had seen! In
only 80 years humans had learned how to look after the planet
for future generations. After the oil crisis of 2010, people
all around the world had to find new ways to live. Transportation
became more difficult, so we had to live within walking or
cycling distance of work and the places we wanted to play.
Electric bicycles and high-speed trains replaced archaic
automobiles and airplanes. All of our power came from sun,
wind or tide harvesting stations. We grew food without chemicals
on the rooftops of our houses right in the city, and there
was virtually no noise or pollution. People had stopped fighting
over energy, and a time of worldwide peace had taken over
the land.
While Nathan and I returned from paradise, Keltie had seen
our current path unfold. She came back wearing flashy reflective
clothing to reflect the intense heat of the sun. Keltie said
that there were giant deserts all over the planet, and that
all areas around the equator had been abandoned by humans.
A few places in the world still had a little oil left but
it was no longer needed to heat our homes. Most houses had
moved underground, and virtually all communities lived in
giant domes to protect
them from the heat. Chemical food production had become popular,
so most people ate meals consisting of a few nutrient pills.
Keltie said that she was glad to be back in 2006.
We wondered what happened in our two futures that made them
so different. I recounted a story I’d heard while I
was in the future about Climate Change Superheroes.
A group of young students in BC became concerned about
the trend of Global Warming and they joined forces to save
the Earth. These students found all the ways that we were
wasting energy, and began to take charge. They convinced
their parents to stop using their second cars, to turn down
the thermostat and turn off anything
that uses power unless it was needed. They even created a
contest called the Superhero
Showdown to see who could save the most energy, and a movement
started that spread throughout the Earth to create the wonderful
future that I saw.
The Climate Change Game Project began in Greater Vancouver
in February 2006 and will be delivered to more than 75 classrooms
by the end of June to schools in Vancouver, Richmond, Langley,
North Vancouver, Surrey, Delta, Burnaby, Bowen Island, and
West Vancouver.
Send me a note at ssinclair@bcsea.org to find out how you
can bring the Climate Change Game to your community.
Learn more about the Climate Change Game here: www.bcsea.org/activities/ccgame .
SolarBC
Heats Up
By Nitya Harris
SolarBC is bringing the solar industry to new heights.
The Solar Summit, hosted by BCSEA March 31 - April 2 in Vancouver
and Victoria, was a success, thanks to coordinator, Scott
Sinclair, and many volunteers. Broad-based media coverage
of the Summit raised awareness of solar energy in BC. The
Summit also strengthened SolarBC’s relationship with
pertinent government ministries, the utilities commission,
local inspectors and other organizations. The Summit also
gave the world formal notice of SolarBC’s program
to install 100,000 solar roofs.
SolarBC is now planning the 100,000 Solar Roofs Program.
We will be working with the Ministry of Environment (MoE)
and the Ministry of Energy and Mines and Petroleum Resources
(MEMPR) to develop a strategy and implementation plan. We
will work with a Task Team of representatives from utilities
and buildings industry, and all levels of government.
The rebate program has been very successful and SolarBC
is presently awaiting confirmation of the rebate for 2006/07
from Natural Resources Canada. In the meantime, a waiting
list has been started. Homeowners can sign up through a registered
contractor at www.solarbc.org.
SolarBC will also play a part in the MEMPR pilot project
to promote energy efficiency in communities (CAEE). As MEMPR
unrolls this pilot project, SolarBC work to include solar
hot water in its communications materials. The first target
will be the 8 communities that are part of existing homes
pilot project: North Vancouver, Central Saanich, Vancouver,
Burnaby, Dawson Creek, Salt Spring Island, Smithers and Houston.
SolarBC is also working with Northern Lights College to
start the curriculum development for a Solar Hot Water Installer
training program. This will be a pilot program and organizers
hope to establish similar installer training programs in
colleges across Canada.
Nitya Harris is the Solar BC Project Leader.
Glimpsing
into the Future at the German “Solar Capital”
by
Chris Mott
May 16, 2005
My first face-to-face encounter with a wind turbine began
as I rose above the clouds in a cable car in the Black
Forest mountains of southern Germany. I was expecting something
whirring and frenetic, but instead was mesmerized by immense
blades that rotated with a confident, slow smoothness.
The pleasure I experienced was in part due to the majestic
forest view and seeing the sun for the first time in a
week, but I was also inspired to know that wind turbines
like this are part of a peaceful path forward for humanity.
It was on a recent trip to Europe in February 2006, that
I made a detour on my way home to visit these wind turbines
and experience Freiburg, the unofficial “Solar Capital” of
Germany, and see some examples of what could be done here
in BC.
Bright Welcome to the Solar Region
Freiburg is a university town of about 200,000 located
in the southwest corner of Germany that is leading a wave
of municipal and regional solar energy initiatives.
The foundations to Freiburg’s sustainable energy successes
were built upon strong local environmental activism and community
engagement since the 70’s that shaped public consciousness
and the political spectrum. The mix of supportive citizens
and an engaged city hall with a proactive regional energy
utility, educational institutions and supportive federal
government policies created perfect conditions for a solar
energy innovation hub to blossom.
After arriving in the city, my first stop was to the Solar
Freiburg office which is a staffed information centre located
in the offices shared with the energy utility. I introduced
myself as a visiting sustainable energy advocate from Canada,
and received an overflowing package with a multi-lingual
walking-tour guide book, regional maps with solar highlights,
and recommendations for hotels with solar energy installations.
It was a very impressive reception to the city, and I could
see how the city cultivates its position as a “Solar
Capital.” It led me to think about what potential cities
in BC have to uniquely position themselves as regional leaders
in an aspect of sustainable energy.
One of the major initiatives in Freiburg has been widespread
installation of photovoltaic (PV) panels. Speaking further
with the woman at the Solar Freiburg office, I learned that
many other municipalities have been following suit, and they
now have a Solar City Bundesliga (Championship League) to
inspire some healthy competition! Borrowing the model from
their popular sporting leagues, each “season” cities
across German are ranked on their total and per capita solar
PV installations and per capita PV installations with bragging
rights bestowed upon the champions. Given our penchant for
Cups in Canada (Stanley and Grey) this might translate for
us as a Canadian Solar Cup. Not a bad idea. We just need
a few more cities to start competing!
Walking Tour
The following day I braced myself for a chilly February
day, and set off on one of the recommended walking tours.
The first highlight of the trip, not mentioned in the guide
book, was a car-free downtown. Thanks to a visionary town
council, cars have been officially barred in a three block
radius from the core, leaving a vibrant flow of pedestrians,
bicycles and electric trams.
The first official stop of the solar tour was Vauban, a “sustainable
neighbourhood” project which is a 5000-person housing
development that had taken the place of an old army barracks.
With the municipal government playing an active role in setting
progressive sustainability guidelines during development,
the neighbourhood included Low Energy buildings with emissions
30% less than national guidelines. Despite initial opposition
from the building developer these guidelines are apparently
now standards adopted by the building industry.
Walking through the neighbourhood I saw solar panels dotting
the rooftops in various configurations, some roofs made entirely
of PV panels, and I even passed a Solar Parkade. If you’ve
got to have cars, you might as well put solar panels over
them! Coupled into the properties were community gardens
and evidence of a thorough recycling system.
Solar PV Versus Solar Thermal
Interestingly, I saw far fewer solar thermal systems, which
use collectors to heat water, than photovoltaic systems,
which create electricity. I asked someone about solar thermal
systems at the Solar Freiburg office and the answer I received
was that they just don’t make as much economic sense
as photovoltaic systems. How curious! You’ll get
the opposite response here in BC.
What’s the cause of the discrepancy? A major factor
is the influence of government incentives. In Germany, production
incentives called feed-in tariffs provide guaranteed premium
rates to sell excess electricity back to the grid. Without
that support here in BC, solar hot water is generally a better
return on investment. This highlights the important role
for government policy in shaping the direction of energy
development.
What about BC?
 I concluded my trip the next day with the cable car trip
up the local mountain. From the peak I watched the movements
of half a dozen pairs of wind turbines sitting atop peaks
jutting like islands out of the low clouds covering the Freiburg
valley. It was a nice spot to contemplate the successes of
Freiburg and what opportunities we have in BC.
The well-integrated nature of the sustainable energy activities
in Freiburg region impressed me. Systems included renewable
wind and solar supply, low energy buildings, pedestrian and
transit oriented transportation networks, and built environments
supporting vibrant communities. Supported by all levels of
government, an environmental consciousness in the citizens,
and a network of business and educational institutes Freiburg
has achieved a critical mass that seems to be propelling
them forward on the path to energy sustainability. By developing
a similarly broad base of support here in BC, with the BCSEA
encouraging progressive provincial policy, and BCSEA chapter
members creating unique opportunities in our communities
it is inspiring to imagine creating our own critical mass
for local sustainable energy progress.
For more information see:
Chris Mott is BCSEA board member and an electrical engineering
graduate student at the University of British Columbia. Pictured
in front of wind turbines.
MILLIJOULES
By
Guy Dauncey
Port-u-Gale
Portugal (pop’n 10.6 million) is emerging as one of
Europe’s sustainable energy leaders. It imports 86%
of its energy, so it’s got reason to be creative. Portugal
has set a target of 4,400 MW of wind energy by 2010, and
is planning a new 1,500 MW wind farm to take advantage of
the Atlantic gales. It is developing a Pelamis wave power
project, and is building an 11 MW solar power project (the
world’s largest), using 52,000 PV modules on a site
near Lisbon.
 Running out of Gas
Canada has less than 8 years’ supply of natural gas,
and the industry is having to drill more and more wells to
keep up with demand. Annual production has remained stable
at 16 to 17 billion cubic feet a day, but the drilling that’s
needed to find the gas has risen from 5,000 wells in 1998
to 15,000 wells in 2004. North America’s natural gas
production peaked in 2001-2002, and is in permanent decline.
The industry is pinning its hopes on liquefied natural gas
from Russia and Iran, and coal bed methane, which tends to
stir up strong local opposition. (Source: Speech by David
Hughes, of natural Resources Canada, to the University of
Calgary’s Geology Department in February 2006. http://republic-news.org/archive/131-repub/131_crawford.htm)
Pooch-Power
Animal poo makes up 4% of San Francisco’s residential
waste, so the city has asked a company to find a way to turn
it into methane for heat and power. If it is collected in
biodegradable bags, it can be processed in a methane digester.
At present, when it is collected in a regular plastic bag
and tossed in the garbage, it goes to the landfill.
Are You an Efficient Driver?
In Holland, evidence from the “New Driving” program
shows that drivers can reduce their fuel use by as much as
a third if they learn to drive more efficiently. In Britain,
from 2008, new drivers will be taught efficient driving techniques
in preparation for their driving tests. Some tips:
- Don’t use the accelerator when you start the
car (it’s a habit from older cars that’s not
needed any more)
- Anticipate slow-downs and traffic lights so that you
can slow without braking
- Avoid sudden acceleration and braking
- Turn the engine off when you stop for more than a
minute
- Keep your tire pressure at the right level
- Take the rack off your roof
- Don’t carry heavy things around in your car.
California Dreaming
Across the US, household power consumption rose from 8,000
kWh a year in 1975 to 12,000 kWh today. In California, however,
it has remained flat at 7,300 kWh. As a result, the state
has not had to build 65,000 MW of generating capacity, and
consumers are saving $1,000 a year. How have they done it?
It’s all about regulation. Refrigerators are 20% bigger
than they used to be, but they use a quarter of the power,
thanks to the state’s tough standards. Right across
the board, the state is forcing equipment manufacturers to
make their appliances and gizmos more efficient. It has also
tightened up its building code, with tough new standards.
A new program of smart meters, linked to the home thermostat
and the power company’s control centre to reduce power
use at peak periods, will reduce consumption by 0.5% a year
and peak power consumption by 1% a year. Customers who insist
on using the full air-conditioning will pay at six times
the normal rate to reflect the cost of peak power production.
How about it, BC?
Guy Dauncey is the president of the BCSEA
BC
HYDRO’S
INTEGRATED ELECTRICITY PLAN
By Tom Hackney
When I covered BC Hydro’s Integrated Electricity Plan
last October, I described the extensive Public Integrated
Electricity Plan Committee process, where independent power
producers, first nations and electricity consumers said how
they wanted BC Hydro to acquire electricity over the next
twenty years. BCSEA Director Geza Vamos attended as an observer
and worked behind the scenes to support the all-green energy
portfolio. It eventually emerged as the majority’s
favorite. Tom is back with an update on BC Hydro’s
Integrated Electricity Plan (IEP).
In March, BC Hydro finally filed the 2006 Integrated Electricity
Plan with the BC Utilities Commission, which will now hold
a formal public review. The BCSEA has teamed up with Sierra
Club of Canada, BC Chapter and the Peace Valley Environmental
Association to intervene. This is a major crossroads in BC’s
electricity planning, and we expect the main interested parties – industry,
commercial consumers, consumer advocates, independent power
producers, coal groups, first nations, etc. – to participate.
The IEP consists of BC Hydro’s forecast of electricity
demand growth over the next twenty years, a list of what
resources might meet that demand (including conservation,
renewable energies, imports, coal-fired power and the 900
MW Site C hydro-electric dam on the Peace river), and estimates
of the costs and risks associated with each energy type (e.g.
the “firmness” of power delivery; and greenhouse
gas emissions risks).
BC Hydro does not pick the energy projects: according to
government policy, electricity acquisitions will be developed
by independent power producers and selected through a competitive
bidding process. The two exceptions are energy conservation
and the Site C dam. BC Hydro is responsible for energy conservation
and plans to meet roughly a third of projected load growth
this way. The government has reserved to itself the decision
on building the Site C dam, as well as the decision on whether
BC Hydro or a private developer should build it.
The current electricity demand is some 55,000 Gigawatt-hours
per year in BC Hydro’s service area, containing 94%
of BC’s population, with 1.7 million residential, commercial
and industrial customers. Demand is forecast to rise to 67,000
GWh/y by 2015 and to 78,000 GWh/y by 2025. Adding the gap
left by the expected retirement of the Burrard Thermal generation
plant, and BC Hydro predicts a firm supply gap of some 18,000
GWh/y by 2015.
(BC Hydro plans according to “firm” supply, so
that for example, BC Hydro plans according to the amount
of power available from its dams in a low water year, rather
than in an average year. This builds in a considerable safety
factor.)
The IEP proposes to meet the 2015 projected gap with:
- 5,900 GWh/y of energy conservation (including
industrial load displacement);
- 2,500 GWh/y from the 2006 Call for Power (81
bidders; results expected in August 2006);
- 5,000 GWh/y from a Call for Power in 2007 (open
to all energy types, except nuclear);
- 5,000 GWh/y from another open Call for Power
in 2009.
For the period from 2015 to 2025, the plan retains flexibility
to adjust the amount or electricity acquisitions.
The plan calls for stakeholder engagements on Site C, which
is the next step toward a government decision on whether
to build the controversial dam (likely first nations land
claims; and environmental opposition).
Meanwhile, the government has been touting the dubious
claims of the BC Progress Board’s report that BC Hydro needs
to import electricity to meet domestic demand. This is untrue.
In the past few years BC Hydro has sometimes chosen to be
a net importer because it has been economic to do so, rather
than drawing down its reservoirs or running the Burrard Thermal
plant.
Possibly the government wants to create a public myth of
scarcity, so as to support the coal-fired generation proposals
now being brought forward. In reality, energy conservation
and sustainable energies can easily meet all BC’s requirements,
and can do so without compromising the well-being of future
generations. This is the message the BCSEA will bring to
the IEP review.
Tom Hackney is a BCSEA board member.
Welcome
to RETScreen
By Randyn Seibold
www.turbinemarketing.com
March 27th, Vancouver BC
Always on the lookout for ways to improve my knowledge
of sustainable energy applications, I registered for a one-day
presentation on Natural Resources Canada’s renewable
energy project assessment software, better known as RETScreen.
The presentation was offered free-of-charge to anyone interested
in sustainable energy options, and gave a detailed yet
efficient overview of the RETScreen program. About 100
representatives from the renewable and non-renewable power
industries, government, BC Hydro, and environmental planners
and advocates attended.
RETScreen assists planners, developers, financiers, students
and educators to assess the feasibility of a prospective
project. One of its major methods is to compare the parameters
and costs of a conventional power source or development with
the cost-and-savings potential of a cleaner alternative technology
(‘base-case vs. proposed case’). Comparisons
generally centre around initial costs, savings and expenses
over time and greenhouse gas emissions. Its standardized
international format allows for objective analysis, simplifies
evaluation, and increases the prospects for a project’s
success.
The RETScreen user is guided through a comprehensive 5-step
process:
1) Energy model (type of tech, site, etc)
2) Cost analysis
3) Greenhouse gas analysis
4) Financial summary
5) Sensitivity & risk assessment
Kevin Borque and Emily Richard of NR Canada, and Michael
Ross, a renewable energy consultant working with NR Canada
on the RETScreen program, were on hand to walk the attendees
through the software’s nuances. Their main objectives
were to tell audience that the program is fully available
to them now to begin assessing potential projects.
One of the objectives in designing and distributing RETScreen
is to reduce the amount of time and money would-be developers
spend to assess the viability of technologies or resources.
The designers estimate that it costs ten times less to utilize
this software than it does to pay the various environmental,
financial and technological consultants that would normally
be required to do a proper feasibility assessment. Vast amounts
of data have been stitched together into a powerful tool.
From over 1000 weather monitoring stations globally, to NASA
satellite feeds, to an extensive ‘marketplace’ section
containing 1000 renewable energy technology providers worldwide,
RETScreen is the most elaborate use of Microsoft Excel I
have ever seen. Presently, parts of the program are available
in 21 languages, while the entire program is available in
English and French . Version 4, to be released in 2006, will
offer the whole program in 21 languages. RETScreen now has
over 81,000 users in 213 different countries.
The program models data for 10 different technologies.
They are grouped into three general categories: power generation,
heat production and heating/cooling. They are found in the
main e-textbook, which introduces the user to the various
systems, formulas and algorithms used to assess resources,
costs, and emissions, plus 60 different real-life case studies
of projects assessed and developed using RETScreen.
The Marketplace connects customers with suppliers, has
discussion forums, and the RETScreen on-line training calendar
and registration desk.
Project Analysis
RETScreen is intended for use in the pre-feasibility and
feasibility study stage of a project. Optimally, the project
developer will have all the major hurdles accounted for before
moving into the more expensive engineering and construction
phases.
One of the major barriers to the renewable energy industry
is that clean energy projects are not routinely considered
in the early stages of industrial and commercial project
assessments.
Another challenge is the Accuracy vs. Investment dilemma.
The more accurate the feasibility data desired, the higher
the cost of gathering it. When it comes to comparing conventional
projects with the viability of a clean energy scenario, RETScreen
endeavours to take as much of the guesswork out of the equation
as possible.
Further financial considerations are loans and interest,
taxes on purchases and income, rates-of-return on investment,
environmental credits and subsidies (eg. carbon credits),
and the individual developer’s concept of ‘cost-effective’.
In short, RETScreen can forecast more than just the weather.
The software has received three major upgrades over the last
seven years, and minor updates are ongoing. One technology
area noticeably absent from the program was tidal and wave
generation. We were informed that as technologies mature
and are implemented, performance can be monitored and parameters
established for their inclusion in the program.
The presentation included an update on the federal government’s
REDI program (Renewable Energy Deployment Initiative) and
two case studies. Someone without an engineer’s head
for numbers might have been left scratching it at this point,
but RETScreen is flexible in its level of complexity.
Natural Resources Canada and the RETScreen team have done
a remarkable service for those engaged in sustainable energy,
no matter where they are living or working.
Visit www.RETScreen.net for more information.
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