| Canada Still Attractive for Renewables |
| 2012-02-28 (canadian association for renewable energies) Canada has retained its ranking as #8 in the world for attractiveness of all renewable energies. In the quarterly ranking produced by Ernst & Young, Canada’s overall score was 54 compared with 70 for the top-ranked tie between China and the US. Canada scored 61 for wind (67 for onshore wind and 46 for offshore), 33 for solar (46 for PV and 0 for CSP), 50 for biomass, 36 for geothermal and 65 for infrastructure. Renewables were “buoyed by Ontario election result,” the report explains. While it ranked #8 on the all renewables index, it scored #6 on wind and moved up to #23 on the solar index. |
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| c.a.r.e. Suspends Newsfeed |
| 2010-09-31 (canadian association for renewable energies) The c.a.r.e. news service will be suspended while Bill Eggertson works offsite on another contract. Periodic feeds will be sent to subscribers until the full news service resumes. |
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| Residential Retrofit Sets New Standards |
| 2010-09-01 (canadian association for renewable energies) The canadian association for renewable energies has completed a residential retrofit that reduces energy consumption and GHG emissions by 75% over the national average. The 1985 home upgraded insulation and efficiency, while installing geothermal heating and other measures to score 85 on the EnerGuide for Houses rating. The house has mounted 10 kW of solar PV panels on the roof under the Ontario feed-in tariff, and the retrofit will allow the home to surpass the concept of net-zero to become a 'carbon sink' for GHG emissions with no offsets. |  |
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| Ontario Wants to Reduce Solar Rate |
| 2010-07-05 (canadian association for renewable energies) The province of Ontario wants to reduce a popular solar feed-in tariff by 27%, after only nine months of operation. The Ontario Power Authority offers 80c/kWh for rooftop or ground-mounted PV systems, less than 10 kW in capacity. The 20-year FIT is the highest rate offered, with larger solar rooftop mounts receiving 71c and larger ground-mounted systems receiving 44c/kWh. Since last October, 16,000 applications have been submitted, most for ground-mounted solar, and the OPA is proposing a new price of 59c/kWh for small ground-mounted PV projects. The proposed FIT would reflect the lower costs to install a ground-mounted PV project, and provide a price that enables owners to recover costs as well as a reasonable return on their investment, says OPA. A 30-day comment period on the proposed price has been implemented, although microFIT application intake will continue during this period. |
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| Capital City Supports Solar PV Facility |
| 2010-05-26 (canadian association for renewable energies) The City of Ottawa has approved a plan to install 12 MWp of solar PV on lands near its municipal landfill site. It will partner with Energy Ottawa, the municipal utility, which will install two ground-mounted solar fields and apply for funding under the provincial Feed-In Tariff, which would yield $7.5 million a year in revenue for 20 years. “These solar fields will feed back into the energy grid, providing extra revenue for the municipality and positioning the City as a leader in clean renewable energy,” says mayor Larry O’Brien. Energy Ottawa would lease the land for $125,000 a year; formal approval is required from the Ministry of the Environment before building on the former garbage dump. The first phase of the solar park could be operational by early 2012, with the second site commissioned early in 2013. The city and Energy Ottawa have worked on a landfill-gas-to-energy project which has generated 67 million kWh of green power and provided $315,000 in royalties to the city. |
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| Solar Community Surpasses Targets |
| 2010-05-25 (canadian association for renewable energies) North America’s first large-scale seasonal storage solar system will source 90% of its heating needs from its solar-powered district heating system within two years. Drake Landing Solar Community is the first system of its kind in the world to deliver 80% of the community’s space heating requirements from solar energy. Natural Resources Canada provided $3.3 million to design, build and monitor the project, which is a three-year-old residential development in Okotoks, south of Calgary, where 52 solar-heated homes were built within the larger master-planned community. “This project is an excellent example of Canada’s leadership in developing and implementing innovative solar energy technologies,” says local MP Ted Menzies. “By supporting clean energy projects like Drake Landing, our government is reducing our GHG emissions and creating clean energy jobs.” ATCO Gas is the operator and part-owner of the heating system. Okotoks has launched a web site where performance of the solar collection and storage system can be viewed; the site provides current data for solar energy availability, amount of solar radiation collected, ambient temperature and heat put into the district heating system, as well as showing current temperatures of the energy storage tanks. |
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| Canada to be Second-Lowest Country for Renewables |
| 2010-05-24 (canadian association for renewable energies) With the exception of Japan, Canada's future growth in the consumption of renewable energy will be the lowest in the world. Total world consumption of renewables (including hydroelectricity) will grow from 46.2 quadrillion Btu in 2007 to 99.8 quad in 2035, representing an increase of 2.6% per year, according to the latest international outlook from the US Department of Energy. In North America, US consumption will rise from 6.1 quad to 12.4 (2.5%/per annum) and Mexico from 0.6 to 1.3 (3.1% pa). Canada will increase from 4.2 quad to 6.1 (1.4% pa), ahead only of Japan at 0.8%. OECD countries (including Canada and Japan) will grow by 2% pa, while annual growth in non-OECD nations will be 3% over the period. |
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| Wind Turbines have No Adverse Health Effects |
| 2010-05-21 (canadian association for renewable energies) There is no direct causal link between wind turbines and adverse health effects, says Ontario's Chief Medical Officer Of Health. Scientific evidence does not demonstrate any direct causal link and, while some people living near turbines report symptoms such as dizziness, headaches and sleep disturbance, “available scientific evidence to date does not demonstrate a direct causal link” between turbine noise and adverse health effects. The sound level from wind turbines at common residential setbacks is not sufficient to cause hearing impairment or other direct adverse health effects, but it may annoy some people. The minimum setback distance for windfarms is 550 m to ensure that noise levels do not exceed 40 decibels at the nearest residence. Ontario has 690 wind turbines, the report explains. The report was prepared by the Chief Medical Officer of Health of Ontario in response to public health concerns about wind turbines, and was assisted by a technical working group from the Ontario Agency for Health Protection & Promotion, Ministry of Health & Long-Term Care and several Medical Officers of Health across the province with support of the Council of Ontario Medical Officers of Health. |
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| Renewables Company Claims $41m in Lawsuit |
| 2010-05-20 (canadian association for renewable energies) Hybridyne Power Systems Canada and its founder have jointly issued Statements of Claim for significant damages and other relief against Atlantic Wind & Solar, Aim Global Energy and five individuals for $41 million. The lawsuit is an attempt to recover unpaid debts and damages resulting from AWSL's non-payment for services-rendered, salaries and breach of purchase-and-sale agreement related to its prematurely announced acquisition of 47.5% of Hybridyne. |
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| Wind to Help Moderate Energy Price Increases in Canada |
| 2010-05-19 (canadian association for renewable energies) Electricity prices in Canada will be moderated in Canada as a result of several new windfarms that should be operational in Canada by the end of this year, representing 800 MW of new renewable energy supply. In some regions, demand management programs have been successful in reducing electricity peak demand, says the National Energy Board in this year's ‘Summer Outlook,’ although growing world demand for oil in non-OECD countries means there is the potential that oil prices will increase slightly in comparison to last summer. The NEB says there are adequate energy supplies for the needs of Canadians. |
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| Investment In Renewables Produces Economic And Environmental Benefits |
| 2010-05-18 (canadian association for renewable energies) Investments in climate-friendly technology can contribute to economic and employment growth over the next five years, according to the Conference Board of Canada. “Canada will require significant investment from both the private and public sectors to meet the aggressive GHG reduction targets being set out by governments,” explains Len Coad in ‘The Economic & Employment Impacts of Climate-Related Technology Investments.’ “Innovation will play a key role in achieving climate change goals; to achieve environmental and full economic benefits, governments need to properly support home-grown commercialization of technologies and help develop Canadian clean energy companies. Tapping into export markets for these new technologies would achieve even greater economic benefits.” The study examines private and public technology investments made under government programs which will total $11.8 billion over the period 2010 to 2014. The study then identifies the impact of these investments on gross domestic product and employment. Climate-friendly investments in Alberta, at $6.1 billion over the period, will surpass all other provinces combined. Ontario is expected to spend $2 billion, while Saskatchewan, Quebec and BC are expected to spend $1 billion each over this period. |
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| Canadian Renewable Energy Building Receives US Award |
| 2010-05-15 (canadian association for renewable energies) The American Institute of Architects has selected a Canadian utility for one of the top-ten examples of sustainable architecture and green design. Manitoba Hydro Place in Winnipeg, is a 700,000 ft2 commercial building that uses passive solar, wind and geothermal energy to save 65% of energy. To maximize solar and wind exposure, the two towers splay open to the south and are clad in low-iron glazing to minimize the mass of the building. The COTE Top Ten Green Projects program is in its 14th year and is the profession's recognition program for sustainable design excellence. |
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| Government Environmental Group Urges More Renewables |
| 2010-05-14 (canadian association for renewable energies) Canada, Mexico and the United States should develop a cooperative collaborative approach to energy policy in North America as it relates to climate change, while maximizing the use of existing renewable energy technology. The Joint Public Advisory Committee of the Commission for Environmental Cooperation “strongly supports the CEC Council’s desire to promote the use of clean, renewable, and sustainable energy” and has approved an Advice to Council calling for common definitions for what constitutes renewable technology and standardized accounting systems, as well as “identify the cumulative impacts of smaller renewable energy projects in order to better evaluate the overall contribution to the achievement of climate change goals.” Common terminology is “essential to promote a North American clean energy strategy” through definitions on what constitutes renewable energy sources and technologies, and development of government policy at the provincial and state level, “such as renewable portfolio standards to promote new technology, may create artificial trade barriers and could inadvertently slow down North America’s ability to reduce its carbon footprint.” |
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| Academy Triples PV Training Capacity |
| 2010-05-13 (canadian association for renewable energies) The private Ontario Solar Academy has established a 8,000 ft2 facility in Vaughan, north of Toronto, to run three times as many training classes to meet the demand for interest in green power careers across the province. Following approval of 694 renewable energy projects by the OPA, the Academy launched earlier this year and has graduated 75 alumni, with 27 slated for May. The Academy's five-day training courses have consistently sold out in advance, says David Gower of OSA, and to keep class sizes small, “the only way to meet demand is to expand the number of solar courses we offer.” OSA courses are based on NABCEP and include workshops to prepare participants for NABCEP's PV entry level exam. |
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| Ontario Program to Develop Community Renewable Energy Projects |
| 2010-05-12 (canadian association for renewable energies) The Community Energy Partnerships Program (CEPP) will cover 90% of eligible development costs to a maximum of $200,000 for community power projects greater than 10 kW and no larger than 10 MW in Ontario. Charities, not-for-profits and co-ops will be eligible for the fund, as well as projects developed by individual Ontario residents, such as farmers. “Opening Ontario's doors to clean energy means that everyone can participate in growing Ontario's clean energy economy and the jobs associated with it,” says provincial energy minister Brad Duguid. “Today's launch of the CEPP will make it easier for not-for-profits, co-ops and farmers to become clean energy providers through community-owned renewable energy projects.” A barrier to development of community-owned renewable energy projects is a lack of financial resources to cover upfront development costs, and Colin Anderson of the Ontario Power Authority supports development of community power projects and wants to see more community-owned projects participating in the Feed-In Tariff program.” The OPA has awarded 694 contracts under its FIT; 20 for projects larger than 500 kW are for community-owned renewable energy projects and these community projects have a combined generating capacity of 264 MW. The Community Power Fund and Deloitte are responsible for administering the CEPP, which was selected by OPA through a competitive procurement process. |
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| Solar Panel Manufacturer to Create 200 Jobs |
| 2010-05-11 (canadian association for renewable energies) The WindsorEssex Economic Development Corporation and City of Windsor say Solar Source Corp (SSC) will locate a manufacturing facility in Windsor to produce crystalline silicon solar PV panels. SSC’s 45,000 ft2 production facility will be located at the international airport and will serve as SSC's beachhead investment in North America. SSC is owned by Solar Bancorp, a Canadian merchant bank, and has partnered with Hind High Vacuum Company, a manufacturer of amorphous silicon thin film and crystalline silicon solar panel manufacturing tools in India. The first phase of the 30 MW manufacturing project will result in 150 full-time jobs, while the second phase will create an additional 50 jobs. “Windsor's strategic location as the gateway into the US market, coupled with the determination of Mayor Francis, and the efforts of the WindsorEssex Economic Development Corporation to establish Windsor-Essex as the 'renewable energy capital' of Ontario, has created a dynamic one-two punch that we could not refuse,” says Ross Beatty of SSC, who claims the facility will be Ontario's first solar panel manufacturing plant using HHV equipment. |
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| Geothermal Company Partners with Solar Electric Firm |
| 2010-05-08 (canadian association for renewable energies) GeoSmart Energy will diversify its renewable energy product line to include solar energy options through a formal partnership with Innovative Air Solutions. IAS will private-label GeoSmart's Solar Harmony product line to its network of 300 dealers to reach the residential market. GeoSmart Energy will use its training centre to provide its dealers, interested homeowners and industry stakeholders with training and hands-on knowledge. “This is a win-win situation for both companies,” says Geoffrey Smith of ISA, which recently acquired a 10,000 ft2 near GeoSmart's distribution facility in Cambridge. The IAS solar power system consists of thin film PV panels which mount flush to the roof and generate green power even in partially shaded conditions. The thin film solar panels generate 10-20% higher energy yield than traditional monocrystalline PV panels. Under Ontario's Feed-In Tariff, homeowners are paid $0.80 for electricity from their PV system over a 20-year period. |
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| Canadian Green Building Receives US Architect Award |
| 2010-05-07 (canadian association for renewable energies) The American Institute of Architects has selected the top ten examples of sustainable architecture and green design for 2010, including the new head office of Manitoba Hydro. Manitoba Hydro Place in Winnipeg obtains 65% of its energy by harnessing passive solar, wind and geothermal energy, and consumes 88 kWh/m2 per year to be the most energy efficient large office tower in North America. The 700,000 ft2 22-story single building was completed last September and minimizes north-facing surface and maximizes solar and wind exposure. A solar chimney is essential to the passive ventilation strategy and for presenting the building as a new urban icon. Most of the top-ten buildings use geothermal heat pumps, daylighting, shading, natural ventilation, and passive solar heating; one uses rooftop wind turbines. |
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| Construction Begins on Windfarm |
| 2010-05-06 (canadian association for renewable energies) Manitoba's largest windfarm has started construction. Pattern Energy will build the 138 MW facility at St. Joseph, 100 km south of Winnipeg, with a 27-year power purchase agreement with Manitoba Hydro. The company will invest $95 million into the project, according to media reports, and will borrow $260 million from the utility. The province's first windfarm near St. Leon generates 100 MW and this facility will consist of 60 2.3 MW turbines, with the first tranche to be operational by the end of this year. Pattern Energy will pay $38 million to land owners for using their property and generate $44 million in local municipal taxes over the life of the project. |
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| University Wants to Lease Roof Space for Solar PV |
| 2010-05-05 (canadian association for renewable energies) The University of Waterloo wants to use roof space on campus to generate power under the Ontario Power Authority Feed-in Tariff. It has identified a warehouse as a potential site for a pilot installation and is seeking proposals by May 19 to install on the 30,000 ft2 flat roof. |
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