solar energy Archives

Sustainability March 31, 2017

Investment in greenhouses is an environmental win for Ontario

Eating local produce is not only much more delicious, but a healthier alternative for the environment as well.

Earlier this week, Ontario launched the Greenhouse Competitiveness and Innovation Initiative to fund $19 million into greenhouses to promote local and high quality produce in the province. The initiative will allow for the use of new and sustainable technologies and will encourage investments in greenhouse agriculture.

Ontario is the leader of greenhouses, currently contributing to over half of Canada’s greenhouse produce. The province is growing by 150 acres per year and continued investment in this form of agriculture has positive financial benefits for the future. Greenhouses are especially beneficial for sensitive crops that are susceptible to erratic weather patterns and a harsh climate — like the weather Ontario was subjected to this year. Continued investment in greenhouses allows Ontario to expand its local produce capacity and provide people with fresh, homegrown food.

Greenhouses are a sustainable and ‘green’ initiative because they allow carbon to be captured in a concentrated area with high density of green growth being grown inside of a structure. Greenhouses also open the doors for other innovative technologies such as solar-powered electricity and using recyclable materials to build (with the poly-tunnel as an example). Transporting produce locally also lowers carbon emissions because it doesn’t have to travel as far.

Overall, Ontario’s investment in greenhouses will benefit the green economy, provide more green jobs and the province will continue to be a national leader in promoting an environmentally-friendly agenda. By focusing heavily on innovation in the green sector, perhaps Canada stands a chance at actually meeting carbon targets in the future.

Sustainability November 12, 2016

Is Ontario moving towards clean energy?

What is Ontario’s position on clean energy?

The province has been one of North America’s leaders in clean energy, but lately has been demonstrating that clean energy may be less important than saving a few quick dollars. It appears the province may be advocating for clean energy and climate change initiatives at the same time they are cutting budgets involving green incentives.

Ontario is now launching its third Long-term Energy Plan (LTEP), which will be released in 2017. The various regulations and laws in the Clean Energy Act (originally launched in 2009) is daunting to sort through. Alternatively, the Planning Ontario’s Energy Future lays out the current state of energy in the province today pretty clearly.

The Clean Energy act was closely followed by the LTEP in 2010, and was updated in 2013. The newest version of the LTEP is set to reassess clean energy goals set in The Climate Change Action Plan. Ontario promotes clean energy and when considering electricity, it is growing green. In the report, Ontario specifies that it has approximately 18,000 MW of wind, solar, bioenergy and hydroelectricity on-line or under contract. Ontario electricity production in 2015 consists of 58 per cent nuclear energy, 10 per cent natural gas, 23 per cent water, nine per cent solar/wind/bioenergy and no coal production as of 2014. Clean energy has increased in the last 10 years, but more work is left to be done.

Comparatively, clean fuel is moving much more slowly. Ontario residents use fuel for heating, transportation, electricity generation, and industrial production. It also provides energy for the production of plastics, fertilizers, and chemicals. Currently, natural gas is the leading fuel type at 36 per cent. Wood and biomass is at three per cent, which has only grown two per cent since 2006. Coal is also still used as one per cent of fuel, despite the fact that one of the most unsustainable energy sources and has since been abandoned as a source of electricity in the province.

This is significant because three quarters of homes are heated by natural gas, which is substantially cheaper than electricity. Though electricity is moving in a green direction, fuel distribution still remains as a central energy source. Ontario has set conservation targets for natural gas, but has yet to push Ontarians to move way from relying on this fossil fuel in their homes. It comes down to a question of building the infrastructure to provide renewable energy to homes effectively and efficiently. The infrastructure has been designed to carry natural gas into homes, and it is an expensive but necessary undertaking to move away from fossil fuels entirely.

Instead of tackling how to heat homes using renewable resources, Ontario decided to move in the opposite direction. The government recently decided to suspend the second round of Large Renewable Procurement, which is the green investment funding that supports large renewable energy contracts, which will apparently save taxpayers $3.8 billion in electricity system costs. This stops more renewable projects from going forward, but it will save residents $2.48 on their monthly energy bills. The initiative ultimately prevents more biomass producers from producing fuel, wind and solar from growing further, and keeps some of the less environmentally fuel sources in place.

Ontario has ambitious climate change goals to lower carbon emissions by 15 per cent below 1990 levels by 2020, 37 per cent by 2030 and 2050. Suspending important renewables contracts and pushing forward natural gas infrastructure is not a promotion of clean energy. Biofuels need to be used to heat homes. Overall, the province needs to pick a side and stick with it.

Public consultations are being held across the province and online throughout the months of October and November as Ontario reaches out the public to help build energy’s future.

Health & Fitness June 20, 2016

Eco-friendly solutions for the workplace

Have you ever seen lights on at night in a building downtown? It’s easy to forget to turn the switch when you leave work at night — you may be tired, nearly blind from staring at a computer all day, and it simply slips your mind. It’s a small thing, but these type of acts can waste a lot of energy.

Offices are wasting a lot of energy by not implementing sustainable practices, and there is no reason for it. It’s relatively easy to save energy within the workplace. The first step is to use electricity more responsibly. Changing the way office buildings uses this type of energy could have a substantial effect on climate change.

A report released by the U.S. Energy Information Administration in 2012 says that electricity has doubled in use over the last 30 years, from 2,200 trillion Btu of electricity in 1979 to 4,421 Btu in 2012 in commercial buildings in North America. Commercial buildings that use the most electricity include office spaces, education buildings, warehouse and storage and mercantile buildings. Space heating is cited as the primary user of electricity in the buildings.

Using eco-equipment that automatically shuts off overnight, on weekends, and on holidays is an can reduce usage dramatically. Or try motion sensor lighting in areas that aren’t occupied most of the time. There are several eco-friendly companies popping up that offer automatic shut-off plug-ins and lighting systems. By making these small changes it can also save companies money on their wasted electricity bills, not to mention it will reduce the number of carbon credits in the upcoming cap and trade arrangement.

Employing green standards in the construction of the building can help eliminate the need to make changes later. LEED Green buildings and other certification systems are expensive initially, but have substantial savings over time in energy savings and water savings. Solar and geothermal energy usage are common forms of renewable energy that eradicate the need for electricity, helping the planet and your pockets.

Sustainable practices in the office itself include recycling. Make sure to have recycling boxes in all areas of the office, and if you work in an office that doesn’t recycle, take initiative! Go paperless in the workplace if possible as well. Use electronic receipts and invest in online cloud storage to keep files safe instead of printing documents. Cloud storage is a secure online data system that stores files through safe internet programs. Additionally, upcycling old computers by donating them is a good way to contribute positively to society and be eco-friendly.

In the office kitchen, use a compost and create a local rooftop garden with the left-over goodies if you are feeling creative. It is also a fun way to give employees access to fresh and local food and a place to relax during lunch breaks. Green walls are becoming popular in LEED buildings and can help air quality in the office. Eradicate plastic from the kitchen and put reusable cups and forks in the area. Passing out re-usable bags to co-workers helps create an incentive to stay eco-positive and send a green message in the workplace.

If every office space, education facility, warehouse and mercantile area went green, it could change the world. Starting small and leading a recycling campaign or doing something larger like funding geothermal heating could start a green workplace revolution. Go to work and give it a try! Isn’t it worth trying to save the planet one step at a time?

Home & Garden May 26, 2016

5 ways to make your home more energy efficient

With the Ontario government pushing energy-efficient retrofits in homes, you may be thinking: what can I do? Despite the incentive programs being offered, it’s still a bit expensive to incorporate solar, wind, and water into your home.

It’s time to think about the future. Electricity is just going to get more expensive and with climate change being what it is, well, let’s just say it’s better to start thinking about our carbon footprint. Luckily, there are a few environmentally-safe tricks that can help save energy and leave you paying off your power bills without having a heart attack.

Use LED Bulbs

Using Light Emitting Diodes (LED) bulbs instead of incandescent light bulbs is an easy way to lessen your electricity bill. LED lights are becoming the new norm and if you don’t have them in your house, it is recommended to switch as soon as possible. The light bulbs begin at $20 and are an affordable investment for energy saving in the home. LED lights have an average life span of 50,000 hours compared to incandescent light bulbs that can only be used for 1200 hours. They use 6-8 watts of energy instead of 60 watts used by regular light bulbs. Overall, that brings the cost of electricity used to $32.85 per year for LEDs instead of $328.59 per year for incandescent bulbs.

Smart Power Strip Bars

Power bars consume more energy than most people assume because items are left plugged in and standby electricity is used overnight. It is estimated that five to 10 per cent of household energy consumption is standby energy — unused energy that is wasted just by being plugged in. This accounts for one per cent of worldwide carbon dioxide emissions. The Smart Strip LGC3 from Bits Limited is a smart power bar that controls the power the other items receive, according to what the TV is doing. If the TV is off, the plugs for speakers, the DVD player and other items connected to the TV switch off as well.

Shade Producing Landscaping

Having trees and shrubs in your yard is not only good for producing quality air, it can help regulate heating and cooling in your home. In the winter, trees help to protect the heat source inside the home and provide wind blockage. In the summer, the foliage offers shade and cools the house down. Maple trees have very high tolerance for heat and are a great option in the summer months. On the other hand, pine and fir trees will keep their needles in the winter months. Additionally, laurel and yew shrubs have high heat tolerance and produce heavy shade.

High Efficiency Shower Heads

Shower heads waste water because they often have outdated or slower flow rates. Most shower heads produce a 2.5 gallons per minute flow rate, but high efficiency shower valves can lower that by half and help save water. The newer shower heads maintain much needed water pressure while lowering water flow for a greener showering solution.

Energy Efficiency for Dryers

Dryers use a lot of energy in the home and are often wasteful. In the summer months, it is much better to air dry clothes instead. If you are worried about your clothes being crunchy and stiff, pouring a cup of vinegar into the washer acts as a natural fabric softener. In the winter, ways to make your dryer more efficient include keeping the lint trap and vent clean and using auto-dry settings only. Purchasing an energy star certified dryer will save energy and money as well with better low heat settings and sensor drying that automatically turns off when clothes are dry.

What are your favourite energy saving devices to put in your home? Let us know in the comments below!