Special Report: blowing in the wind
April 30, 2009
Here are some thoughts from one wind energy entrepreneur on the Green Energy Act. In short, he likes it
Wednesday Words
April 29, 2009
Controller | device that starts up the turbine at wind speeds of above 13 kilometres per hour and shuts the machine down at speeds over 90 kilometres per hour for safety reasons
C-K seeks landfill energy
April 29, 2009
Chatham-Kent doesn’t want its waste to go to waste so is hoping to harness its landfill gases as a source of renewable energy
Full Story [The Chatham Daily News]
Wednesday Words
April 29, 2009
Neutrino | elementary particles that travel close to the speed of light, lack an electric charge, are able to pass through ordinary matter almost undisturbed, are thus extremely difficult to detect and are created as a result of certain types of radioactive decay or nuclear reactions such as those that take place in the sun, in nuclear reactors, or when cosmic rays hit atoms
Fredericton company hopes carbon is the new black
April 28, 2009
What do you get when you remove carbon from natural gas? Atlantic Hydrogen Inc. seems to have an answer… or two
Full Story [The Daily Gleaner]
Losing the war on climate gases
April 28, 2009
One observer reflects on Canada’s war on greenhouse gases, and some reasons as to why we’re losing
Energy efficiency: Beat the bust by going green
April 28, 2009
Companies would be wise to go on their own energy diets during the recession
Full Story [Canadian Business Online]
Climate research that might not help
April 28, 2009
Looks like overeating causes gas… greenhouse gases to be exact. Research shows a link between increasing rates of obesity and climate change
Full Story [The New York Times]
We get questions
April 27, 2009
The Centre for Energy’s portal is loaded with factual and statistical information about Canada’s energy system. But we still get questions, like this one.
Q: How large a furnace would you need to heat a 2,000 square-foot bungalow?
A: The best way to determine what size furnace you need is to conduct a heat loss calculation. Heat loss calculations are based not only on size, but on floor plan; type, amount and effectiveness of insulation; how well the house is sealed; type of windows, doors, roofing and skylights.
The Canadian Standards Association describes such a method in its CSA F280, “Determining the Required Capacity of Residential Space Heating and Cooling Appliances. It is available from the CSA in PDF format for $75 and hardcopy for $85.
The residential energy assessment initiative has been developed by the Office of Energy Efficiency (OEE) of Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) to help property owners make retrofit choices that improve the comfort and energy efficiency of their home and arrange a home energy audit.
The OEE also provides detailed information about the various types of heating appliances and corresponding fuels through a number of downloadable brochures.
Furnace sizing can also be calculated using previous utility bills. Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation has a section on its website called “Replacing Your Furnace”. The second part of that section provides a furnace sizing calculation using this method.
Got a question?
Send it to infoservices@centreforenergy.com – we’ll answer it and might even publish it on Flow.
Dollar per watt solar energy
April 27, 2009
Always wanted to go-green, but could never afford to? Well, you’re not alone.
In the past, high costs have been one of the solar industry’s main challenges. The high cost of production has hindered its expansion and reliability. But in February 2009, a new milestone was reached in the solar industry: cheap renewable energy.
A solar panel maker in Arizona announced that it had reduced its production costs to less than $1 a watt, down from $3 a watt. What does that mean?
It means the savings will be passed onto the consumer and that the industry is one step closer towards providing reliable sustainable energy solutions. The more reasonable costs and more reliable energy will encourage more value for money.
The US is taking a cue from Europe…
Europe has long-been regulated by government tariff rates. A tariff is the price per unit of electricity that a utility or supplier has to pay for renewable electricity from private generators. These government subsidies are helping to make the industry competitive. Higher tariffs help operators cover the higher cost of production without passing it onto the consumer.
The investment will pay off in the long run. The reasoning is that if the government continues its support for the industry now, then solar power will be able to match peak-hour pricing from coal and natural gas by 2012 – meaning that the industry will no longer need subsidies.
So saving greenbacks will help companies and consumers alike go green