Big ideas from thinking small

Sometimes making a big impact means thinking small, micro even. That’s the direction renewable energy is going with microgeneration. 

Microgeneration or distributed generation is the small-scale production of energy, usually at or close to the place where it is used. For instance, your home, a community centre or any public buildings are all viable candidates for microgeneration. 

The energy produced can take the form of electricity or heat, and in order to be considered to be a ‘renewable’ form of energy it must come from a sustainable source, such as the sun, plants or trees (‘biomass’), flowing water or the wind.

Microgeneration is about decentralizing our power source – think corner store instead of Walmart – and reducing reliance on a small number of big power plants by supplementing them with a large number of small, localized generation systems. 

Schools in particular will benefit from reducing their energy bills with the added bonus of leading a new generation by example about society’s options for a clean, low carbon future. 

But it is in Canada’s many remote communities that micro-scale energy technologies are the most cost effective energy choice. Often remote communities rely on diesel generators for their power. These are dirty, carbon-intensive, and expensive to run because of the cost of fuel. 

In order for microgeneration to succeed, a comprehensive upgrade to the energy grid and cooperation amongst all participants is needed. Legislation, regulation and provincial energy strategies are needed to propel this energy alternative into a viable and efficient power generation technique. 

Small steps to big change.