On Aug. 13, Transition Erin hosted an evening workshop on renewable energy at the All Saints Anglican church here.
The focus was on various ways local residents can participate in renewable energy projects right now, using suppliers, experts and opportunities that are available in the community.
Renewable energy is simply energy that does not rely primarily on the consumption of a fossil fuel source in order to produce power.
The advantages of renewable energy are numerous: it is cleaner for the environment, cheaper and not based on a dwindling supply. Renewable sources discussed included solar panels, residential small wind turbines, and solar water heating.
There was also lots of information on energy-saving appliances and other ways to reduce consumption and power bills.
The first speaker, Eugene Croken, outlined some of the different actions that can be taken to introduce renewable energy in the home today.
His company, PurePower Renewable Energy Systems Inc., is based in Hillsburgh, meaning that inquiries, expertise and ongoing system support are only minutes away. This fits well with Transition Erin’s objectives for support both environmental responsibility and a resilient local economy.
Andrew Welch, facilitator for Transition Erin, shared some of his own personal experiences with installing a one-kilowatt wind turbine on his property. Some of the benefits of this project were unexpected.
Not only is the system more reliable than the hydro grid (no more loss of computer work), but homeowners develop a powerful awareness of how they are using power in their own home, leading to improved consumption habits and better choices of energy-dependent devices.
For those not ready to take on the full cost of their own residential renewable energy system, there are still great opportunities. For example, Todd Corson from Solar Direct Canada introduced the audience to a local cooperative solar energy project that is looking for investors as part of its Micro-FIT agreement with the Ontario Power Authority (OPA).
The system will generate 100kW of solar power which will be sold to the OPA at a premium price. Interested residents wishing to support renewable energy in the community can purchase $1,000 shares that offer a guaranteed 7.75 per cent return annually for three years.
As is typical of most Transition Erin gatherings, perhaps the most productive part of the evening was the discussion that took place between the speaker presentations. Many participants wanted to know why the Town of Erin could not be doing more to look at community-wide initiatives to generate its own renewable energy and to encourage developers to incorporate such capabilities into new homes built in the area.
Transition Erin plans to follow up on these ideas as part of its overall mandate to improve the quality of life for the people of Erin. It also plans to offer more of these sorts of workshops to support that mission.
