If you think getting into the solar power industry is a bright idea, there’s a free talk for you next week.
The Solar Energy Society of Alberta is holding a free lecture next Nov. 30 on working in the renewable power sector.
The solar industry has been growing at a tremendous pace in the last three years, and governments are showing unprecedented interest renewable power, said Rob Harlan, the society’s executive director.
“Alberta is being especially ambitious and aggressive in this area,” he noted, and is promoting renewable power as a source of jobs for unemployed oil and gas workers.
Harlan said Wednesday’s talk features a panel discussion of different parts of the solar industry, including installation, engineering and energy efficiency.
Clifton Lofthaug of Great Canadian Solar will be one of those panellists. In business since 2009, his Edmonton-based company installed the solar arrays on the St. Albert United Church and the Alberco Construction headquarters – the latter of which is the biggest array in the city.
Lofthaug said that he had already quadrupled his staff to 24 this year and expected to double it again next year.
“The previous year we did about 500 kilowatts of solar, and this past year we’ve done 4,000 kW.”
Driving this growth have been major new installs in Fort McMurray, Camrose, and Leduc, the latter of which saw the creation of Canada’s largest rooftop array at 3,622 solar panels, Lofthaug said.
One of the biggest barriers to entry in the industry right now is the pending release of the province’s energy rebate program, Lofthaug said. There is plenty of interest in renewables out there, but everyone’s waiting to see if there will be any government incentives available before they commit to a project.
“People are just waiting for some sort of nudge.”
Job-wise, the industry offers plenty of work for electricians, equipment operators and other construction workers, Lofthaug continued. Those jobs may pay less than equivalent posts in the oil sector, though, and may not be advertised.
“We never ever post a single position we’re looking for. We want people who really want to work with us and will come in and drop off a rĂ©sumĂ©.”
The Solar Energy Society and Northern Alberta Institute of Technology both offer courses that can help train you to do solar installation, Lofthaug said.
The talk starts at 7 p.m. at MacEwan University’s CN Theatre. Visit solaralberta.ca for details.
Can’t tell a flicker from a falcon? There are two talks coming up that will straighten you out in time for this year’s Christmas bird count.
The Edmonton Nature Club is holding two talks next month in preparation for Christmas bird count season. The first one is this Thursday.
Edmonton’s Wildbird General Store is hosting a talk on bird identification next Dec. 1 with the help of ornithologist Gerald Romanchuk, said store co-owner Jaynne Carre. Birder Anne Carter will give a similar talk on Dec. 6 at Wild Birds Unlimited.
These talks are a good way for an amateur bird-lover to get involved with a count or better appreciate the birds in their backyard, said Alan Hingston, co-ordinator of the St. Albert Christmas Bird Count.
Many bird fans will take part in three to six counts next month as they try to collect information on bird population trends, Hingston said. He himself was gearing up for the Dec. 28 count in St. Albert, which drew some 162 participants last year.
It’s tough to say how the recent super-warm weather will affect the count, Hingston said.
“There are still plenty of geese in the area,” he said, but it’s tough to say if there will still be open water around St. Albert by the end of next month.
Carre predicted that this would be a good year for robins and grey partridges in winter counts, as she had received an unusual number of calls about them.
The Dec. 1 and Dec. 6 talks are $10, with all funds going to the Edmonton Nature Club. Visit edmontonnatureclub.org for details.
