St. Albert homeowners can power up next week at a free conference on solar electricity.
The 10th annual Solar Alberta Solar Show runs Jan. 29 to Feb. 2. The free (apart from one paid session) online conference gives Albertans a chance to hear about the ins and outs of solar panels and energy efficiency from industry experts.
Vittoria Bellissimo of the Canadian Renewable Energy Association will give this year’s keynote address on the links between solar, wind, energy storage, and grid reliability, said Solar Alberta executive director Heather MacKenzie. It's an issue that was pushed to the forefront on Jan. 13, when a shortage of natural gas, wind, and solar generation triggered a province-wide alert for residents to save electricity to avoid rotating blackouts.
“At times like this, this is when we would want to see a lot more storage on the grid,” MacKenzie said, adding about 30 per cent of the projects halted by the province’s six-month moratorium on approvals for renewable energy developments included utility-scale energy storage systems.
“Those are the type of decisions that can exacerbate situations on the grid. We really need to see these technologies expanded together.”
MacKenzie said this year’s conference includes a Solar 101 session on the basics of solar and talks on renewable jobs and solar-ready design principles.
Solar sessions
New this year is a session on solar in multi-family developments.
Condos often have common roofs or shared electrical meters, which can make it tough for individual tenants to get rooftop solar without the condo board’s approval, said speaker Greg Sauer of SkyFire Energy. But condos can also benefit from solar, using those rooftop arrays to power common areas and elevators.
“All condos are really trying to address cost and inflation,” Sauer said, and a solar array reduces those by locking in your price of electricity for up to 30 years.
Sauer said condo and apartment owners haven’t flocked to solar yet as most boards want five-or-six year paybacks on their investments, which solar does not yet offer. Still, some developments such as Edmonton’s Urban Green Cohousing have taken the plunge.
Frank Crawford of Passive House Alberta (a non-profit that promotes the construction of energy-efficient homes) will speak on how to electrify your home with renewable energy.
“To help combat climate change, we need to reduce our use of fossil fuels,” he said.
“One of the easiest ways to do that is to electrify.”
Switching from a gas stove to an induction one powered by renewable electricity will not only reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but will also help you cook faster, as induction models heat your pots and pans directly instead of heating the air, Crawford said. Induction stoves are also easier to clean and don’t have the toxic fumes associated with gas combustion.
Crawford said anyone looking to green their home appliances should start by getting an all-in-one condensing washer/dryer. Common in Europe, these devices cost less than and take up half the space of regular washers and dryers, and use two to three times less electricity to dry clothes.
The conference includes an online trade show and networking event. Most sessions will be archived on YouTube for later viewing. Visit solaralberta.ca/2024-solar-show for details.
