Renewable Energy
Supporting renewable energy is a key component of the Ontario government's plan as it builds a cleaner sustainable energy future for Ontario. The Ministry of Energy has set a target for the province to produce five per cent of its electricity from renewable sources by 2007 and ten per cent by 2010. The following are various types of renewable energy, as well as brief explanations of how each generate electricity and practical uses of renewable energy. For more information please see the links at the bottom of this page.
GEOTHERMAL
Geothermal technology is an alternative to traditional heating and air conditioning systems. Similar to a cave, the upper 6 feet of the Earth is warmer than the air above it in the winter and cooler than the air above it in the summer. Geothermal Systems take advantage of the constant temperature of the ground to heat homes in the winter and cool them in the summer using a series of buried pipes called loops. These loops transfer heat between the home and the ground to provide the home with a desirable temperature throughout the year.
WATER ENERGY
Ontario’s abundance of lakes and rivers make the region an ideal location for cleanly producing electricity. Producers of water energy create electricity using quickly moving water, usually on river banks. Many times the elevation of the water has been increased to further increase the force of the water. Currently, over 25% of Ontario’s electricity comes via water resources. Both large and small water energy plants are efficient at producing low-cost energy and are working hard to protect the natural environments within which they operate.
WIND ENERGY
In Ontario, wind energy is a relatively new but growing source of renewable energy. Despite being relatively new, wind energy is one of the oldest renewable energy sources known to have been harnessed by man. Wind energy is created by capturing the wind’s energy (using turbines for example) and converting that energy to electricity. Ideal locations for capturing wind energy are on the shores of the Great Lakes, high elevations and areas with exposure to prevailing wind directions. Due to changing wind speeds and other factors wind turbines currently operate between 15-40% of total capacity. The growing study of wind energy and continually enhanced technologies make wind energy a promising source of renewable energy for our future.
SOLAR ENERGY
Solar energy is becoming more prevalent as new technologies for converting the sun’s energy into electricity become available. Photovoltaic panels (comprised of small semiconductors made of silicon) have increased the capacity of solar energy systems. These systems however, are not especially efficient and are only able to convert about 12-15% of solar energy into electricity. The advantages to solar energy are huge; it doesn’t interfere with the environment, it is clean, quiet and requires minimal maintenance after installation. Traditionally used to heat water and air in homes, new technologies could provide a ‘bright’ future in expanding our uses of solar energy.
BIOMASS
Biomass from renewable plant and animal materials can be used to produce heat or power. Burning biomass to produce power results in substantially fewer harmful emissions when compared to traditional sources of power generation. Within Ontario there are extensive opportunities to make use of biomass materials from landfill sites, agricultural and livestock operations, and the forest industry. Ontario Regulation 232/98 under the Environmental Protection Act requires the collection of landfill gas for new or expanding landfill sites larger than three million cubic metres or 2.5 million tonnes. The production of energy from methane derived from animal manure wastes can serve to mitigate other disposal and surface or groundwater contamination concerns. Promising technological developments related to these fuel/energy technologies, such as anaerobic digestion technology could also have positive environmental and economic spin-offs for Ontario.
For more information on renewable energy sources please visit the following websites:
www.skypower.com
www.smallwindenergy.ca
http://www.energy.gov.on.ca/index.cfm?fuseaction=english.main
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