JUNE 2008 Issue
keyser file
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Sun also rises in oil-rich alberta
by Tom Keyser
Freelance Writer
Hydrocarbons will be king in this part of the world for many years to come. And even though renewable energy sources are gaining acceptance in oil-and-gas-rich Alberta, the province still has a long way to go.
Take a look at solar electricity, for example. Western Canada is bringing up the rear in the trend, even though countries such as Germany, Japan, China, Korea, Spain and others are racing to develop their industrial solar capacity, says Gordon Howell, P.Eng.
“Solar electricity is a $16-billion industry globally and it continues to grow at a 14-year average rate of 44 per cent a year,” says Mr. Howell. As one of the province’s busiest solar engineers, Mr. Howell is well qualified to discuss the subject.
But he won’t tell you to expect Alberta to become a serious player anytime soon. Alberta has too large a financial stake in oil and gas for the government to offer significant incentives on the solar front, he says.
“We’re wagging the tail of the dog,” says Mr. Howell.
Nevertheless, he applauds recent regulatory changes for those 80 or so Alberta homeowners — Mr. Howell is one of them — who generate solar electricity from their own residences. The changes make it simpler to sell their daily electrical surpluses back to the provincial grid.
He’s also seeing that public interest in renewables keeps soaring, which is dragging most governments beyond their listlessness.
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THE FUTURE IS NOW |
NetZero Home
As one of the principals behind the ultra-efficient, solar-powered and solar-heated Riverdale NetZero duplex in Edmonton, Mr. Howell makes a reliable witness to public interest. More than 3,100 people have toured this remarkable project, just nearing completion in the city’s River Valley. At least a dozen people have expressed serious interest in making a purchase offer.
One of 12 such projects arising across the country in conjunction with
Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation’s EQuilibrium Sustainable Housing initiative, the beautiful duplex is a marvel of environmental engineering and represents a dramatic new direction in northern residential design. The CMHC promotes sustainability within the nation’s residential construction industry — and EQuilibrium is a practical and elegant qualifier.
All the technologies are off the shelf, but the way we've integrated them is new.
- Gordon Howell, P.Eng.
Built on an energy-efficiency concept known as net zero, the Riverdale duplex is set up to generate slightly more energy than it uses for heat and electricity throughout the course of a year. There’s nothing strikingly new about the technologies and designs used to create the city’s most energy-efficient duplex, which is another reason Mr. Howell is so buzzed about it.
“All the technologies are off the shelf, but the way we’ve integrated them is new,” he says.
The building was framed using standard-issue, two-by-four fir studs. Its roof and walls have been insulated to an extremely high standard with a brand of Edmonton-made recycled newspapers that’s been on the market for years.
And even though they function well on a starvation diet of electrical power, energy-saving appliances at Riverdale NetZero are readily available from your friendly neighbourhood retailer.
Solar-Powered Teamwork
Headed by Mr. Howell, Edmonton structural engineer Andy Smith, P.Eng., and Edmonton builder-designer Peter Amerongen, the Riverdale team consists of 40-odd consultants and construction pros who submitted a successful proposal to take part. Naturally, the initiative resonated strongly with Mr. Howell, whose interest in solar energy was kindled by the dynamic Dr. Walter Voss during Mr. Howell’s days as an engineering undergrad at the University of Alberta.
After graduation in 1975, he worked with the Alberta Research Council before eventually becoming a full-time consultant during the 1980s. Since then, he’s had no trouble keeping busy. In fact the market has boomed as new techniques have emerged and consumer interest has escalated.
A nagging question, however, remains: Are solar-powered homes truly cost-effective in a land that’s practically awash in relatively cheap coal-fired electricity?
Mr. Howell says that it all depends on your point of view. He cites the example of the solar-powered duplex he shares with his business partner, Wil Mayhew, and family. Although heated by gas, Mr. Howell’s living space derives its electrical juice from the sun via a photovoltaic electric generating system.
“In 1995, my solar electric system cost $40,000,” he says. “If you were to put it on your house now, the price would be closer to $21,000. It would save you only $220 a year because of the huge public subsidies for electricity. Still, that’s a 35-year payback based on how grid-electricity prices are expected to rise.”
Not convinced? Mr. Howell offers a little perspective.
“Most people would rather spend their money on a gas-guzzling SUV, which offers zero return on their investment. Where’s the payback on an SUV? At least I have a payback.”