| Physicians Warn of Harm from Wind Turbines |
| 2013-05-27 (canadian association for renewable energies) A peer-reviewed article in the official journal of the College of Family Physicians of Canada says an increasing number of rural residents will report adverse effects from exposure to wind turbines. “Industrial wind turbines can harm human health if sited too close to residents,” concludes the paper in the May issue of Canadian Family Physician. “Owing to the lack of adequately protective siting guidelines, people exposed to IWTs can be expected to present to their family physicians in increasing numbers.” The documented symptoms usually include stress disorder–type diseases which act via indirect pathways, and “can represent serious harm to human health.” Family physicians are told to recognize the ailments and contribute to clinical studies which are “urgently needed to clarify the relationship between IWT exposure and human health and to inform regulations that will protect physical, mental, and social well-being.” The Green Energy Act in Ontario requires that turbines be at least 550 m from homes, and the article addresses a 2010 report by Ontario chief medical officer of health Arlene King, that states scientific evidence does not demonstrate any direct causal link between wind turbine noise and adverse health effects. |
|
| Proposal for Windfarm on Juno Beach Proceeds |
| 2013-05-27 (canadian association for renewable energies) A wind developer in France wants to build a windfarm at Juno beach, where 359 Canadian soldiers were killed during the D-Day invasion on June 6, 1944. A French commission is holding public consultations on the plan to erect 75 turbines offshore, and has invited Canadians to register for updates on the debate over the project. A French group, European Platform Against Windfarms, is encouraging opposition to the turbines that would be 10 km into the English Channel, and will ask UNESCO to classify the beaches as a world heritage site. “All this area from Juno, from Sword from Omaha, we will see only wind turbines,” says the group. “If you want to save history of humanity, I think it's one of the key sites of the world.” Consultations will continue until July 20 under France's National Commission, with eleven open debates scheduled to discuss the effect of turbines on historic sites and the environment. |
|
| Innergex Closes Financing for Northwest Stave River |
| 2013-05-27 (canadian association for renewable energies) Innergex Renewable Energy has closed a $72 million non-recourse construction and term project financing for a run-of-river hydroelectric project in BC. The 17.5 MW Northwest Stave River project is located on Crown land, 35 km north of Mission; construction started in 2011 and commercial operation is expected late this year with annual output of 61,900 Mwh. Innergex develops run-of-river hydro, wind and solar PV facilities in QC, ON, BC and Idaho, with 28 facilities of aggregate capacity of 577 MW. |
|
| Renewables of Low Interest in ATIP Requests |
| 2013-05-24 (canadian association for renewable energies) Only three requests to Natural Resources Canada for access to information have been completed during the past year, out of hundreds filed from April 2012 to March 2013. One request forced the release of 163 pages for some documents dated 2005 to 2006 and related to the Canadian Wind Energy Association, while another 12 pages were filed in response to an ATIP for briefing material on the economics of wind power in Canada. Request for a report commissioned by NRCan on an assessment of renewable diesel infrastructure and another ATIP on the use of renewable alternatives to diesel were not met because the content was exempted. |
|
| BC Firm to Develop Geothermal in South America |
| 2013-05-24 (canadian association for renewable energies) Alterra Power has signed a joint venture agreement to develop its Mariposa geothermal project in Chile plus three geothermal concessions held in Peru. The agreement calls for EDC (Energy Development Corporation of Manilla) to fund the next $58 million in project expenditures at Mariposa, and $8 million in project expenditures on the Peruvian concessions, in exchange for a 70% interest. EDC is the Philippines’ leading producer of geothermal energy with 11 geothermal plants and two hydro facilities with 1,262 MW of capacity. Alterra Power operates six power plants of 566 MW capacity, including two geothermal facilities in Iceland, a geothermal plant in Nevada, BC's largest run-of-river hydro facility and the province's largest windfarm. |
|
| NT Expands Solar Energy Project |
| 2013-05-24 (canadian association for renewable energies) Northwest Territories Power Corp has added 43 kW of solar power in Fort Simpson by expanding the existing PV system at the town’s airport. The expansion was commissioned in February after two weeks of construction, and features 178 panels where Northern Canada’s largest solar project installed 61 kW of capacity in 2012. This expansion of solar generating capacity in Fort Simpson represents another step forward in deploying this renewable energy source in the NWT,” says minister Michael Miltenberger. “Investing in clean solar technology benefits both the environment and, through displaced costs, our customers in the thermal rate zone,” adds Brendan Bell of NTPC. “We will continue to look for opportunities to replace diesel generation with green energy.” The $350,000 cost was covered from a program administered by the Department of Environment & Natural Resources in support of the Solar Energy Strategy. The solar system will displace 100,000 kWh a year of diesel generation. The original $760,000 system has exceeded expectations by generating 63 MWh of electricity, 8% more than expected. |
|
| Alberta Could Host 5 GW of Wind Power |
| 2013-05-23 (canadian association for renewable energies) Alberta installed Canada’s first windfarm in 1993 and has since installed 1,100 MW of wind energy capacity, but it could install 5,000 MW, according to the Canadian Wind Energy Association. Ontario and Quebec have more wind turbines, but the province’s significant wind resource, access to skilled trades, and interest by independent power producers demonstrates that Alberta’s easily-accessible wind resources can produce energy at lower cost than most other forms of electricity generation. The structure of the current competitive electricity market makes it very difficult for new windfarms to be financeable and to secure the revenues needed to be economically viable, explains CanWEA’s ‘WindVision 2025: A Strategy For Alberta.’ For every 150 MW of wind turbines installed in Alberta, it reduces GHG emissions by 300,000 tonnes a year, reduces water consumption by 480 million litres a year, and represents $316 million in investment, 140 full-time equivalent jobs in construction, 10 permanent jobs in operations, $17 million in lease payments to landowners over 20 years, and $31 million in property tax payments to municipalities over 20 years. |
|
| Minnesota Firm Buys Wind Projects in New Brunswick |
| 2013-05-23 (canadian association for renewable energies) Juhl Energy has purchased two windfarms in western New Brunswick, from developer Terravis Wind. Both TerraRidge and TerraVista facilities are 1.7 MW and will be Juhl’s first renewable energy projects located outside of the US. The projects are being developed under NB Power's Embedded Generation program (which allows independent power producers to sell electricity at a fixed price under a long-term contract) and have secured Interconnection and PPAs with the utility, with construction expected by late this year. Juhl Energy has a focus on community-based wind power ownership and has completed 22 windfarms with total capacity of 22 MW. |
|
| Chinese Court Closes Case Against Canadian Solar |
| 2013-05-23 (canadian association for renewable energies) Canadian Solar says the Jiangsu Suzhou Intermediate Court has dismissed a request by LDK Solar to enforce am arbitration award decision by a trade commission in Shanghai in the amount of US$40 million. The award relates to contracts signed in 2007 and 2008 between the two companies for the supply of wafers, but subsequently terminated. The total amount of award includes an initial deposit of $ 20m but excludes arbitration expenses. “We believe we have conducted our business properly at all times and we will continue to advocate cooperation rather than confrontation within the solar industry,” says Shawn Qu of Canadian Solar. |
|
| Minister Refuses to Commit to Advertising for Renewables |
| 2013-05-23 (canadian association for renewable energies) Energy minister Joe Oliver has withheld details of $16m public relations campaign for the oil industry, and will not say if any advertising money will be spent to promote renewable sources of energy. During four hours of questioning from opposition MPs, Oliver declined to explain how NRCan is spending taxpayer dollars to promote oil, gas and pipeline companies, according to PostMedia. NRCan wants to spend $16.5m on advertising in the coming year, with details to be made available “at the appropriate time,” he told a special committee studying spending estimates in the House of Commons. |
|
| Windfarm Moves Closer to Construction |
| 2013-05-23 (canadian association for renewable energies) Environmental regulators have posted an application from BluEarth Renewables for the 58 MW Bow Lake windfarm in northern Ontario, and will accept comments until 27 June. If approved, the 50-50 partnership between the developer and the Batchewana First Nation will install 36 GE turbines on Crown land and feed into an existing transmission line operated by Great Lakes Power Transmission. The facility will obtain a feed-in tariff of 15c/kWh due to aboriginal participation; commercial operation is expected by the end of next year. |
|
| Alberta Firm to Supply Inverters to Germany |
| 2013-05-22 (canadian association for renewable energies) Sustainable Energy Technologies will supply inverters to a solar energy management system in Prosol's Sonnenbatterie. The lithium-based storage is designed for renewable energy technologies, and includes smart home, smart meter and solar PV monitoring, and Prosol claims that users of Sonnenbatterie consume 75% of their self-generated electricity. “We are partnering strategically with Sustainable Energy because it has the best ‘smart grid’ energy storage inverter in the market,” says managing director Christoph Ostermann. Sustainable Energy's technology connects all low-voltage batteries to the grid in a single bi-directional conversion step, eliminating the complexity and components needed with conventional high-voltage solar inverters. “This is an important milestone for Sustainable Energy as we shift our focus to the energy storage sector,” says CEO Michael Carten. The storage market for solar energy will grow to a $19 billion annual market by 2017, predicts IHS Research, led by Germany which has launched a financial package of low-interest rate long-term loans and capital subsidies. High efficiency batteries such as Lithium allow solar produced to be stored for peak periods, and energy storage is crucial if Europe is to meet its target of 20% of all electricity from renewables by 2020, while increasing grid capacity by 66%, according to Germany's Fraunhofer Institute. |
|
| Solar Firm Obtains $2m of Commercial Rooftop Projects |
| 2013-05-22 (canadian association for renewable energies) Carmanah Technologies has received contracts to design and build 500 kW of roof-mounted solar PV systems to be installed on commercial roofs in Chatham-Kent and Ottawa. Carmanah has been awarded 20 contracts under the Ontario FIT program since it started in 2010, and has installed 70 grid-connected solar systems in Canada, including the government building in PEI. |
|
| Green Jobs Growing in Canada |
| 2013-05-22 (canadian association for renewable energies) Sustainability jobs are one of the fastest-growing environmental areas in Canada, with 50,000 employees working in environmental or economic sustainability, according to the latest study by Eco Canada. “These impressive employment numbers demonstrate the critical role that sustainability professionals play in numerous organizations, including managing risk, increasing capital returns, and supporting new business growth,” explains the ‘2013 Sustainability Occupational Study.’ Of 658 organizations surveyed, 37% had employees working in environmental, social or economic sustainability to support core business functions, especially to reduce risk and increase capital. |
|
| Investors Leaning Towards Renewables |
| 2013-05-21 (canadian association for renewable energies) Retail and institutional investors are increasingly interested in portfolios with alternative energies, due to growing signs of climate change. SRI (sustainable, responsible, impact) investment professionals say 65% of retail investors and 53% of institutional investors are currently expressing interest in fossil fuel-free portfolios, according to First Affirmative Financial Network's Fossil Fuels Divestment Survey, and 63% expect climate-prompted fossil fuel divestment over the next decade. The April survey of 466 SRI professionals found that 77% see growing risks for investors associated with fossil fuel company holdings in their investment portfolios and 30% offer (or about to offer) fossil-fuel free portfolios to investors. Of SRI professionals who have participated in shareowner advocacy efforts, 61% said those efforts are focused on encouraging investments in alternative energy. |
|
| Northern Geothermal Project Rumoured to End |
| 2013-05-21 (canadian association for renewable energies) A geothermal power project in Fort Liard of the Northwest Territories will not go forward, according to media reports. Borealis GeoPower had been working with Acho Dene Koe First Nation for five years to build the plant and had obtained Canada’s first federal geothermal land use permit and water license. The Northwest Territories Power Corporation did not issue a power purchase agreement, according to Northern News Services. The off-grid project was designed to deliver 600 kWe of power with future options to utilize waste heat in direct use applications. Borealis was approved by NRCan’s Clean Energy Fund for $20 million in funding, to demonstrate a model for other northern and First Nations communities with geothermal resources. |
|
| Solar Powers Whale Research Centre |
| 2013-05-21 (canadian association for renewable energies) Canadian Solar has donated solar energy modules to power the OrcaLab Whale Research Centre near Alert Bay off the BC coast. The lab has been recording whales in Johnson Strait for four decades and the solar panels will allow less use of fossil fuels. |
|
| Canada’s Wind Capacity Blows Below Global Average |
| 2013-05-17 (canadian association for renewable energies) The market for wind energy in Canada slowed in 2012 and grew below the global average, according to latest data from the World Wind Energy Association. Installed capacity in 2011 was 5,265 MW and grew to 6,201 MW in 2012, but that increase was a “modest 18%” explains the World Wind Energy Report 2012. “In particular, the ongoing attacks on the Ontario Green Energy Act weakened the Canadian market, as Ontario is the biggest wind province.” Global wind capacity reached 282,275 MW, of which 44,609 MW was added in 2012 to show a growth rate of 19.2%, the lowest rate in more than a decade. “Policy uncertainties in major markets represent a major barrier for wind penetration” but WWEA expects global capacity of 500,000 MW by 2016 and 1,000,000 MW possible by 2020. “A weakness of the North American markets was that, although the industrial basis became stronger, a major share of the wind turbines and related equipment had still to be imported from outside the region,” it adds. |
|
| More Sponsors for Team Ontario in Solar Decathlon |
| 2013-05-17 (canadian association for renewable energies) Eclipsall Energy will sponsor Team Ontario in its construction of a net-zero solar home that will compete in the US Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2013. Team Ontario's entry, ECHO, is a 940 ft2 home that includes 7.8 kW of Eclipsall's monocrystalline solar PV modules that integrates with the building structure and its predictive shading, vacuum insulated panels, real-time energy monitoring, and integrated mechanical system. Twenty university and college teams will compete in the sustainable design competition. |
|
| Canadian Investor Gets into Australian Wind |
| 2013-05-17 (canadian association for renewable energies) Northleaf Capital Partners and Palisade Investment Partners have acquired a majority of the 111 MW Waterloo windfarm in South Australia from EnergyAustralia. The investors have taken a 75% equity interest and will re-finance the asset to realize total proceeds of $300 million. EnergyAustralia will continue to purchase generation certificates from the windfarm to meet its obligations under that country’s Renewable Energy Target Scheme. The transaction will provide Northleaf with long-term returns and exposure to the renewable infrastructure sector, including a potential 18 MW expansion of the site. The windfarm currently has 37 Vestas 3 MW turbines. |
|
