"What Do I Need to Purchase to Install Renewable Energy Generators?"

"Where Can I Purchase Renewable Energy Generators or Solar Water Heaters?"

"How Much do Solar Water Heaters Cost?"

"How Many Solar Panels Do I Need?"

"How Much do Solar Panels Cost?"

"What is a Fuel Cell?"

     Fuel Cell: How it works

     Fuel Cell: Applications

     Fuel Cell: Who is doing this?

"How Fast Does the Wind Speed Have to Be?"

"How Much do Wind Generators Cost?"

Click here for a link to a resource on how to build your own wind turbine

Click here for a link to an OMAFRA site about electricity generation using small wind turbines

     Micro-hydro
      Basic Principle of Impulse Turbines

     Micro-hydro The Pelton-Wheel

"What is Energy Restructuring in Ontario and How Will it Affect Me?"

"What About Grid Intertie Systems , Net Metering and Standard Offer Contracts (SOCs)"

"What would happen to the Nuclear workers' jobs if the plants shut down?"

Some ideas are below. If you have ideas you feel should be added here, please email them to cfre@web.ca .

Simple, Free, Low-effort

• Turn off all lights, radios, televisions, etc when not in use
• Preheat your oven only if the recipe requires it.
• Plan cooking so that you can put a second dish in the oven immediately after the first, when the oven is still hot.
• Turn off the oven five minutes before the cooking time is up.
• Air-dry your clothes.
• When using a clothes drier, clean the lint filter before every load.
• Unplug equipment with LED displays (such as microwaves and stereos) when not in use--the transformers which run the LED displays use energy
• Make several purchases in one trip rather than several trips
• Think about other ways you can reduce your electricity, water, and gas consumption (you can save money, too!)
• Never put your refrigerator beside the oven, dishwasher, or other heat sources.

• Replace incandescent bulbs with energy efficient ones.
• Install low-flow shower heads (note: good ones have a higher pressure than some high-flow ones)
• Use rechargable batteries in flashlights, radios, etc
• Join Citizens for Renewable Energy to get more ideas

• Install a solar water heater.
• When you purchase appliances, make sure they have a low rating on the EnerGuide label.
• When replacing your washing machine, chose a front-loader--it uses less energy and less water.

You will need the following components:

• the energy generator (solar panels and/or a wind turbine)
• a mounting structure for the panels/turbine
• power cables running from the source into the house
• a charge controller to protect the batteries from overcharging
• deep draw batteries (if you plan on storing power)
• power distribution centres, with circuit breakers
• an inverter to change Direct Current (DC) to Alternating Current (AC) power (if you plan on running regular 120 V electrical equipment)

You may need or desire the following components:

• an inverter (if you plan on running regular 120 V electrical equipment)
• battery charger (if the inverter does not have a battery charging capability)
• rectifier (if the wind generator produces AC power, converts AC power to DC power to charge batteries)
• monitoring equipment, such as a voltmeter and ammeter

Note: You can purchase 12 V electrical equipment--check out your local RV or marine supply shops!

Look on our "Links" page under " Renewable Energy Business Listings of Ontario ."

Another source of renewable energy listings is the Canadian Renewable Energy Guide:

McKirdy, Alexandra R. (ed). The Canadian Renewable Energy Guide, Second Edition. Burnstown, Ontario: Solar Energy Society of Canada Inc., 1999. (ISBN 1-894263-07-3)

Also, the Canadian Independent Power Directory 2004 has a section on solar and wind energy companies as well as consultants, as well as valuable government contact information. You can obtain the Directory by email at appro@appro.org , or by phone at 416-322-6549.

Independent Power Producers' Society of Ontario (IPPSO). Canadian Independent Power Directory 2004. Toronto: Association of Power Producers of Ontario, 2004.

CFRE thanks Hans Albarda and Catherine Stanley for
providing information on DC vs AC

Direct Current, or DC, is the type of electricity used in your car. Alternating Current, or AC, is the type of electricity supplied by the power companies.

When you use photovoltaic panels, a wind-generator, etc., the electrical energy you generate is DC. This energy is stored in batteries, also always DC. You can distribute this current directly for use throughout your home, and have a complete DC system.

If, instead, you decide to use AC throughout your home, you would still need the DC photo panels and/or wind-generator, and the DC batteries. You would then channel the power through an inverter to change the low voltage DC to 110 volt AC. A modern inverter is about 65 - 95% efficient, thus wasting 5 - 35% of your precious electricity even before you have had a chance to use it. As well, the inverter that stays on 24 hours a day is always using electricity, even if you are not.

Thanks to RV'ers, sailors and those who "live" on the road, it is becoming easy to find most appliances in DC format, especially super-efficient DC electronics (TV, CD, VCR, computer, printer, fax). For the few electrical appliances that you can't easily find in DC, use an AC one and a little plug- in inverter at point of use, one of the tiny ones they sell at most hardware stores. They're very efficient and you plug in only when needed so there's no phantom load.

Solar water heaters generally cost $3,000 - $5,000 plus $1,000 for installation. A refund can be obtained for the PST.

One Ontario family is purchasing a Solar Water Heater package, including installation, for roughly $3,000. The package does not include a hot water tank, but it does include:

two 4ft x 8ft collectors (used, good quality) one heat exchanger one pump thermostat

expansion tank valve assembly copper pipes, etc.

To calculate the number of solar panels you need, you must first determine your daily power needs. In order to do this, find the power usage of each piece of electrical equipment in your home and estimate the daily use of each.

      Example calculation (for one day):

      Add a major appliance

After you have determined your energy needs, find what solar panels are available to you, and what their average output ratings are over the year, in the lowest month, and in the highest month. You should be able to get this information from the retailer.

Divide your energy needs by the output of the panels. For an example, if you find you use 500 watt hours per day, you may choose to purchase two 90 W panels, or one 90 W panel and one 75 W panel.

Example: for a usage of 450 watt hrs/day, by asking a retailer, you may find that a 90 W panel provides 300 watt hrs/per day in your area and a 46 W panel provides 150 watt hrs/day in your area. 300 + 150 = 450, therefore you would need one 90 W panel and one 46 W panel. Another possibility is to split your purchase between solar panels and a wind generator.

There is a large range of prices, depending on size and brand. A very rough estimate is $10 per Watt, and you can get down to $7 per Watt for larger panels. The listed power production is based on the "rated power", and is the maximum power it can produce (i.e. in full, direct sunlight). At the low end, you could purchase a small, 7 Watt panel for around $100 ($14/Watt). To provide yourself with a more sensible amount of power for a home, you could purchase a 100 Watt panel by one company for $900 ($9/Watt), or a 75 Watt panel by another company for $600 ($8/Watt). Larger panels of 185 Watts can be purchased for $1380 ($7.5/Watt). These panels are expected to have long lives; some are guaranteed to be producing at least 80% of their rated output after 25 years.

These are only examples of prices. The costs of a system that would support your individual needs would have to be determined by contacting a local retailer.

First you must calculate your energy usage; the calculation is the same as the one to determine how many solar panels you would need (above).

Then, you must estimate how much energy, on average, each available wind turbine will produce in your area in a day. You should be able to find that out from your local retailer.

Divide your energy needs by the output of the wind turbine.

Modern wind turbines have automatic sensors which will start them producing electricity when the wind speed is high enough, and which will shut the turbine down if the wind speed gets to be so high that the machinery would be damaged.

In general, a small wind generator will start working, or "cut-in", at 3 or 4 m/s (10.8 or 14.4 km/hr). The "rated power" is the maximum power which the wind generator was designed to produce, and will be reached at the "rated wind speed" - often at 15 m/s (54 km/hr). The "cut-out" wind speed, which is the speed at which the generator is shut down to prevent damage, is usually 25m/s (90 km/hr). Note: If the wind speed doubles, you get eight times the power.

* Note: 1 m/s = 3.6 km/hr

As with solar panels, there is a large range of prices, depending on size and brand. The listed power production is based on the "rated power", and is the maximum power it can produce (i.e. at the "rated wind speed", which varies, but is usually 15 m/s). At the low end, a 300 Watt wind generator might cost around $900. A different company lists a 900 Watt wind generator at $2400. Another company lists a 400 Watt wind generator at $1200. Larger and more expensive wind generators are also available. Wind generators can be expected to last 5 to 20 years with good maintenance.

These are only examples of prices. The costs of a system that would support your individual needs would have to be determined by contacting a local retailer.

An alternative to purchasing your own wind generator is to build your own - visit the site http://www.windchasers.ca/ for details.

Micro hydro power is probably the least common of the three readily used renewable energy sources, but it has the potential to produce the most power, more reliably than solar or wind power if you have the right site. This means having access to a river or creek that has a high enough flow to produce useable power for a good part of the year. Many creeks and rivers are permanent, i.e. they never dry up, and these are the most suitable for micro-hydro power production. A micro hydro turbine can take several forms, the most widely recognized of which would be the water wheel, used extensively for grain grinding up until this century. Water wheels are still used in some situations that do not require a fast-spinning turbine, such as for pumping water. However, other types of turbines have become quite common. The most common of these newer turbines is the Pelton wheel , which is basically a series of cups attached to a hub. A jet of water is aimed at the cups, and the resulting force on the cups causes the turbine to spin. Other types of turbines include the Turgo, Crossflow and various axial flow turbines, where the shaft through the centre of the turbine runs in the same direction as the water flow, much like a boat propeller. Water turbines have many advantages over solar panels or wind turbines, the most obvious of which is that they produce power continuously, 24 hours per day. However, they also have some associated problems or requirements. The most important of these is correct siting of the turbine and associated equipment so as to cause the least environmental damage as possible. Placing a large concrete dam across a creek or river can do considerable damage to the surrounding ecology. A general rule of thumb is to not divert more than 20% of the water flow of the creek through your turbine, and to return any diverted water back to the creek just below the turbine. Other requirements that must be considered are flood protection for the turbine and now to transmit the power to the batteries, which may often be located a long way from the water source.

Basic Principle of Impulse Turbines: The Cross-flow Turbine and the Pelton Wheel
Referenced from: Working Group on Development Techniques, The Netherlands:

http://www.student.utwente.nl~wot/water/impulse/htm )

Impulse turbines are the oldest forms of hydraulic machines used for converting hydro-energy to mechanical work. These are also the simplest hydraulic machines in terms of their transparent design, low maintenance and easy control. They are generally used at hydro powerplants characterized by high heads and low discharges. Being a low specific speed machine their designs need not be that robust and complicated. The specific speed can, however, be increased by the addition of extra 'nozzles' when the need arises. Moreover, since these machines operate under atmospheric pressure, there is also no need of elaborate seal designs. Even the cavitation risk on them is very much limited as compared to other types of turbines. Because of these and other advantages impulse turbines have become the most widely used hydraulic machines for generating micro-hydro power all over the world. Impulse turbines use the total available head of water in form of kinetic energy of one or more jet(s) to run their runners. Movement of the water in runner passage takes place with a free surface contacting the ambient air, which implies that the energy available is extracted from the flow at atmospheric pressure. There is no pressure change across the runner blades. The flow in the runner only changes its direction, the magnitude of relative velocity remaining the same. The work is done on the runner by the fluid due to the change in angular momentum and the motion of the vanes. Two impulse turbines conventional water wheels excluded) which have played or are still playing an important role in the generation of hydro power are the Pelton Wheel and Cross-Flow Turbine.

The Pelton-Wheel

The modern Pelton wheel is a tangential partial turbine with double discharge bucket. In it one or more jets of water impinge on a wheel containing many curved buckets. The jet stream is directed inwardly, side ways and outwardly thereby producing a force on the bucket which in turn results in a torque on the shaft. All the available head is converted to kinetic energy at the nozzle. No draft tube is used since the runner operates essentially under atmospheric pressure. So the head, represented by the elevation of the unit above tail water, can not be utilized. The specific speed can be increased by the addition of extra nozzles or by a change in the manner of inflow and outflow. As compared to other similar turbines it is the only most efficient turbine for high heads. It has a high efficiency of about 90% at the rated output and can maintain the same efficiency even under part load operation in the case of a multi jet design. It is suitable for both horizontal as well as vertical shaft arrangement and it can be equipped with multiple nozzle as per requirements. Apart from having all these advantages it is simple in design and cheap in construction. It is a low speed turbine and is conventionally considered suitable for operating under very high heads in excess of 200 m and going up to 2000 m. Hence this device is the most commonly used impulse turbine in the world.

In most of the micro-hydro power systems operating today either have the cross-flow turbine or single to multi-jet Pelton wheel depending on the heads and flow normally encountered. The reason for using these turbines is the advantages offered by these in comparison to the rest of the impulse turbines.

1. They are the most simple impulse turbines in construction, operation, and maintenance.
2. Multi-nozzle Pelton-wheel and partitioned cross-flow turbines have generally good part load efficiencies and hence can cope with considerable flow variations normally occurring in micro-hydro systems.
3. At high head Pelton wheel is the most efficient device among the impulse turbines and for a given head and power output cross-flow turbine covers the widest range of application (2 - 200 m) among the several types of turbines that are available and yet offers reasonably good efficiency within this range.
4. Their floor space requirements are comparatively small.

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Charge Controllers: You need to have a charge controller between the energy generator(s) and the batteries to stop the energy flow when the batteries are fully charged. These controllers can cost anywhere from $155 to $500, depending on quality, size, and required sophistication (i.e. a charge controller that allows input from several types of sources is more sophisticated than one that only allows input from one source) With most wind turbines, you do not need an external charge controller, since it is usually incorporated into the unit.

Batteries: If you are going to store your electricity, you will also need at least two six-volt batteries. One retailer sells six-volt golf cart batteries for $120 each, and the bigger L 16 (also six-volt) batteries are sold at $250 each. If you look, you can find golf cart batteries for less money; one person found them for $90 each. Most renewable energy systems are either 12-volt or 24-volt, so you will have to purchase your batteries in groups so that the total voltage is evenly divisable by your system voltage. As an example, for a 12-volt system you could purchase six-volt batteries in groups of two (2 X 6 = 12). For a 24-volt system, you could purchase six-volt batteries in groups of four (4 X 6 =24).

Power Distribution Centres: The cost of the power distribution centre varies so much, that it is impossible to provide any sort of estimate. Components can include disconnect switches (to disconnect the charging sources and loads from batteries with one lever), a box with fuses or circuit breakers, metres to monitor the charge states of your batteries, and other types of switches.

Inverters: To operate a household on Alternating Current (AC), you will need to purchase an inverter. Remember that you could choose to have a mostly 12V household, with a small inverter to use when using 110V equipment. There is a wide range of costs and types of inverters. They can be as little as $70.00 for 140 watts and up to a large inverter in the $5000.00 range. A rough estimate is $1.00 to $1.25 per watt. True sine wave inverters are best. Modified sine wave inverters produce power which tend to be temperamental.

Other Components: The costs of other components, such as mounts and wires, are highly variable and depend on how you set up your installation.

The fuel cell is an example of an invention which was rediscovered more than a century after gathering dust in some archives. It has been in the news quite a bit lately, mostly in connection with the new generation of Zero Emission Vehicles (ZEVs), electric cars and buses, which are test projects of Ballard Power Systems, in Burnaby, British Columbia.

Back in 1839 in England, William Grove built the first fuel cell, but with steam power just coming of age, nobody was interested or could appreciate its value. Only with the arrival of the space age and the search for a small energy source to power space ships was the fuel cell rediscovered.

The fuel cell technology will change our energy use the way computers have changed the way we communicate. This clean, quiet and efficient technology will have a huge impact on transportation, household use, commercial use and even portable energy applications.

So what is a fuel cell? The Electric Power Research Institute of California explains it this way, "It's an electric power generator made with parts similar to the common storage battery. Unlike a battery, it will continue to provide power as long as fuel and an oxidant are supplied."

How it works:

Fuelled by hydrogen in an electro-chemical reaction, a fuel cell generates electricity by splitting hydrogen molecules into protons and electrons and capturing the electricity from the electrons and then re-uniting the remaining molecules with oxygen, leaving only pure water vapour as end product. This is quite different from small scale conventional power generators fuelled with gasoline or diesel, which produce electricity using an internal combustion process which is only 30 - 35% efficient, and which leave toxic exhaust fumes as a by-product. Advanced fuel cells have up to 80% efficiency by using the electricity as well as capturing and using the heat which is generated as a by-product of the electro-chemical process!

Hydrogen can be obtained from a range of substances including natural gas, gasoline, methanol, ammonia, and water. If hydrogen is obtained by electrolysis of water, and if a renewable energy source is used for the electrolysis, the fuel cell is entirely clean technology. In this case, heat and water vapour are the only by-products from the entire life cycle.

Stuart Technologies of Etobicoke already has a dish washer size appliance as a test project to which you attach a garden hose and then plug into a 220 Volt outlet. It will produce enough hydrogen to fuel seven electric fuel cell cars or your stationary power plant.

Conventional Power Plant

EXPENSIVE FUEL (Uranium, Oil, Coal, Natural Gas)		COMBUSTION		STEAM		TURBINE/ GENERATOR		ELECTRICITY, TOXIC WASTE, RADIOACTIVE WASTE, TRITIUM, PLUTONIUM!!

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Direct Fuel Cell Power Plant

FREE FUEL (Hydrogen from renewable energy electrolysis!)		DIRECT FUEL CELL		ELECTRICITY, NO WASTE!!

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Applications:

1. Transportation - Fuel cells can be used for cars, buses and trucks. There are test applications for cars and buses currently in use. The results have been extremely successful.
2. Household and commercial energy - The fuel cell can be used to provide electricity to houses and office buildings, thus reducing the need for other, perhaps environmentally unfriendly sources like coal or nuclear energy. Having individual power plants in buildings is called distributed generation and would do away with the long-distance high-voltage lines with those ugly towers.
3. Portable energy needs - Portable computers, cell phones, camping stoves etc. could all be powered using a fuel cell.

Who is doing this?

One company, Ballard Power Systems of Burnaby BC is committed to providing fuel cells to all areas of potential demand. They currently have relationships with car manufacturers (Daimler-Chrysler and Ford Motor Company) to develop clean efficient engines for the world's auto industry, Ballard has a relationship with a company in Japan to provide stationary power to homes and offices.

Ballard also has a relationship with Coleman to provide portable energy for things like camping equipment.

For more information refer to Ballards' web site: www.ballard.com You can click here to find more links

As a city dweller, you can still do a lot. Most importantly, you can reduce your energy consumption. It may be difficult or impossible to erect a wind generator in your back yard, but you can install solar water heaters and solar panels.

Starting in the spring, you will be able to choose your electricity provider, and therefore will be able to purchase green energy. If you purchase green energy, be sure to verify the source of the electricity. You should be able to find out how the energy is produced, and where the generation sites are.

If you are connected to the grid (in other words, if you do not generate all of the electricity that you use), the energy restructuring will affect you. If you don't do anything, you will still be supplied with electricity, but you will notice changes in your bills. Each bill will have different categories for transmission, electricity useage, the "debt retirement charge" (0.7 cents per kWh, to pay off the nuclear debt), and other charges.

One action you could take is to change your electricity supplier to one which uses green energy...please see the section immediately above this one, "But I Live in the City...".

An excellent summary and explanation of the restructuring can be found at http://www.brantpower.on.ca/q-a.htm

Due to recent changes in the power industry, individuals have been offered new options (especially in Ontario). To thos who are currently connected to the local distribution system, two separate options have become available.

If one is already connected to the grid, and wishes to generate power up to their electrical needs from renewable sources, the net metering program is attractive. This program allows the homeowner to maintain their AC circuits and appliances, and to start their renewable energy program small and add to their system gradually as finances and circumstances allow. The net metering program lowers the demand on grid supplied electricity and at times allows one to feed back power onto the grid when generation exceeds usage. One is able to bank excess power for up to 12 months without any loss. The rules for generators below 50 kilowatts are simple (e.g. one is paid exactly what they are charged for any kilowatt hour), but larger producers can also be involved with more strict regulations.

A 48 volt system minimizes transformation losses; a digital meter that records electron flow in both directions is required; an inverter, a grid intertie device and an isolation switch are required for grid compatibility. If a battery bank is added, dependence upon the grid is minimized based upon the capacity of the storage bank.

If, however, anyone wishes to feed the grid directly, the Standard Offer Contract allows microproducers (up to 10 kW) and other mid-sized generators (up to 10 MW) to feed the distribution directly and be paid a premium based upon the type of generator used. None of this generated power supplies the home directly, which differs from the Net Metering Program. Individuals, co-operatives, and communities who wish to become electricity producers may find this 20 year contract attractive.

For more information contact the Ontario Sustainable Energy Association (OSEA) at 416-977-4441 or info at ontario-sea.org

The following website also has more information on Standard Offer Contracts, as well as other governmental information:
Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs - Energy Opportunities