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Eco-Solar Home Tour Edmonton

· · Leave a Comment Electricity, Solar Power

Park Power is proud to be a sponsor of the Eco-Solar Home Tour Edmonton.

The Eco-Solar Tour is an organization that organizes free open house style tours of homes and businesses that display practical and timely examples of sustainability including: renewable energy (solar, wind, and geothermal), energy security, energy efficiency, water efficiency, low emission technologies and natural landscaping. You can see how homes and businesses are reducing their utility bills while increasing the quality of our air.

The Eco-Solar Tour is organized by a group of volunteers who have a passion for the environment and sustainability. Through the tour they are able to share this passion and educate and encourage others to consider the sustainable choices in new technologies and building practices. In 2003 we incorporated ourselves as the non-profit Eco-Solar Home Tour Society of Alberta.

Who Should Attend?

The tour is open to everyone and anyone looking to see examples of energy efficiency innovation in practice.

Their Mission

The tour informs and encourages home and business owners to make knowledgeable decisions from among the numerous choices in new technologies and building practices. The tour includes homes and businesses that demonstrate a variety of approaches to energy efficiency, water efficiency, sustainable building practices and renewable energy.

Terms of Reference

The Eco-Solar Home Tour is a pro-active annual tour that:

1. Illustrates a wide variety of choices for improved and sustainable technologies, materials and building practices available in the housing and building market today.

2. Provides practical examples, through open house tours, of choices that have been successfully integrated into homes and buildings.

3. Demonstrates a range of approaches that go beyond traditional solutions, which challenge home and building owners to consider new and innovative approaches that reduce: energy consumption, embodied energy, water consumption, material consumption, and lifestyle impacts on the environment.

4. Encourages the large-scale adoption of these practical solutions in homes and businesses within our communities.

5. Celebrates the successes of home and business owners who are demonstrating vision.

6. Encourages other communities to adopt this initiative to help their residents realize these possibilities and make better choices.

Scope

  • The Eco-Solar Home Tour
    • Audience: The general public of Edmonton, Calgary, and surrounding regions
    • Focus: Technologies that can help people reduce their environmental impact
  • The Eco-Solar Tour of Energy Efficient Buildings
    • Audience: Owners, designers, contractors and equipment suppliers
    • Focus: Technologies that reduce the life cycle costs of commercial buildings

Funding

Funding for the Eco-Solar Home Tour is accepted from people and organizations that agree with this vision, mission and terms of reference. No other environmental, social, or commercially competitive issues will limit or restrict the participation of organizations. The focus and efforts of these tours will solely be directed towards the illustration, demonstration and encouragement of better technologies, materials and building practices.

The call is out for buildings to be showcased on the 2021 tour. If your home, business, or gathering place is a great example of energy efficiency then why now show it off so that others may learn and behind inspired to reduce the energy consumption of their buildings.

More than $30,000 earned in Cash Back Credits and Rebates by Solar Club Members in Alberta.

· · Leave a Comment Consumer Info, Electricity, Interesting, Solar Power

April 7, 2020

Did you know that Alberta is one of the sunniest places in all of Canada? It is estimated that the usable annual solar potential in Alberta is 26 exajoules (EJ) – that’s 26 BILLION gigajoules! For comparison, the average urban consumer uses 120 GJ (~272 GJ for rural consumers) of energy in natural gas each year. Interesting numbers – but what does this really mean?

What if you could take that energy potential and turn it into cold, hard, cash? That is what thousands of solar PV Micro-Generators in Alberta have been doing for years.

Micro-Generators who are members of the Solar Club, saw even more of that cash in their pockets. As part of the unique program offered by Park Power. Not only do members receive a great rate for energy exported to the grid, but they also earn cash back rebates for energy imported from the grid. This is not a government subsidy, but rather money paid out by ourselves and other Energy Marketers, in order to help support the birth of an industry.

Members earn cash back every day of the year, even in the middle of winter. During the first quarter of 2020, members across the network earned almost $4,000 in cash back credits plus green offsets. As we approach the first year anniversary of the Solar Club – more than $13,000 has been earned by members under the cash back reward program, plus another $17,000 in green offsets which were gifted to Micro-Generators by Green Alberta Energy.

At the end of March, local Energy Marketers deposited thousands of cash back dollars directly into Solar Club member’s bank accounts. Given the current downturn in the economy due to COVID-19, this is likely a welcome bonus for members.

Further Greening Alberta’s Grid

In addition to the cash back rebates, Green Alberta Energy (GAE) continued to do its part to help the province realize its goal of achieving 30% renewable energy by 2030. Rather than wait another ten years though, GAE helped our Solar Club members green 30% of their electricity imports for free in 2019! The total amount of electricity offset (known as Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs)), since the introduction of the program on behalf of Solar Club members totaled over 1,000,000 kWh.

We will double this amount of offsets in 2020 as green offsets are being increased from 30% to 50%! Members will now be able to green half of their electricity imports from the grid. Offsets are provided free of charge to Solar Club members and the cost of the offsets are being funded as a gift to our members. 

Even More Benefits to Membership

For those who don’t know, the original solar PV Micro-Generation program was called the Light Up Alberta program, founded in 2012. It was part of the foundation for what the Solar Club is today. The program has been 8 years in the making, and continues to get better every year.

To qualify to be a member of the Solar Club, you must be a solar PV Micro-Generator and the only cost is a promise to donate to your local food bank. 

In addition to the free green offsets and the cash back benefit, members can select from special rates designed exclusively for solar PV Micro-Generators. They can easily switch between these exclusive rates, penalty free, to accommodate seasonal generation fluctuations. 

April 1 we introduced a new low export rate of 6.7 cents per kWh and as we approach the summer solstice in June, solar club members can take advantage of our new 22 cents/kWh High Export rate. These rates are a great way for those that have solar PV systems to earn more from their investment. 

As we approach the one-year anniversary of the Solar Club, we invite you to join now, become part of a unique loyalty club, and do your part to green Alberta’s energy grid.

Park Power’s 6th Birthday!

· · Leave a Comment Community Building, Consumer Info, Interesting, Solar Power

November 1, 2019 marked 6 years since Park Power launched onto the Alberta utilities markets and I wanted to share some thoughts about how we have been able to compete and grow steadily over that time.

Our size matters. The fact that Park Power is smaller than the large, integrated incumbents gives us some competitive advantages. When you need us, you’ll be dealing with our wonderful and friendly Alberta based Customer Care Team over the phone or conveniently via email. We do not have the high overhead costs that the traditional utilities do and as such we are able to offer low rates, with awesome service, while still sharing profits with charities.

We care about our community. From the start, I believed in Park Power’s ability to be a positive presence in the community. Profit sharing was built into the business model from the beginning. Plus, we have chosen to support a variety of other community initiatives and events through sponsorship because we believe in community building and I want Park Power to be a brand know for that.

My experience with and affinity for solar power is benefiting Albertans with solar pv systems. Before Park Power, I spent some years in the solar industry and still consider myself a solar advocate. With Park Power, I have always tried to provide some extra value for our Micro-Generator customers but the past few years of offering our Solar Club Loyalty program has proved to be of great value for Albertans with solar pv systems. I hope that Park Power’s reputation as a positive and solar friendly energy provider will continue to grow.

Consumer education matters. There are many Albertans who do not understand the choices they have for their electricity and natural gas service. I have had many conversations educating consumers about the structure of the Alberta utilities markets and the energy options available to them. We often talk about how switching providers will not affect the delivery of power and gas to their homes or businesses. These efforts are bolstered by the Utilities Consumer Advocate who is trying their best to educate more consumers in Alberta and I am glad for the work they do. We just want consumers to understand there are many retail options available and Park Power offers an awesome choice.

It is amazing how fast these 6 years in business have gone by. I have learned many lessons along the way but have still enjoyed the process to get me here. I am so thankful to all of the customers who have chosen Park Power over the years for their electricity and natural gas supply. Your support means that we can continue to compete against the big utilities while still giving back to our community in meaningful ways.

The Alberta Home That Can (Almost) Be Heated With A Hair Dryer

· · Leave a Comment Consumer Info, Electricity, Interesting, Solar Power


By: Deanna McArthur

At first glance, Chelsah Thomas seems like your everyday Albertan. The 34-year-old new mother lives in Red Deer with her husband Jesse, who has a background in construction. 

Together, they built the home of their dreams, set against the river valley and surrounded by a thick patch of deciduous trees. 

It only takes about five minutes with Chelsah before you get a feel for the passion, and depth of knowledge she has about energy efficiency and passive home construction. 

Chelsah has a masters in Environmental Management with a focus on solar energy from Western State Colorado University. Today, together with her husband, she runs Sol Invictus Energy Services Ltd. (SIES), a socially responsible energy solution company.

That dream home she and her husband built together (The Thomas House) was Central Alberta’s first contemporary Passive, Net Zero (NZE) home.

Passive homes follow a German design standard that utilizes design materials and orientation in order to reduce a buildings ecological footprint. These ultra low energy buildings require little energy for space heating or cooling.  

The Thomas House was what led Chelsah to build SIES into the company that it is today. 

“The initial vision was to build a solar company with a social aspect to it,” said Chelsah. “But when we started thinking about building a Net Zero/Passive house, we couldn’t find any local consultants to help us with the process.”

Chelsah took matters into her own hands and completed a passive house design course. She is now a certified Energy Adviser through Natural Resources Canada. Together with the help of another consultant with passive house design experience, Bow Crow Design, they designed and built their home themselves. 

“Working on our own home made me realize how much I enjoyed working with residential energy and high-performance homes,” said Chelsah. “So, I decided to transfer the foundation of my company from solar to residential energy efficiency.”

The “Damn Near Passive” House

It took three years from concept to completion. The finishing touches on the Thomas House were completed in May of 2018 and Chelsah says they hope it can be used as an example for others looking to go the same route.

“We are hoping to use our house as a demo site for Albertans to see that a high-performance home is logistically and economically feasible in Central Alberta.”

Built into a hill, and with a walkout basement, the home is surrounded by deciduous trees, which allows for passive solar energy gain to be maximized during the winter, and be shaded from the sun during the summer. 

Some of the features of the home include:

  • Two separate solar systems, a 12-kWh grid tied solar photovoltaic system and a 6 kWh off-grid battery backup solar PV system.
  • High performance heat recovery ventilator that meets Passive House standards. This brings in pre-warmed fresh air with a high MERV filter to filter out pollen, dust, smoke, exhaust allergens, and more, which increases the indoor air quality.
  • High efficiency heat pump hot water tank which is 350% efficient and uses indoor air to heat the water. With WIFI connection and a built in application, it can be controlled wirelessly and it is easy to monitor its energy consumption.
  • Powerpipe drain water heat recovery system installed to recover 53% of heat energy from shower and appliance wastewater, transferring the energy back into the hot water tank, reducing energy requirements and saving on energy costs. 
  • LED lights.
  • High efficiency “smart” appliances that can be managed remotely through apps. Appliances can be set to turn on during high solar times, rather than using grid electricity.
  • Smappee Energy Monitoring system which shows in real time, the homes consumption and generation, including utility costs associated with consumption.
  • High efficiency windows that meet Passive House standards 
  • Recycled rubber roofing.
  • High efficiency toilets offering 20% water savings.
  • Passive house cat door with a magnetic airtight and weatherproof seal. 

Now that construction has been completed and winter has passed, Chelsah says they are now focusing on completing some exterior work. The landscaping will include a holistic permaculture approach to sustainability where they can maximize ecosystem services provided by the landscape.

“We are planning to utilize xeriscaping, which is a landscaping philosophy that uses as many native, drought-resistant plants as possible to help limit our water use. We also have plans to utilize vermiculture, grow fruits and veggies on site, and a little further in the future, raise chickens.”

Although it doesn’t quite make the cut to be fully certified as a passive house, Chelsah is proud of their “damn near passive home” which has a total energy load that is about 64% less than a conventional home and a heating load 77% less. The house is so energy efficient, you could almost heat it with a blow dryer. 

Plus, with the added solar systems, Chelsah expects that their home will actually be net positive, meaning it is so efficient it produces more energy than it consumes.

Chelsah has joined the Solar Club, like the one offered by Park Power. This electricity rate plan and loyalty program helps her maximize the benefits she receives from her solar system.

“It is important to find a way to maximize the benefits of solar energy financially, both for ourselves and our clients, so that the cost of building a net zero home is offset by lower energy costs,” she said. 

“We were looking to make more money on energy exported to the grid, and we found Spot Power’s 18.75 cent/kWh rate. Utilizing this rate in the summer and then switching to the lower rate at the end of October just makes financial sense. I have estimated that the Solar Club could save the clients of one of our projects hundreds of dollars a year.”

The Thomas House vs the Alberta Winter

How does a home like this hold up against the harsh Alberta winters? This years bitingly cold February was a perfect opportunity to test the performance of the design. 

“I have to be honest, the motherly instinct in me was a little apprehensive when the cold winter weather started rolling in,” said Chelsah. “The home has no furnace, and I had a new baby. Were we going to be able to stay warm?” 

“It can be scary in Alberta to not be on the grid as far as natural gas, because that does feel like a constant secure access to energy,” she added. “But we made it! We were comfortable and we were warm.”

Normal winter conditions in Central Alberta have an average temperature that ranges between -2⁰ to -16⁰ Celsius. During these regular days, the home maintained a very comfortable living temperature with little effort. 

The high levels of insulation, with limited heat loss through air leakage, and passive solar heat gains, all contributed to the minimal temperature fluctuations in the home. Although, additional heat in the form of a small radiant electric heater was required in order to “top up” the heat, especially at night, while some days they used a wood stove for heat. 

Benefits of Passive House Design

The benefits of a green home go far beyond just energy savings, according to Chelsah. These types of homes also:

  • Have cleaner indoor air quality because of their use of heat recovery ventilators. These filter air as it comes into the house, which removes allergens, toxins and pollution.

  • Use low Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) paint and adhesives. VOCs are found in many building materials. These chemicals let off gasses that are harmful to people and the environment and can contribute to health problems.

  • Are more comfortable. Since they are well insulated and practically airtight, they maintain indoor air temperature more regularly and you don’t feel the drafts you would in a typical home.

  • Have higher resale value. Net Zero homes receive a 4-10% premium when they are resold. Buyers recognize that these homes have higher construction quality, and come with other added benefits such as continuous energy production.

  • Are more resilient. The environment in the home is regulated so well you don’t feel the effects of day to day weather fluctuations as much as you would in other homes. 

“Even our solar panels are resilient,” said Chelsah. “We have had some major hail storms, and our solar system remains damage free, while our family wrote off four vehicles.”

Engaging More Homeowners in Alberta

According to Chelsah, passive home design is not well known in Alberta. 

“Most people assume that how homes are constructed in Alberta is the best way it can be done,” she said. “But that is not necessarily the case. Most are building to a minimum code standard, which is not doing anyone any favours in relation to efficiency.” 

With any new technology, it takes time to catch on with consumers. 

Chelsah hopes that SIES will not only be able to help spread the word and guide Albertans through the journey of building a high-performance home, but will also develop a network of like-minded professionals in Alberta to create a hub for high-performance home design and solar professionals in Alberta. 

“Building a community of professionals will allow us to share information and best practices with each other, benefiting the industry and consumers overall. It is also essential that the professional community is educating people on energy consumption and increase the overall energy literacy of Alberta.”

To learn more about Sol Invictus Energy Services Ltd. and eco-homes visit solinvictusenergyservices.com. 

Oil, gas, wind, and solar together are the next generation Alberta energy equation, says solar installer

· · Leave a Comment Consumer Info, Electricity, Solar Power

By: Deanna McArthur

The fate of solar rebate programs in Alberta are still undecided as the new UCP government continues to review and assess programs funded by the now defunct carbon tax. 

A local solar installer says there’s no reason why the solar industry shouldn’t continue to grow and receive support. 

“If you look at what the new government identified as their key priorities – economy and jobs – the good news is that solar is a great contributor to each one,” said Geoff Domenico, President of KCP Energy. 

Based on discussions with his fellow Alberta installers and those knowledgeable in the industry, Domenico estimates that there are close to $150 million worth of solar projects that are currently on hold. This is because the government is currently in the process of deciding if it wants to continue funding programs that were previously offered under the banner of Energy Efficiency Alberta (EEA). 

“In our case, we have signed contracts or at minimum, letters of intent, for 100% of our projects that are currently being held up,” said Domenico. “These are contracts between our company and farmers, homeowners, and businesses.” 

“Let’s not forget contracts that are in place throughout the solar supply chain which could include everyone from solar equipment distributors all the way to manufacturers. Allowing these projects to move forward ensures high value Alberta energy jobs for electricians, engineers, marketing, sales people, and many others are secured into the future.”

Room for Even More Growth

Recently, the US passed 2 million solar installations. The 2 million mark comes three years after installations hit 1 million, a figure it took the industry 40 years to reach. Wood Mackenzie, a world-renowned data collection consultant, is forecasting that installations will reach 3 million in 2021 and 4 million in 2023.

Alberta has seen huge growth in the solar sector over the last couple of years. According to the Alberta Electric Systems Operator microgeneration reports, the number of solar micro-generation sites in Alberta have grown from 1,870 in June 2017, to 3,689 in March 2019. 

Based on numbers provided by EEA, Domenico estimates that Alberta is installing about 1,200 systems per year. Although the province has seen impressive growth since 2017, it is not even close to matching the pace of our southern neighbour.

“Alberta would have to expand its growth by about six times to catch up with and be installing at the same pace as what is happening in the States,” said Domenico. “There should be no discussion on reducing or slowing down the solar installations in Alberta. We don’t have time to pause, we are behind and we have a lot of catching up to do.”

Alberta’s solar industry should be focusing on how to grow to meet this huge growth target, and on creating more jobs, while growing Alberta’s economy. We should not be worrying about the impact of paused programs, adds Domenico. 

“This is completely in line with the goals of the new government,” said Domenico. “The government is pro business and the solar industry is pro business. It all fits together.”

Finding Synergies in Alberta’s Energy Landscape

It’s not just the solar industry alone that Domenico believes will play an important roll in Alberta’s future; oil, gas, and wind all do their part.

“The new government has the opportunity to highlight and identify all of these great energy sources we have in this province,” he said. “We have oil and gas and we should be doing everything we can to make those energy sources as successful as possible. Additionally, we have great wind and solar resources, and we should be looking at every opportunity to grow these Alberta energy sources as well.”

On the tails of a new report by the Conference Board of Canada that says Alberta could fall back into a recession this year, focusing on how all energy sectors in Alberta can help the province will be more important than ever.

Domenico believes that the four different energy sources, working in tandem, are the next generation Alberta energy equation.

“Oil and solar are not mutually exclusive. We have to move forward by finding a way for all of these different energy technologies to work together,” he said. “Albertans are keen to be a part of all of Alberta’s different energy industries. We need everything firing on all cylinders, in every segment that we have been blessed with in this province. Why are we not doing that?”

Additional Money-Making Opportunities

One of the reasons the solar programs launched under Energy Efficiency Alberta rubbed some Albertans the wrong way is because many believed the government was just doling out free money to those that wanted to put solar on their home, says Domenico. 

“In actuality, for a good portion of the programs, the Government retained the rights to the future environmental attributes of the systems,” he said. “Instead of giving away money, the Government was actually buying and now owns these attributes.”

Environmental attributes are renewable energy credits, benefits, or emissions avoided by the installation or implementation of technology. In this case, the technology was PV solar. When micro-generators are generating electricity, this reduces the amount of electricity needed to be generated and shipped to the grid by conventional sources such as coal or natural gas. 

According to Domenico, based on the tonnes of emissions avoided through the solar program, environmental attributes now owned by the government are potentially worth millions of dollars in the Alberta carbon market.

Unfortunately, we do not believe the government currently has a system in place to certify or monetize these environmental attributes. This seems like an untapped money-making opportunity for the new government, says Domenico.

“It was pretty exciting when we realized the incentive was not in fact an incentive, but the government purchasing something real and tangible,” said Domenico. “If the government could find an effective way to bundle the small carbon offsets and sell them to high emitters there would be a real income potential there.”

Growing Solar Sector Helping Province Meet its Goals

As part of Alberta’s current Climate Leadership Plan, a goal of having 30% of Alberta’s electricity generation come from renewable energy by 2030 was set. In order to achieve this goal, the Alberta Electric Systems Operator (AESO) held a series of competitive procurements (REP) to encourage the development of new renewable electricity generation in Alberta.

Round 1 of REP was held in 2017 and resulted in four proposed renewable electricity projects, with an aggregate generating capacity of 595.6 MW. These projects will be built and come in service by December 2019.

Rounds 2 and 3 of REP were held in 2018 for projects that will be built and come in service by June 30, 2021. The last two rounds resulted in an aggregate generating capacity of 763 MW.

Taken together, the REP results mean that 1,358.6 MW of new renewable generation will be built in Alberta by June 30, 2021.

But it’s not just large renewable energy companies that are helping with the electricity transition in Alberta, its everyday Albertans as well.

According to Domenico, his clients typically install solar systems which will produce between 70% and 100% of their home’s annual electricity usage. According to Alberta’s micro-generation regulation, any electricity that is generated above and beyond the home’s needs can be sold back to the electricity grid. 

The increase in solar installations over the last few years means more green energy being produced overall, further helping to green Alberta’s electricity grid. 
Thanks to the introduction of innovative products and services by local companies, those solar installations are having an even larger impact. 

The Solar Club, a unique program created with Alberta PV Solar Micro-Generators in mind and offered by a number of local Energy Marketers in Alberta, hopes to encourage even more micro-generation investment in the province. 

The Solar Club offers members exclusive electricity retail rates, which are designed to help maximize the profit earned from the excess solar electricity being generated by micro-generators and shipped back into the grid. The Club is a private initiative promoted by Park Power and others – not funded by government taxes.

Club benefits include an annual “cash back” cheque as a customer loyalty benefit. Additionally, 30% of the electricity a Micro-Generator member buys from the grid to supplement what his own solar system falls short in producing is offset with Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) purchased from Green Alberta Energy; absolutely free. Added on top of this the Club member can also pre-pay their monthly utility in voice using Mastercard and earn points. Joining the club comes at a small cost, members are asked to make a donation to their local food bank.

“Membership has its benefits. This is an innovative program for PV Solar Micro-Generators,” said Nick Clark, Director of Green Alberta Energy. “Earn more, get cash back, help green the grid and lower your monthly utility invoice. Plus if you install solar you are helping employ local installers in Alberta.”