A few of us recently formed a working group to try to bring more solar power to Saturna. Please come and join us to find out more and participate. Our next meeting is breakfast at the Pub, Sunday, June 5th at 10:30 AM. What follows is some basic background information:
Electricity demands of an average BC household (approx. 11,000 Kilowatt Hours – KwH) consist primarily of heating and cooling, and heating water (together about 65%), electronic gadgets (about 12%), major appliances (about 11%) and 'vampire loads' (about 15%!). Before considering solar Photovoltaics (PV), the first goal should be energy conservation (another topic). Then Solar PV which is highly cost competitive.
Currently humans use about 17 Terawatts (Tw) of energy per year provided mainly by fossil fuels, nuclear, hydro, wind, etc. The sun transfers 17 Tw of energy to the Earth every 53 minutes. We need only capture a small fraction of this to supply all humanity's needs. When all 'downstream' costs are factored in, Solar PV is among the cheapest forms of energy!
Solar can be harvested in various ways:
1. Biomass, such as burning firewood
2. Passive solar to heat water and houses
3. Concentrated solar power, often used in large commercial installations
4. Photovoltaics using the photoelectric effect of Einstein's Nobel Prize fame to produce electricity. PV does not have the drawbacks of other forms mentioned above. In the last few years, efficiencies and costs have improved exponentially.
PV technology is well established and the life of a PV module (panel) is at least 40 years. Modules manufactured with the current chemistries have been around 60 years and are still producing at over 75% of their nominal wattage. At the end, modules are 100% recyclable. Modules pay for the energy consumed to produce them in about one year. Their carbon footprint is smaller than hydro power.
There are a few different forms of the technologies which produce Solar PV. Some cost a little more, some last much longer. Some operate more efficiently in less sunny locations with partial shading. Prices can range from as low as $2.28 per Watt installed to around $4.00. With energy conservation, a household could achieve near self-sufficiency with a 5Kw installation ( $11,400. to $20,000.00).
Depending on the area of the province, BC residents receive between 1900 and 2500 hours of sunshine per year (better than Germany, not as good as California). Saturna receives well over 2000 hours, especially on it's Southern side. Our cooler temperatures make the modules more efficient than hotter places like California.
Our aim is to maximize the opportunities for residents of Saturna to participate in Solar PV and to make it easy to do so. We plan to do that through mobilizing all the resources need in the community; passion for our environment, ideal locations, expertise, labour and money, to make it happen here. Other communities around us have shown the various ways it can be done. We don't have to 'invent the wheel'. There is a wealth of information available to inspire us and to show the way – in the Island Tides recent articles, in the communities around us, and, of course, on the web.
Meet you at the Pub on June 5th at 10:30 AM for more. Contact David Osborne at d9861594@gmail.com to get involved.
