Renewable Energy Expo highlights economic options and opportunities

Jun 23, 2011

Photo:  John Smigielski of Mazinaw Lanark Forest Inc., John Kittle, Paul Lehman, Stewart Fast and Joe Hendry at the Renewable Energy Expo in Cloyne

Experts and suppliers of renewable energy and equipment gathered at the Barrie Hall in Cloyne on June 18 to share their knowledge with the public. Stewart Fast, a PHD student at the University of Ottawa, who is presently working on a project looking at public attitudes towards renewable energy in rural Ontario, said the Expo resulted from people wanting to know about different renewable energy options. “Our goal here is to provide a venue for information sharing.”

That sharing included a presentation by Joe Hendry, the environmental energy technologist for the Limestone District School Board, who spoke about the new biomass boiler that is currently being installed at the North Addington Education Centre in Cloyne. The wood pellet boiler will offset fuel oil costs by using renewable fuel (wood pellets) to heat the school, thereby reducing the school’s carbon footprint and greenhouse gases.

Funded by the ministries of Education, and Research and Innovation, the system will be operational this fall. This is the first project of its kind in the LDSB, and Hendry said he had to travel to New Hampshire to see the closest unit like this in operation. Three other similar projects are underway: one in Nippissing, one in Bancroft and one near Ottawa. NAEC was chosen because the systems require a large amount of space. How does it work? Essentially, wood pellets will be burned to supply the hot water that will run through the boiler system. Both oil and wood pellets will be working together to heat the school. The new system required the construction of a 30 x 60 foot building at the north end of the school to house the biomass boiler, which has underground pipes feeding into the school. Also constructed was a 35 foot silo that will hold 100 tonnes of the pellets.

The Ministry of Education has allotted a total of $2 million to the four Ontario school projects, whose aim is to introduce renewable carbon-neutral green energy technologies into Ontario schools. Hendry rolled out the funding applications for all four projects and has been watching over the NAEC project since it began in October of last year.

The Expo also included a tour of the Mazinaw Lake control dam located at the bottom end of Mazinaw Lake on the Mississippi River. It is one of about 30 dams on the river. Paul Lehman, general manager with the Mississippi Valley Conservation Authority, and North Frontenac councilor, Fred Perry, led the tour. Lehman said the purpose was to show the green energy potential of these river waterways and also to show property owners who have running water on their properties how they might harness that energy to produce hydro. “These kind of control dams, due to the variance in water levels above and below them, have the potential through the installation of turbines to create energy, which is one of the things we are very interested in looking at. We have undertaken feasibility studies and now we have to look at the possible number of ways of making these type of potential projects viable.”

John Kittle, deputy chair of the Frontenac Green Energy Task Force, was also in attendance at the Expo since his group is interested in both new biomass fuel systems as well as water power potential. “What we are trying to encourage is economic development based on renewable energy and there is lot of potential here and a lot to be learned. I learned today that the Ontario Power Generation (OPG) is looking at pellet boilers, which could translate into opportunities for pelletization here. This could be a very exciting development.” Regarding water power Kittle said, “Water power is the greenest of green energy sources and is absolutely constant. Right now we are very interested in the new fish-friendly run of river micro hydro technologies as well.”

Stewart Fast hopes to use information gained from the Expo for his project and hopes to share that information with the community, the townships and county governments. He foresees it including some recommendations to help the community adapt to the new renewable energy economy that looks to be looming ahead.