Renewable energy assessment project seeks input

Jeff Green | Aug 12, 2010

Over the past few years many individuals and businesses in Frontenac County have invested in solar panels to heat their water or to produce power for the Hydro grid as part of the MicroFIT program. Others have invested in geothermal heating systems for their homes, and there may be some farmers who are growing crops for biomass fuel production.

And for every one who has invested in a small-scale home energy project, there are many more who are thinking about it.

Frontenac County wants to hear from all of these people in their drive to lower the energy footprint of the county and establish it as a prime location for rural renewable energy projects.

The Assessment of Renewable Energy Project, which was one of the priorities identified in the county’s Integrated Sustainability Plan, is now seeking input from residents.

Working with County Sustainability Planner Joe Gallivan, Jessica Strauss of Genivar Engineering Consultants has developed a short online survey, which has two main goals.

The first is to gather information about small-scale energy projects that are already “on the ground” in the county. This information will be integrated into the county’s electronic mapping project, and will give a picture of the kinds and scales of energy projects that are already underway, be they solar panels under the MicroFIT program, wind power projects, or farm-based biomass projects.

The second aim of the survey, and this is the application that will be of use to a larger number of residents, is for home owners or businesses who have not embarked on a project but would consider doing so if they had a bit more information and perhaps could learn from the experiences of others.

The survey includes a section about “barriers to entry”, which includes a number of common concerns, such as: not understanding the incentives that are available; not knowing the best option for renewable energy in a location or region; not knowing what is permitted; and concerns about regulations and financing.

The county has gathered a lot of information about incentives and may also be able to match up people who have already jumped through certain hoops with people who are considering getting involved.

“We seek to enable knowledge sharing throughout each of our townships and in so doing, we aim to reduce carbon emissions, promote sustainable practices and ensure the longevity of our region,” said Joe Gallivan in introducing the survey.

People can fill in the survey anonymously if they wish, but if they include their name and address it will enable county staff to contact them with information, and assist them in finding the right fit for their particular circumstance.

The survey is available by going to FrontenacCounty.ca and following the links under the Frontenac County News section or at http://frontenaccounty.ca/node/91.

“Our target for this project is to get 30 responses from each of the four townships in the county,” said Jessica Strauss. “If we get that number we will have a good solid base to work with.

The renewable energy assessment is closely tied in with a number of other energy-related county initiatives, including a Green Energy Task Force, a regional green energy initiative, and a plan for each of the four townships and the county itself to invest in at least one renewable energy project in the near future.