When I was taking my kids for a walk the other day, I noticed that a nearby house had newly-installed solar panels on its roof. This is great, I thought, there are other environmentally-minded folks like me in my seemingly conservative neighbourhood. I quickly knocked on their door to introduce myself and find out what made them go solar.
Unfortunately, no one answered the door.
However, I did take a few minutes to inspect their panels. They were about 3 metres in length and if they were for heating water, then they would probably get about 50% of their energy needs from these panels.* When you realize that heating your water can account for over 20% of your average homeowner’s energy needs, solar energy begins to make more sense.** But solar panels don’t just heat your water, they can also heat your swimming pool and your home.
According to the Canadian Solar Industries Association (CanSIA), green heat technologies, including solar thermal technologies, could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 84 MT (megatonnes) – almost one-third of Canada’s target – if there were greater government support for the technologies. Given that the average*** family home produces about 10 tonnes of greenhouse gases per year, using solar energy to heat the family pool can help reduce that load by half! Too bad that our government is more focused on oil, gas, and nuclear energies.
Solar energy isn’t something that is only featured in the futuristic cartoons that my kids watch, it is our reality right now. Even unlikely solar advocates like musicians are taking advantage of the sun to produce their music. Caribbean musician Turtuga Blanku uses solar panels to run his music studio.
As for myself, I plan on asking my neighbour whether if she considered herself an unlikely solar energy advocate before she took this step to tread more lightly on this earth.
* Natural Resources Canada, http://www.canren.gc.ca/tech_appl/index.asp?CaId=5&PgId=302#homes_and_comm_buildings.
** The Canadian Solar Industries Association, http://www.cansia.ca/Content/Documents/Document.ashx?DocId=12262.
*** As defined by CanSIA http://www.cansia.ca/Content/Documents/Document.ashx?DocId=12262, pg 6.
Related environmental tip
Share:
Topics:
carbon footprint, green energy, greenhouse gases, photovoltaics, pv, renewable energy, solar energy
Aaron says:
02/12/2008 at 12 h 47 minWe first stared to look at solar to save some $$ for our heating bill and help mother earth. Then we thought of going more in depth with this, so we took some time and found that the product that we installed at home was one of the leaders in solar heating. We installed the systen to heat the domstic hot water, preheat the floor heat and even heat the next door pool in the summer. Within the first year we have saved over $1800 and that is not looking at what next door saved with the pool. So we said if we can save and help out why not start to sell this product. The one thing is that the solar is not for all. Some do not think of the long term and want the system to be paid off in 2 years. In most case the system can be paid off within 5 to 10 years. Each job may differ on the pay back. We would like more to get on the long term wagon and think of our grandkids ect..
Thank You Aaron for Energie Solaire.