Does your home have a dark room needing natural light?

Maybe the solution is Swedish Parans Daylight System. The Parans sunlight collector, a modular panel mounted flat on roofs, would bring sunlight indoors via fibre optic cables to light your dark room.

Calgary-based company Neu Elements has brought Parans Daylight System over to Canada. The European system is currently on display at Willow Studio in the city’s Kensington district. The system is another sign of Albertans opening up to the concept of solar energy.

“There is a tremendous amount of interest in solar energy  (in Alberta) and it’s growing very fast,” says Rob Harlan, executive director, The Northern Alberta Chapter of the Solar Energy Society of Canada (SESCI-NAC). A non-profit, educational organization, SESCI-NAC provides a resource for both the public and government about wise energy utilization and related technologies. Former Californian Harlan, a solar contractor and general building contractor, has designed and installed over 150 solar electric and solar hot water installations.

He says as one of Canada’s sunnier provinces, Alberta has powerful renewable energy resources such as wind and solar energy. Another positive aspect of our weather is the colder temperature, as solar electricity increases its productivity when the temperature goes down, he says. Alternately the hotter it gets, the less productive photovoltaic panels become. Surprisingly, based on statistics on photovoltaic productivity in cities around the world, Edmonton ranks highly. Solar modules in Alberta also see a gain in productivity from the reflectivity of the snow, adds Harlan.

Trends
A host of Alberta companies, such as Verda­­-Tech Energy Management and Consulting Services, design and install solar systems in Calgary and Edmonton. “Most of our work is in solar hot water systems tied to domestic hot water,” explains VerdaTech spokesperson David Vonesh. “Solar electric is a lot more expensive and the payback is longer.”

Last year, in Alberta, the company installed 80 solar hot water and six solar electric systems. He estimates the budget for a solar hot water system at approx­imately $7,000 while solar electric ones range from $40,000 to $100,000.
Their typical Alberta homeowner client now are mainly environmentally aware and families. “Everyone knows you can have electricity from the sun but there are a lot of other uses,” says Vonesh. With VerdaTech, he says a solar water system retrofit project can be installed in 24 hours in most Alberta homes.

SESCI-NAC has a comprehensive list of Alberta solar energy suppliers, designers and contractors available on its website like Edmonton’s Trimline Design Centre. Specializing in renewable energy solutions and products, Trimline also offers a training centre showcasing renewable technologies with hands-on training.

Let the sunshine in
Solar power events and resources

As a clearinghouse for alternative energy-related information, SESCI-NAC holds seminars, workshops, classes, exhibits and public demos. At TELUS World of Science-Edmonton, SESCI-NAC is currently sponsoring a monthly seminar series until June. Recent topics include “Retrofitting existing houses” (April) and “Solar Hot Water” (May).

“Within the last year, I’ve notice an increased interest among people and the prices going down on solar panels,” says Harlan. He points to the organization’s support of the Net Zero Project, which has awarded four houses in Alberta. The newest Net Zero energy home under development in Edmonton is The Mill Creek Net Zero home.

A Net Zero home, like the Riverdale Net Zero Project, combines ultra energy efficient design with solar energy systems. “The Net Zero housing project is very exciting, generating as much energy as it uses,” he explains.

At Grant MacEwan College, Rob Harlan teaches the ongoing six-week course “Renewable Energy.” Course topics includes generating electricity from solar and wind, solar water heating for homes, passive solar building design, green transportation, conservation and energy efficiency.

“I don’t think Alberta knows what an incredible opportunity we’ve got here … We’ve got the sun resources and wind resources!”

Solar, so good:
Solar energy is capable of:
• Heating water for domestic use;
• Space heating of buildings;
• Drying agricultural products;
• Generating electrical energy for lights and appliances; 
• Daytime lighting needs.

Solar power should be used to offset traditional energy needs. For example, solar energy can provide approximately up to:
• 60 per cent of domestic water heating needs
• 90 per cent of pool heating needs.
Cost savings aren’t the only benefits. Other solar power pros include:
• Increased independence from outside energy sources;
• Reduced outside energy source use, and lower emissions;
• Increased security from power outages; and
• Access to energy in remote locations.

WEBSITES
On the ’Net a wealth of solar energy resources, like Natural Resources Canada’s Canadian Renewable Energy Network and ecoAction are available.
For more information, check out:
www.neuelements.ca
www.parans.com
solaralberta.ca
www.energyexperts.ca
www.gmcc.ab.ca
www.telusworldofscienceedmonton.com
greenedmonton.ca
www.riverdalenetzero.ca
www.canren.gc.ca
ecoaction.gc.ca
www.cansia.ca

Photos courtesy of Parans