It’s a simple question: what is the absolute best source of green energy in Canada?
There are some obvious answers: wind, solar, tidal or maybe even biofuels. But as Godo Stoyke told the dozen Jasperites who showed up to an energy efficiency workshop Feb. 23, the answer is Negawatts.
Negawatts is how the green living researcher refers to energy that is not consumed, and at his workshop Monday night he spent an hour educating Jasperites on ways to reduce their energy consumption and cut back their carbon emissions.
Stoyke, along with his partner Shantu Mano, is the co-founder of C Returns, a non-profit group dedicated to greening homes and businesses in Alberta. The pair came to town as part of an environmental stewardship initiative funded by the Municipality of Jasper and Parks Canada.
Taking over the conference room of the Emergency Services Building, Stoyke came armed with some thoroughly crunched numbers, as well as a thermal imaging camera, a briefcase full of LED light bulbs and a model of a triple-pained window.
He explained that the average family uses tens of thousands of kilowatts of electricity each year, and a lot of it is completely unnecessary.
“We don’t really insist on consuming all these resources, we just want the services. We want a hot shower and a cold beer and a hot coffee,” he said.
“So the question is how can we achieve those same services or even better services with less resource use?”
The answer? Slaying power vampires, wrapping your drains in copper pipes and picking up a new washing machine, showerhead or set of wheels.
These and other home retrofits, Stoyke explained, will not only keep your carbon footprint low, but could save you as much as 75 per cent off your yearly electricity bill.
For those who are really serious, he said installing solar panels in your home provides some serious environmental and monetary savings.
With a solar array mounted to your roof, you can keep more than 342 tons of CO2 out of the atmosphere, and save more than $60,000 doing it.
Stoyke explained that Alberta has one of the “dirtiest” power grids in the country (a lot of its power comes from coal and natural gas) and using clean electricity provided by solar energy allows you to bypass those dirty sources.
Another way to put a serious dent in your carbon footprint is by investing in an electric car, which Stoyke said can cut carbon emission by as much as 82 tons over its life. And since electricity is a lot cheaper than gas, it can also save you about $22,000 over the decade or more you own it.
But for those without tens of thousands of dollars sitting around for such investments, there are other options. Buying a front-loading washing machine can significantly reduce a household’s energy use (they use much less water, and require a lot less energy to heat the water they do use). Using a heat recovery system that captures heat from hot water leaving your house is also a good way.
On an even smaller scale, replacing your light bulbs with LED lights is relatively cheap and uses far less energy, and buying a power bar to eliminate power vampires—household electronics like TVs and computer chargers that suck energy even while your not using them—can actually make a significant difference.
Janet Cooper, the municipality’s environmental stewardship coordinator, was also at the presentation. She pointed out that the municipality even gives rebates for people who upgrade to energy-conserving appliances like washing machines, fridges and light bulbs, and that for a relatively small investment, anyone can reduce their energy use, and save some money in the process.
“The programmable thermostats and LED lights are just something people should be putting throughout their entire home,” she said.
Trevor Nichols
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