Archive for the 'General' Category

Thrown into the deep end

Written by Kris Hodgson on June 3, 2013. 0 Comments
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By Colin Pischke

In my new position, I have some what been “thrown into the deep end” as Kris says. This has brought its fair share of stress, but has been an amazing learning opportunity.

Unlike most of my previous positions there was no training at all for this position. My first day I was handed a list of schools and was told our goal is to have 16 teams register and was sent to my new office to start the phone calls.

This was just the beginning of a very different start to a new position than what I have been accustomed. I was excited for the challenge and eager to get started in the field that I am so passionate about.
Now that I’m over a month into my work at Lethbridge College there have been many days very similar to my first day and I enjoy every one of them. Many days I am given a task which I have never done before in an e-mail with a 2-3 sentence explanation and this is all I have to work with.

Being given a task that is foreign to me has become an almost every day occurrence for things such as: preparing press releases, speaking with industry partners to volunteer or provide prizes, arranging to get logos put on our new cargo trailer, acquiring and testing new technology for live data streaming, speaking with and presenting to students about the KidWind Challenge, working with welders to construct a transport frame for a wind tunnel – just to list a few.

I never expected what my first experience was going to be like in renewable energy. It has been an amazing opportunity to work with and speak with people involved in the field. This has involved speaking with everyone from marketing and communications employees up to the CEO.

Each one of them having the same desire for clean technologies to succeed as I do. It is very encouraging to see these businesses achieving success. Through their efforts as well as ours we hope to get the next generation excited and involved in renewable energy, so they can begin similar experiences as mine when finding employment.

University of Lethbridge student learns value of networking

Written by Kris Hodgson on May 6, 2013. 0 Comments
KidWind Flyer

By Colin Pischke

As a new graduate, the biggest hurdle is finding your first full-time job after graduation. This often leaves students sending out endless resumes and attending interview after interview often with little success. I was very fortunate to have made a very key connection that turned the tables on the typical graduate experience.

Through my passion for renewable energy and the drive to make new connections I happened to stumble upon a post on LinkedIn seeking assistance promoting an event being put on by ACTia. ACTia which is short for Alberta Clean Technology Industry Alliance was hosting an event in Lethbridge to bring together Industry, government and anyone interested to network and discuss developments in the field of renewable energy with a focus on solar.

This seemed like a prime opportunity for me to get involved and meet people within the industry. I quickly volunteered to assist in spreading the word through the various channels I could on campus at the University. The event which was called Clean Drinks was great and I learned a great deal about the various companies involved in solar and the regulatory factors and struggles that are going on in the field.

It was to my surprise that the gentleman I had agreed to assist was actually a professor at Lethbridge College and potentially had a job opportunity for me. His name is Kris Hodgson and he is a Communications professor who has a passion for renewables just like me.  This is every graduate’s dream to have a job offer in the field they want before they even finish school. To keep the story short I sat down with the college representatives and was asked to start work the next week. I could not have asked to be in a better situation and have been immersed in the field I love and am loving every minute of it.

Renewable Energy Sector not to be ignored

Written by Kris Hodgson on May 16, 2012. 0 Comments

With the recent election, there is a great opportunity for Alberta to shine on the international stage.

Solidifying a majority government, our Premier and leader of the Progressive Conservative Party Alison Redford can lay out a Renewable Energy Framework that will allow Albertans to harness the wind sector as an economic juggernaut, just as we have done with the oilsands.

This is the right time to spell out the incredible benefits on wind energy. The forecast for Wind energy development in Canada looks strong, the country is now in eighth place globally for installed wind energy capacity. Read this article for further details.

Ontario has done incredible work with its Feed In Tarriff System that has allowed many projects to come to fruition. While naysayers will point to the FIT program blaming it on the increasing cost of electricity, there is one thing for sure: the cost of electricity is going up no matter what.

Here is a brilliant article by the Pembina Institute’s Tim Weis that explains this. Click here to read the fully story.

So what can we as Albertans do to make a Renewable Energy Framework a reality? Write to the Premier and write to your MLA and explain that you want the wind energy sector to be a stronger part of Alberta’s energy portfolio.

Here are a few highlights of why we at the International Wind Energy sector believe wind is a great part of our energy needs.

The Alberta Electric Systems Operator predicts 1,600 MW of wind energy in five years with the province expected to generate 2,500 MW of wind energy by 2020. Currently we produce 891 MW of energy from wind, amounting to 6% of our energy mix.

From 1996 to 2006 the Municipal District of Pincher Creek saw more than $10 million injected into the local economy, three offices constructed, 50 full-time jobs, $2.6 million annual payroll and $900,000 in municipal taxes with lease payments to landowners of $3,000 per MW of wind energy. A typical turbine is 3 MW and farmers are reimbursed annually for every wind turbine on their property.

A typical wind farm is about 100 MW (33 turbines at 3 MW each) which equates to $250 million in investment, 100 construction jobs, 10 permanent jobs in operations and enough power to meet the needs of 30,000 homes.

Finally a typical turbine costs approximately $6.6 million when you consider geotechnical, construction and transportation of parts. The incredible thing is it only takes about six years to pay for itself.

 

 

Having a Trade in your back pocket

Written by Kris Hodgson on March 27, 2012. 0 Comments

For those of you who received your bachelor’s degree, you probably received that degree because the flavour of the times said it was best to go to university after high school.

But now the times are a changing. For a few thousand dollars, you can be equipped with the knowledge to start on a very successful career in the trades.

For example, the Wind Turbine Technician Program is $7,700 for a seven month program. After that program, students can work anywhere in the world! What an incredible opportunity to travel and see the world, plus pay for a small loan to make that education happen.

I personally spent $40,000 on my degree and I was lucky because I was able to stay at home to make ends meet.

While I am not discounting the value of a degree, the ability to get a job in your chosen field is of prime importance, as it has always been in those dishing out dollars for post-secondary education. You want to see a return on your investment and not be working in a restaraunt, when your dream was to become an entrepreneur in the fashion industry.

Nothing makes you more versatile in the job market then having a few tricks up your sleeve. Someone with both a trade and a degree are twice as likely to find employment as someone with only one of those cards.

If you want to stand apart from the crowd in your job interview, these are some of the great assets that will work in your favour.

So consider a trade, because they are specific, measurable and will help to define a career path. Plus if you have a degree already, they help bolster yourself with an incredible talents to draw upon depending on the times are saying it’s time for a desk job, or it’s time to get out there fixing electrical wiring in a industrial work site.

Check out these other blogs for some great articles:

http://www.metapoli.net/the-value-of-a-trade-school-certificate/

http://albertatradejobs.com/

http://www.tradesecrets.gov.ab.ca/

Renewable Energy Return on Investment

Written by Kris Hodgson on January 27, 2012. 0 Comments

We here at the International Wind Energy Academy get asked several times when we are out in the community doing presentations and meeting with landowners and the public, what is your return on investment when buying renewable energy for your home?

While we can’t blame people for asking, have you ever considered the return on investment for your car also known as a bottomless money pit that continues to depreciate? How about that $500 Louis Vuitton purse or that laptop that you purchased yesterday that is now outdated?

When regarding the installation of small scale renewable energy like solar and wind, the term “quality of life” comes to mind.  The typical cost to install a wind or solar system is in the range of $15,000 to $20,000. For that kind of coin, it typically takes about 35 year payback with the amount of energy you can bring into your home. While some may be extremely discouraged by this fact, consider the unique selling feature you have in owning renewable energy and passing that onto the next homeowner if you ever decide to sell your home. In a flat real estate market, it’s one incredible advantage over other homes on the market.

There are also options like Enmax’s Generate Choice program that provide a great incentive for homeowners to adopt renewable energy with a $1,500, $2,500 or $3,500 down payment plus a $50 rental fee every month. By the end of 15 years, you own the system. With this installation, there is the opportunity to actually get credit on the amount of energy you are consuming vs. producing.

If you are purchasing a new home, you can roll the cost of renewable energy components right into your mortgage. With that, the amount you notice this minimal extra cost every month, it becomes an “out of sight, out of mind” scenario.

So when considering why some people adopt renewable energy, these are the typical answers we hear: we are doing it for our children, for the environment , and because I’d rather offset the increasing harvesting of coal, oil and natural gas and delay the onset of peak oil. Other answers include: it’s the right thing to do and why wouldn’t I do something like this?

There are an incredible amount of considerations to evaluate before putting renewable energy on your home but one of the most important things you can do first is to reduce the amount of energy you consume, also known as energy efficiency.

If you can increase the insulation factor of your home and improve the air tightness of the structure, this is one of the most effective ways you can start saving considerable dollars.

Also consider how many high tech gadgets you have, and how often they are plugged into the wall or how often you are using the dryer when a clothes line will knock your consumption down considerably. Power bars and unplugging your TV/stereo and other power draining items can also contribute to a reduced bill.

For more information on Energy efficiency workshops and sessions on Green living, please contact the International Wind Energy Academy at (403)320-3202 ext. 5489 or by checking out www.iwea.ca or www.facebook.com/lcitt

 

Educational Best Practices

Written by Kris Hodgson on January 13, 2012. 0 Comments

As it feels Alberta is just on the cusp of renewable energy being widely adopted, the key now is to look to best practices across the province.

This entry we’ll focus on schools making a difference. Let’s start in the southern part of the province and work up.

We’ll start with the latest success story Coaldale’s St. Joseph School. Just before the winter break, Science teacaher Zac Coupland had the opportunity to get a small scale Skystream wind turbine on his school property. Enmax was willing to work with the school to have it as a demonstration site so students could learn about renewable energy first hand. He invited the International Wind Energy Academy to speak at a council meeting to separate myths from fact when it comes to bird and bat fatalaties, noise and health concerns. The public got to express their thoughts on the addition. Some were negative and some were positive and in the end council approved the motion.

This bodes well for a community with just over 6,000 people as the Birds of Prey Centre has also expressed interest in a Demonstration Site for Renewable Energy. With more than 15,000 visitors between May and September including several school tours, this again opens the doors to environmental education.

The Cayley School has solar photovoltaic panels and a small wind turbine and the school’s Principal said in an article in the Nanton News that he hopes it will raise awareness of environmental issues among the kids of the school and residents in the village.

Olympic Heights School in Calgary is another great addition to this list of best practices. This Elementary School was one of the first in Alberta to have a Skystream 3.7 wind turbine in the middle of their playground. The children are able to monitor the wind turbine’s speed and how much power it produces on a daily basis through accessing a website on their smart board. The school also has a weather station that provides the opportunity to learn about wind chill,  barometric pressure, humidity, dewpoint and more. Across the Calgary School board their are other schools who have solar photovoltaic installed and students check to see how they are doing versus other schools and how much greenhouse gas emissions they are offsetting.

Moving Northwest up the province, Cochrane High School is another best practice with environmental education. It was back in 2000 that they developed a Cochrane Sustainable Development Project with volunteer members from Grades 9-12 that meet weekly to discuss a project they will accomplish annually.

They have implemented solar photovoltaic panels, solar thermal, a community garden, a small wind turbine, motion sensor lights, recycling, composting and more!

Queen Elizabeth High School is another excellent example that has been leading the way. This was one of the first schools in Edmonton to have solar photovoltaic panels on their roof. They also have a social justice club that fundraised and created solar lanterns that have been shipped to Haiti to provide light as the sun goes down around 6 p.m.

Last but not least the International Wind Energy Academy has hosted a Wind Energy Youth Camp last August, has hosted a University of Lethbridge Science Camp and has educated students on where electricity comes from, how to build a small wind turbine and more. We have one of Canada’s first trained Kid Wind Senators Kendra Gawletz.  We have a curriculum from Kid Wind called Wind Wise which focuses on wind energy for Grades 6-12 and we are looking at hosting a Kid Wind Challenge with schools from across southern Alberta making their own turbine and having a friendly competition. If you would like us to visit your school to provide renewable energy education, please do not hesitate to contact us by calling 403-320-3202 ext. 5489.

An exciting time to be involved in renewable energy

Written by Lethbridge College on January 3, 2012. 0 Comments

With the election of Premier Alison Redford last fall comes an exciting time. Never before have the words Renewable Energy been touted as a promise to the diversification of Alberta by a premier of the Wild Rose Province.

This in light of Premier McGuinty’s Green Energy Act which has created an incredible opportunity for job and the boost of the renewable energy sector in Ontario. If Alberta can learn from this aggressive adoption of wind and solar in the east, there is a great opportunity for Alberta to really shine on the world stage.

But it is not only politicians who are speaking about the benefits of renewable energy, energy superpower Enbridge invested $10 million in Ontario’s Morgan Solar company at the end of November.

This is in addition to the dynamic expansion of the wind energy sector in southern Alberta, building on the more than 800 MW the province offers. In the spring Greengate Power Corporation is planning the construction of Black Spring Ridge, the first of two 300 MW wind farms in the Carmangay area, one hour north of Lethbridge.

Shell’s Wild Steer Butte project is another exciting project with 775 MW of wind energy being developed hopefully within the next 3-5 years south of Bow Island.

With Lethbridge College offering the Wind Turbine Technician Program, there’s no better time than to invest in training.

That’s what excites the International Wind Energy Academy (IWEA) as we are offering four new courses to kickstart 2012.

Courses include Pre Employment Electrician with wind and solar installation components, Wind Park Construction, Pre-Employment Welding with pipeline assistant components as well as Introduction to the Trades which offers students the ability to learn about various trades all in one class.

To learn more about each of these new offerings, click on the hyperlinked text.

Click here to read more about the activities of IWEA in our latest newsletter: December Newsletter-radf