Solar Quiz: In which month do solar hot water systems harness the most energy?

As we reach the end of August and finally have some nice weather to enjoy in Nova Scotia, it is easy to assume this time of year has the most solar energy potential.   Sunny days are more frequent and the days are still longer than average. 

However, the answer isn’t as obvious as you may think!

While PV energy generation potential is directly proportionate to solar radiation, solar thermal energy potential also depends on the starting temperature of the cold water it is heating.  Colder starting temperatures allow for more energy to be transferred as well as the efficiency of that transfer to be more efficient (due to higher deltaT).

So far in 2011, many of the solar hot water systems installed by the team at Doctor Solar have harnessed most energy in the month of March.

Parker St in Dartmouth, NS  Parker St. Annual Savings Graph

The Royalton in Bedford NS  Royalton Annual Savings Graph

While there are many variables that could contribute to this variance, the most likely cause is the temperature the cold water supply.  The amount energy harnessed is calculated by the difference between temperature of solar pre-heated water and the original temperature of the cold water supply (the status quo).  In March the cold water supply averages close to 5C, while in August it averages 21C.  

Solar growth in rainy Germany

From a province that is just catching up, to a country that has been doing it right for years. In Germany, it's not particularly sunny or windy, yet it is by far the worlds leader in renewable energy. (it's actually somewhat sunnier and much windier here in NS). What have they done to encourage this amazing growth despite not having the best of resources? a Feed-in-Tariff. As I've said before, a Feed-in-Tariff requires the utility to pay a guaranteed rate for a particular type of renewable power. In the example in the following story from the G&M about the solar industry, that rate is a whopping 49cent/kWh. Now a similar rate in NS wouldn't be that high, even for solar, because our overall electricity rates are much lower. In Ontario it's 42cents for solar and 11 for wind. With the abundance of wind we have in this province guaranteeing 9cents would work far better than the current lowest-price tendering methods of NS Power. Not only would it encourage more renewable growth, but it would also allow smaller groups and even individuals to participate, unlike only the biggest companies with the deepest pockets under our current system.
Despite all these numbers, the thing that must be taken from this article is the fact that the power to make huge progress in reducing our GHG emissions, and increasing renewable energies, is in the hands of our government. When Premier MacDonald is looking for "specific plans" he doesn't have to reinvent the wheel, he just has to take advise from those who do it best.
Here is the article:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20070731.IBSOLAR31/TPStory/Business

Rodney's Resources, Ontario Solar and Trading Carbon

Hello everyone,

Sorry for the long wait between emails, but I've been attending to some other work in my spare time. I've been collecting lots of stories from the news lately, and I have a few for you today. But first, I want to comment on our fearless leader here in NS, Rodney MacDonald, and his recent fight with the Federal Conservatives about the Atlantic Accord.

The Atlantic Accord concerns the revenue from our offshore oil/natural gas reserves and how they are accounted for in the Equalization program. Rodney's argument is that NS will continue to be disadvantaged until we can use these non-renewable energy sources as a leg up. Although he has a point that Harper is going back on his word, Rodney is also not acting on formal promises he made to his own people, but this time, about renewable energy sources. Not once, but twice the PC Government of Nova Scotia has promised to open up the electricity market to allow more renewable energy, but has yet to act. The reason? The spin doctors of NS Power are doing their best to look after their assets and profitability. And you can hardly blame them. However, you can blame the conservative government for not acting, since it is through renewable sustainability that NS will truly find its leg up. As more and more renewable companies head west looking for work, the PC's may find they were focusing on the wrong types of resources as they head to the polls looking for their fourth mandate in a row.

From a province that is doing the bare minimum to encourage renewables to province that is getting it right, Ontario. Much has been said about the booming wind energy industry in Ontario because of their Standard Offer Program, but it is now coming to light that Ontario is a hot bed of Solar activity as well. Standard Offers guarantee a price for renewable energy, which makes it very simple for even the smallest producers to implement renewable projects. This is the exact opposite of the lowest-price-wins tendering system still used in NS, which only favours the biggest and most well financed companies. You can see the economic benefits from Ontario's plan from the long list of companies in the following article that are doing great business in Ontario, providing employment, and certainly paying taxes too. These benefits stretch from the smallest co-ops to the biggest solar companies in the world. From the Toronto Star: http://www.thestar.com/Business/article/228987.

Finally, an article about Carbon Trading from Silver Donald Cameron. I met Silver Donald at this Carbon Credit conference and was very impressed. During a Q&A session he made a well received comment about how difficult the complex issues regarding carbon credit markets were to understand for someone with a background in English literature. The positive news from the conference was that despite our non-involvement with Kyoto, and a Federal Government only interested in making Oil Sands developers and and impeachable tyrants from the South happy, there is still a demand for carbon credits from companies that can see the benefits. These benefits include increased efficiency, profitability and publicity. Soon, such progress will be in the hands of consumers, when they can choose from companies that are doing their part versus those that don't. Read the article here http://thechronicleherald.ca/NovaScotian/843364.html. and for more information about a company who is leading the way, Interface Carpets, see this: http://www.cbc.ca/thehour/video.php?id=1333.

Thats all for now.. If you have any other topics you'd like to hear about, please let me know. I'm already working on something about NS's Sustainable Prosperity Act, as well as a more in-depth look at Carbon Credit Trading at Silver Donald's request: Carbon Trading 101.

Take care,

Dan