Robert Paterson's Weblog

Explore how we can maximize our energy efficiency & security - March 25

ecopei.ca/islandenergy2009

ECO-PEI Energy Project invites you to attend the upcoming

Sustainable Energy - A Community Matter Workshop
Wednesday, March 25 9am-4pm
Credit Union Place
511 Notre Dame Street, Summerside PEI

This day long workshop is bringing the Island community together to address how we can maximize energy efficiency and security, define sustainable energy solutions and build alliances in rural sectors and communities on PEI in a way that maximizes long-term local benefits.

Guest speakers include:

Yves Gagnon, P.Eng., D.Sc.
K.C. Irving Chair in Sustainable Development, Université de Moncton

Tim Weis, M.Sc., P. Eng.
Director of Renewable Energy and Efficiency Policy, Pembina Institute

Cedric MacLeod, M.Sc., PAg
President, MacLeod Agronomics

plus much more...

Price $20 includes lunch and bus transportation from Charlottetown.
Please call 566-4696 or register on-line:
ecopei.ca/islandenergy2009

The HYDROGEN bus
leaves Charlottetown at 8:00am
and arrives back in Charlottetown at 5:00pm

Learn more...

Clean Coal - A New Film By The Coen Bros

Thanks Gabe - from This is Reality

Heating - Your Choices on PEI - Why is electricity so expensive

As we debate the rising cost of electricity, I received these numbers:

(1) Seasoned Wood 8.7 cords at $190.00 per cord $1,653.00
(2) Corn 7.5 ton at $270.00 per ton $2,025.00
(3) Energy Star Furnace 3,037 litres at 68.8 cpl $2,089.46
(4) Older Oil Furnace 3,387 litres at 68.8 cpl $2,330.40
(5) Pellets 6.9 ton at $349.50 per ton $2,411.55
(6) Propane 4,754 litres at 73.1 cpl $3,475.74
(7) Electricity 29,886 kwh at 15.76 cpkwh $4,710.03

These are current prices. They raise a couple of questions for me

• Why is electricity so expensive on PEI?
• Why are we not developing a real energy strategy on PEI

What do you see?

You can find the full breakdown of these numbers here: Download Fuel Comparison Ronald Rayner

An opportunity for Government - Conservation - Big Time

Here is the essence of the Obama plan:

To finally spark the creation of a clean energy economy, we will double the production of alternative energy in the next three years.

We will modernize more than 75% of federal buildings and improve the energy efficiency of two million American homes, saving consumers and taxpayers billions on our energy bills.

In the process, we will put Americans to work in new jobs that pay well and can’t be outsourced (my emphasis) – jobs building solar panels and wind turbines; constructing fuel-efficient cars and buildings; and developing the new energy technologies that will lead to even more jobs, more savings, and a cleaner, safer planet in the bargain.

Let's do that here!

Islanders spend $200 million a year on oil heating. This $200 million is a huge tax on all of us.

It would not be too hard to get rid of most of this.

Let's look at homes and government buildings to see the opportunity.

Assume an average house on PEI - 1,200 square feet - If you insulate your basement and your attic and block the main leaks you can save up 40% of your oil bill. The average oil consumption on PEI is 3,500 litres. So about $1,200 at current prices. That is a lot of money for anybody.

We are just starting to get a handle on this with the Office of Energy and the just starting Community support for helping people help themselves to conserve. Here is the kit that is available:

But think now of our school system that is under the gun energy wise? Here is the energy bill for Eastern District

Heating is a huge drain on the system. It is a major factor in the decision to close small schools.

Then there are manors, hospitals and other government buildings. The opportunity is real and meaningful.

If we can save say $150 million a year out of all of this, we can afford to have a program to employ a lot of folks to do this work. Unlike most public works, this kind of program really would pay for itself and would offer all Islanders an ongoing benefit - in effect a permanent increase in cash in their pockets.

It also gives us all "Insurance" we all know that cheap oil will go away for ever. If we start here with this easy work, my bet is that we will start to learn more so that we can go further in becoming more independent of oil and so get back more control.

So come on guys on the 5th floor - nothing to lose and so much to gain - let's go for it.

What could we do if we lost access to oil? Cuba shows the way

http://www.powerofcommunity.org/cm/index.php

When the Soviet Union collapsed in 1990, Cuba's economy went into a tailspin. With imports of oil cut by more than half – and food by 80 percent – people were desperate.

This film tells of the hardships and struggles as well as the community and creativity of the Cuban people during this difficult time. Cubans share how they transitioned from a highly mechanized, industrial agricultural system to one using organic methods of farming and local, urban gardens. It is an unusual look into the Cuban culture during this economic crisis, which they call "The Special Period."

The film opens with a short history of Peak Oil, a term for the time in our history when world oil production will reach its all-time peak and begin to decline forever. Cuba, the only country that has faced such a crisis – the massive reduction of fossil fuels – is an example of options and hope«

Living on $26,000 a year - PEI's average wage - Peak Oil

$26,000 is the average wage on PEI. Here is a very simple view of what this means as food and energy costs rise.

Let's take food and rent/mortgage off the table right away. There is no room here. These are minimum figures. No frills. No where to cut.

In fact there are further cost pressures here that the wage earner has to accept. Rents are going up 9% on PEI this year. If you were paying $500 a month as per my example here - that would be an extra $360 a year - almost a month's rent!

The basic food prices are way up and are also linked to rising energy prices.

Prices for baked goods and cereal in particular jumped 14.9 per cent, the largest increase since 1981, and fresh vegetables rose 9.2 per cent.

There is no room to absorb these increases. But on the other hand the food producer and the landlord are being squeezed too. This can only get more difficult.

So long as there is inadequate public transport and a system where we all have to "Go to work" we have to take the Car/Truck/Gas off the table for reduction as well. Energy prices are up 20% this year and are  up 100% since 2004.

So what can we do? Can we do anything or fall into the abyss?

The first and only place that we can work on now is heat. The average use of oil is about 3,500 litres. Or close to $4,000 a year.

Here is the first and most effective place that we can act to make a long term difference and to start to give back power and dignity.

An average house can save up to 40% by better insulation and and by better energy management. This potential exists for every household. This would be 1,400 litres a year or at today's prices over $1,000!

So how can we do this? There are a lot of federal programs that offer financial help.  The barrier to Federal Grants is to Energy Auditors and the costs of having an audit. Then the work has to be done and paid for before the grant can be paid. This is a non starter for many.

The Province has some much more easily accessible help for low income people. But in the end things have to be purchased and work done.

So to unlock this potential we have to get though the barriers of expertise and labour.

So what if we got together as a community and helped each other? What if we barn built this reduction in our use of heating energy?

It's our only chance I think of staring to become more resilient locally.

I hope to be able to say more about this shortly. I hope to be able to say more about doing this work rather than merely suggesting that it might be useful.

Stay in touch

Can we heat with wood on PEI?

This year Islanders will spend about $180 million on heating their homes with oil. That is out of a total spend on energy (Gasoline, Diesel and Electricity) of $570 million.

All this money in effect leaves the Island - this year and every year. No wonder we are a have not province!

So could we eliminate this drain? I think we can

• By conservation - we can save upto 40% or $72 million
• By using alternatives we might save the rest - alternatives such as wood, wood pellets and electricity made locally by wind and by hydro

Is there enough wood in the Atlantic region to do this?

Roy MacMullins says yes

More on the Hydro soon

All you need to know about heating with Pellets

Here it is

"EnergyBusters" Who are you going to call to help you save energy - what are you going to do?

A reader who is thinking of moving to PEI wrote and asked for advice - what should he do.

Here is my reply - based on having made every mistake possible myself.

As I thought more about his question - I have added a list of people on PEI that I trust. It's not a long list because this is only me - so do have good experiences with people on PEI who can advise and do in the energy field?

I would be happy to start a Wiki and add this to the blog as a directory. So please send me your choices "Energy Busters"

How our energy costs are hurting us

On PEI, our energy costs are almost the same now as our taxes.

More on what this means and what we can do