Solar roads?

What are the top three things that most people hate about winter? The average list would probably look like this: (1) it’s cold, (2) it’s dark and (3) the driving conditions are terrible.

The cold and darkness are things we just need to accept. They are a consequence of the Earth’s tilt and our country’s latitude, neither of which are going to change.   However, one American inventor has come up with an eyebrow-raising  solution which he hopes will tackle the problem of icy winter road conditions…. and it also generates electricity.

At first glance, the invention proposed by Scott Brusnaw, an electrical engineer, seems to be a logistical nightmare. He suggests we turn our road systems into large solar photovoltaic (PV) installations integrated with LEDs, sensors, heating elements and other electronic devices to essentially create a “smart-road.”

According to his vision the road is a constructed of glass and is rugged enough to protect all the electronic components. It produces electricity, monitors road conditions, displays signals to drivers and it even heats itself to keep clear of snow and ice.

The benefit of using the road system as a power plant seems to be that it could turn an already existing structure into something with dramatically increased functionality and thereby potentially lessen land-use and construction costs associated with photovoltaics.

That is the basic concept. It may not be the first time someone has envisioned it. However, this case is unique in that now Brusnaw has been given the funding to actually try out a prototype of his design in a parking lot in his hometown in Idaho.

Will it result in a potentially game-changing technology? Is it doomed to failure? We’ll wait for the results but in the meantime one can’t help but both skeptical and intrigued by where such a technology could lead.

(Original article can be found at: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/commentary/neil-reynolds/no-more-snowplows-or-icy-roads/article2287667/ )

-Erik Janssen

Auditor General’s thoughts on clean energy subsidies

The recent release of the Ontario Auditor General’s critique of the province’s renewable energy policy has rekindled a debate that was brought to the forefront of public attention in the most recent provincial election.

Progressive Conservative Leader Tim Hudak, used strong language to illustrate his interpretation of the report’s findings. He claims that the report was a “scathing indictment” of the Feed-In Tariff (FIT) program and that the “… Auditor General rips [it] apart.” Furthermore, he accosts McGuinty for “…basically giving the finger to the auditor general ,” or put more gently, telling the Auditor general to “take a hike,” when he visited a Samsung-related plant a day after the report was released. (Quotes from Toronto Star article “McGuinty shrugs off auditor’s critique of green energy” available at http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/politics/article/1097966–mcguinty-shrugs-off-auditor-s-critique-of-green-energy)

The report is available online at http://www.auditor.on.ca/en/reports_2011_en.htm and there is a seemingly endless chain of criticism within. While Hudak’s combative and polarizing tone is absent from it, in its place is a recognition that Ontario needs “a balanced and responsible plan with respect to renewable energy that provides Ontarians with a clean, reliable, affordable, and sustainable electricity system,” but this is situated alongside a battery of arguments ultimately concluding that the Ministry of Energy has handled things poorly and needs to do much better.

Detailed criticism can be found within the report itself. However, the general message is that the Ontario government has displayed a lack of comprehensive business-case evaluations motivating their policymaking and the consequence of this is that they are spending considerably more money than necessary on their renewable energy initiatives. As taxpaying citizens we should surely be thankful that the office of the Auditor General is there to keep provincial spending in check and they have identified several cases of potential mismanagement that ought to be brought to public attention.

The report attempted a balanced viewpoint by offering the reader responses from both the Ministry of Energy and the OPA. However, through the all the layers of criticism it is easy to lose sight of the fact that ultimately we are faced with two scenarios: (1) Dramatically change the way we produce energy in response to the looming threat of climate change and resource depletion or (2) Business as usual with heavy dependence on unsustainable carbon-producing energy resources.

Ontario has made the bold decision to pursue the first option. As such, the Auditor General explains to us what has been the cost of acting. However, as thoughtful citizens we also must ask ourselves: what if we chose the second option? What would be the cost of not acting? What if we don’t make an aggressive effort to curb our carbon emissions as the planet continues warms? This is the context that is perhaps missing from the report and it is imperative that we also consider this question alongside the Auditor General’s findings.

-Erik Janssen

Bill Gates on Clean Energy Funding

“I believe it is imperative that the government commit to clean energy innovation at a level similar to its research investments in health and defense.” –Bill Gates

In a recent editorial of Science magazine Bill Gates gave his full support for government investments in clean energy. His sentiments were akin to those of Bill Clinton, reported in a previous post.  The question they both address is this: In terms of the global clean energy economy, what does the United States bring to the table?

China surely brings their manufacturing strength and with the Chinese currently pumping out solar photovoltaic modules cheaper than ever, the U.S. may be hard-pressed to shoulder their way into the market if this was the only important consideration. However, both Gates and Clinton agree, the strength of the United States lies less in their manufacturing capacity and more in the great spirit of entrepreneurship and innovation that permeates American culture. This could surely be harnessed to foster the development of novel clean energy technologies.

“The United States is uniquely positioned to lead in energy innovation, with great universities and national laboratories and an abundance of entrepreneurial talent,” Gates explains. However, the potential seems yet to be realized. Investment in energy innovation is declining.  The U.S. is spending less money spent on energy R&D than many of its competitors.  So what then is the solution?

Gates does not believe this is something to be left up to the market. He emphasizes that “…developing major new technologies, where the time frames necessary for true innovation stretch past the normal horizons of patent protection, requires up-front investments that are too large for venture capital and traditional energy companies.” Essentially, his point is that the federal government needs to step up to fill the funding void.

Furthermore, the focus of government funding can be for long-term gain, not only in its strictest monetary sense, but also “gains” in our relationship with the environment, in job creation and social well-being. This is especially relevant in the clean energy economy with the looming threat of climate change as it is in the “long-term” where we will continue to face the consequences of the decisions made today.

Full article at: http://www.sciencemag.org/content/334/6058/877.full

-Erik Janssen

The Ontario FIT is up for review

Ontario’s Feed-In Tariff (FIT) program has been the driving force behind the province’s expanding renewable energy industry for more than two years.  The program is now up for its scheduled two-year review date. This is an important aspect of the FIT because it allows the policy makers to make necessary adjustments to the program as they learn from the successes and failures of the past two-years.

The biannual review also allows for tariff digression, one of the most important aspects of a successful FIT program. The idea motivating tariff digression is that the province is interested in making renewables a competitive economic investment; no more, no less. If it is not competitive then people won’t invest their money. If it is too lucrative then it wastes taxpayer money and it may also endanger the program.

The province is attempting to make the review process as open and transparent as possible and as such, it is welcoming suggestions from the general public. To have your say you can fill out an online survey at http://www.energy.gov.on.ca/en/fit-and-microfit-program/2-year-fit-review/ or you can send an e-mail to 2yearFITreview@ontario.ca. Ensure your submissions arrive before Dec. 14/2011.

It is a good time to reflect back: what are some of the the notable “successes and failures” of the FIT so far? Perhaps the most notable success has been job creation. Recall that the FIT is a part of the Green Energy and Economy Act and its purpose is not only to foster a sustainable energy supply but also to develop new green-collar manufacturing and engineering jobs as well. The liberals claim 20,000 new jobs have been created but the ambiguity over the word “job” makes this figure less meaningful and thus, open to criticism. What do they mean: full-time, part-time, temporary, long-term?

A third-party consulting agency working for Canadian Solar Industries Association (CanSIA) put the job creation in the burgeoning solar photovoltaic industry, only one form of renewable energy subsidized under the FIT program, at 8,200 PYE by the end of 2011. A PYE is a unit used to measure job creation and is equivalent to one person working full-time for one year. This figure seems commendable seeing that solar is planned to be 1.5% of the long-term energy mix where wind and bio-energy make-up the remaining 11.3% of non-hydro renewables. Looking at job creation from a different angle, the report also states that more than two new dozen solar module and inverter manufacturers have set up shop in Ontario since the FIT program’s inception. (See: http://www.cansia.ca/sites/default/files/economic_impacts_of_solar.pdf)

The road to a sustainable energy mix hasn’t been entirely smooth though. Ontario has come under fire from Japan and the European Union for being protectionist and violating international trade laws with the 60% Ontario content requirement for all FIT contracts. This is something yet to be fully battled out.

Another bump in the road concerned the issue of grid-capacity. A number of solar energy installation owners with signed FIT contracts invested the necessary the capital only to find out later that the grid in their area couldn’t handle the extra electricity. Some creative solutions were offered to this problem but capacity may continue to be an issue.

A simpler, more stream-lined, application process for small-scale contracts seems wanting as well.

However, despite the setbacks, the largest hurdle threatening the survival of the FIT has been surmounted already and that was the previous provincial election. For now the program seems well enough on-track and the present review process will likely improve upon it further.

-Erik Janssen

Finally it’s here!

We’ve all heard about the potential for symbiotic relationships between electric cars and solar energy. It makes sense. Solar panels covert light energy to electrical energy and, if not connected to the electricity grid, that electrical energy needs to be stored. Why not store it in the battery of an electric car?

Taken to the far end of what might be possible perhaps one day the problem of solar energy storage can be solved via a nationwide fleet of electric cars plugged into the grid. When there is excess power, the batteries can charge and when power is needed, it can then be taken back from the batteries.

Maybe such a system will never be implemented but at least this relationship is starting to be explored. Solar power systems are now being used to charge electric cars right here in Canada. Check it out at:

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/skyfire-energy-solar-powers-albertas-first-net-zero-energy-car-2011-11-14

-Erik Janssen

Bill Clinton talks clean energy with Jon Stewart

Click on the link to watch the clip (fastforward to 3:30) http://watch.ctv.ca/the-daily-show-with-jon-stewart/#clip564848

-Erik Janssen

Hi all!

Welcome to the official blog of the NSERC Photovoltaic Innovation Network. Visit us regularly for the latest news and development in photovoltaics and sustainable energy. Everything from policy to politics to opinion…. you’ll find it here!

-Erik Janssen