1. Sell solar power back into the grid
Solar panels are costly, so only the most committed environmentalists have thus far been willing to install them on the roofs of their homes and businesses. But new government programs that permit small renewable-energy producers to sell excess energy back into the power grid are making it easier for anyone to jump on the solar bandwagon. Last week, the Ontario Power Authority launched Canada’s first feed-in tariff program, which will offer a buy-back rate of up to 80.2 cents per kilowatt for solar power—more than seven times the rate paid for other forms of green power, like wind.
Want in? A grid-connected system at home, including installation, will cost about $10 per watt of output. If you installed a 2,000-watt system (at a cost of $20,000), then depending on your energy consumption you could bring in roughly $1,850 in revenue each year, recouping your investment in just over 10 years. And considering solar panels can last 30 years or longer, that’s a fairly sunny long-range forecast.—Jen Cutts
2. Fake trees
Trees, we all know, are carbon catchers. Problem is, they don’t catch enough of the stuff, and the process is slow. So scientists have built a better mousetrap, so to speak. According to a new report out of the U.K., the most effective way to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) levels is to construct hundreds of thousands of artificial, greenhouse-gas-scrubbing trees.
Prototypes already exist—they’re made up of a type of mesh suspended between a two-pronged fork, and look like gigantic fly swatters. As air blows through the structure, CO2 binds to an absorbent compound, a process that removes the carbon 1,000 times faster then normal plants.
There are problems: the trees are expensive—more than $20,000 each—and “planting” 100,000 of them would offset only 60 per cent of the CO2 produced by a country the size of the U.K. With enough government funding, though, fake forests could start popping up around the world within the next few years.—Tom Henheffer
3. Open drains
At Southeast False Creek, Vancouver’s newest downtown development—and site of the Olympic athletes’ village—the city has cut open trench drains down the main thoroughfare. It’s a simple, and effective, environmental tool.
Instead of channelling storm water through an underground sewer, the water will flow above ground. Rock pits, then grass lawns, at the end of the drains will slow the pace of runoff, and the water will enter the soil, which naturally filters it before it flows into False Creek, an ocean inlet separating downtown Vancouver from the rest of the city.
The above-ground drains send a strong message: “When people are changing their oil, or washing the car, they can see the water—see that it doesn’t just wash into a hole in the ground, and disappear,” says Vancouver city planner Thor Kuhlmann.—Nancy Macdonald
4. White roofs and roads
Darker hues absorb heat, while lighter hues reflect it—if you’ve ever worn a black shirt on a hot day, you know that well. It’s the same for the roads we drive on and the roofs over our heads: according to a new study, painting driving surfaces and house and building roofs white in the 100 largest urban areas in the U.S. would offset 44 metric gigatons of CO2. That’s more than all the countries of the world emit in a single year, or equivalent to taking all cars off the roads for 11 years.
It’s worth pointing out that whitewashing only works in warm and temperate climates, where it reflects heat. But in colder spots, dark roofs actually help warm our buildings and houses—which translates into less energy spent on heating.—Rachel Mendleson
5. Tankless hot water
Tankless hot water heaters are the oldest new idea in energy conservation. They’ve been in use in Europe and parts of Asia for more than a generation. Canadians are starting to pay attention, attracted by energy savings of up to 50 per cent, says Shell Busey, who operates the House Smart contractor referral service in Surrey, B.C.
There are many advantages and some drawbacks: the small wall-mounted units instantly heat water as it flows through a compact maze of pipes, providing a limitless, continuous supply. Not only are you spared the cost of keeping 40 or 60 gallons of hot water on standby, you regain the floor space where the tank once stood. Plus, the units last 20 years or more, about twice the life of a standard tank. Many are eligible for government ecoEnergy retrofit grants; in Ontario, that can mean savings of between $630-$750.
Supply can be a problem, though. There is no storage capacity—so be sure to buy a system large enough to meet your household demand. Also, expect to pay twice the cost of a regular tank, as well as additional costs to install and vent the system.—Ken MacQueen
Pages: 1 2
