[et_pb_section admin_label=”Section” fullwidth=”on” specialty=”off” background_image=”http:\/\/cusjc.ca\/catalyst\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/1.jpg” transparent_background=”off” allow_player_pause=”off” inner_shadow=”off” parallax=”off” parallax_method=”off” make_fullwidth=”off” use_custom_width=”off” width_unit=”on” make_equal=”off” use_custom_gutter=”off” custom_css_main_element=”height: 100vh;”][et_pb_fullwidth_header admin_label=”Fullwidth Header” title=”Renewable cities:” subhead=”A system of diversity” background_layout=”dark” text_orientation=”left” header_fullscreen=”off” header_scroll_down=”off” parallax=”off” parallax_method=”off” content_orientation=”center” image_orientation=”center” custom_button_one=”off” button_one_letter_spacing=”0″ button_one_use_icon=”default” button_one_icon_placement=”right” button_one_on_hover=”on” button_one_letter_spacing_hover=”0″ custom_button_two=”off” button_two_letter_spacing=”0″ button_two_use_icon=”default” button_two_icon_placement=”right” button_two_on_hover=”on” button_two_letter_spacing_hover=”0″ title_font_size=”100px” subhead_font_size=”50px” content_font_size=”18px”]<\/p>\n
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By Robert Williams and Peter Rukavina<\/strong><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_fullwidth_header][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section admin_label=”section”][et_pb_row admin_label=”row”][et_pb_column type=”2_3″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”left” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid”]<\/p>\n Imagine a city\u00a0run completely on renewable energy.<\/p>\n Solar panels carpet the\u00a0rooftops , electric cars hum along\u00a0city streets and in backyards wind turbines are busy\u00a0whirring away.\u00a0But some Canadian cities\u00a0are already\u00a0well on the way to turning\u00a0this imagined future into reality. In the process they are charting a course that\u00a0other municipalities may soon\u00a0follow.<\/p>\n As Ottawa struggles to craft its own renewable energy strategy, policy makers can look\u00a0to the recent commitments of Victoria, Vancouver and Ontario\u2019s Oxford County for clues on how to bring such a strategy\u00a0to life.<\/p>\n But can any Canadian city run solely on renewable energy? And what would such a transformation look like?<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_3″][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row admin_label=”Row”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_gallery admin_label=”Gallery” gallery_ids=”275,274,277,276,278″ fullwidth=”on” orientation=”landscape” show_title_and_caption=”on” show_pagination=”off” background_layout=”dark” auto=”on” auto_speed=”7000″ hover_overlay_color=”rgba(255,255,255,0.9)” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid”] Every day, Canadian citizens use fossil fuels for everything from making a cup of coffee to driving to work. As of 2014, renewable energy accounts for 17.7 per cent of all energy production while oil, natural gas and coal accounts for a whopping 72.2 per cent in Canada.<\/p>\n Hydroelectricity leads the way in the renewable sector\u00a0at 11.6 per cent, followed by organic biomass fuels, geothermal, wind and solar energy which account for the remaining 6.1 per cent.<\/p>\n Scientists have been calling for drastic changes in energy production for years as evidence mounts for the devastating impact of fossil fuels on the Earth’s climate. Over 60 countries have set renewable energy targets while Canada continues to consider a\u00a0national\u00a0target of its\u00a0own.<\/p>\n At the municipal level, some Canadian cities are following a global trend and\u00a0setting their\u00a0renewable energy targets at 100 per cent\u00a0by 2050. But not all experts agree the timeline is a realistic one for\u00a0Canada.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not sure if 2050 is a reasonable assumption. Not only will technology have to be developed, but people will have to buy in, \u201dsays Handon Tezel, a chemical engineering professor at the University of Ottawa.<\/p>\n Renewable cities will combine individual energy production at home with public\u00a0grids that deliver\u00a0energy produced from a combination of renewable sources.<\/p>\n Each city will develop unique ways to implement this into their energy systems, but it starts with simple concepts like encouraging more people to walk\u00a0to work and limiting the number of parking spots for gasoline-fueled cars. The City of Vancouver is already discussing plans to deter future drivers, and will look to businesses to implement their own limitations on private parking lots. In Ontario, Oxford County’s Quality Inn has teamed up with Tesla Motors to provide eight 24-hour charging stations for electric cars.<\/p>\n “There needs to be some push from private companies and the upper class,\u201d says Tezel.<\/p>\n Citing\u00a0countries like Germany and Denmark who have massive renewable projects in the works, Tezel points to higher electricity costs that are forcing them to look for alternative renewable options.<\/p>\n Canada has relatively low electricity costs, and businesses are not given strong enough incentives to attempt to go renewable, Tezel says.\u00a0The result is a lack of interest at both the community and corporate levels.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s all based on the money,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n It is a hard sell for any municipal government to convince low-income households or small businesses to pay more for virtually the same product.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”left” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid”]<\/p>\n For progress\u00a0to be made, Tezel calls for a bottom-up initiative. The onus is on the individual to start the process by making changes at their home. If communities demand renewable energy, politicians will be forced to act.<\/p>\n They also need a commitment at the federal level to help get the ball rolling. A national target can hold cities accountable to get serious about renewable options, she says.<\/p>\n Municipal governments can also look to existing renewable energy companies to help in making the change.<\/p>\n Renewable Cities is a program out of Simon Fraser University created to help cities transition to 100 percent renewable energy.<\/p>\n From grassroots initiatives to extensive policy planning, the program is working with cities on a case-by-case basis to create unique plans to fit their needs.<\/p>\n \u201cCities that are successful are the ones that actually listen to their community,\u201d says Keane Gruending, the public relations manager for the program.<\/p>\n Government-run communications exercises that attempt to sell their communities on renewable plans will struggle to gain support explains Gruending.<\/p>\n An open dialogue from the beginning can address the needs of the community while creating realistic timelines for change.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”left” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid”]<\/p>\n The renewable energy strategy was made a priority for this term of council in 2015. The report, which was due by the end of 2016, has now been pushed back to the end of this year.<\/p>\n The setback points to a substantial delay in the process, and it could be pushed to after the upcoming 2018 municipal election.The city has already approved a budget of $300,000 for 2017, and is allocating the money to eight pilot projects.
\n[\/et_pb_gallery][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row admin_label=”Row”][et_pb_column type=”2_3″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”left” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid”]<\/p>\nRenewable city<\/h3>\n
Community involvement<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Ottawa\u2019s position<\/h3>\n