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w w w . o a kv ill eb ea ve r.c o m O A KV IL LE B EA V ER Fr id ay , Se pt em be r 1 7, 2 01 0 1 2 By Hiba Kesebi SPECIAL TO THE BEAVER Its time to put power in the indi- vidual. That was the message sent by many of the vendors at last Saturdays Renewable Energy Fair at the Halton Regional Centre in Oakville. Organized by Halton Enablers of Renewable Energy (HERE!), the fair aimed to introduce people to the concept of renewable energy and its ability to power homes. The climate right now for renewable energy is very new, espe- cially in Ontario, said Amanda Donatelli, project co-ordinator. We hope that through this fair we will provide people with the basic infor- mation they need to help sort through all the randomness of the sector, said Donatelli. With 12 booths and 11 vendors, the fair was an information haven for those seeking advice on how to use renewable energy to power their homes. According to George Konarski from Solar Panels and Things, a company that provides solar solu- tions for various projects, installing a Solar Thermal system is the easiest and most cost effective power alter- native. The system, which costs approxi- mately $4,000, will take care of a homes hot water needs through solar vacuum tools. These tools use the power of sunlight to warm water. However, if you are willing to invest more money then you should think about going microFIT, says Konarski. The smallest microFIT system costs $18,000 and requires the installation of solar panels and an electrical box. The box converts cur- rent electricity into the household and then directs it to an electrical grid. While the system may seem expensive, it is actually cash posi- tive on the pocket, says Joe Ragno from Solargy Solutions, a company that specializes in the installation of microFIT systems. Thats because as soon as your home is equipped with microFIT, you become an electricity generator for the province and the government will pay you for the power youve produced at a guaranteed, subsi- dized rate of 58.8 cents a kilowatt hour for 20 years. If you want to use green power you should also think about installing a geothermal system that uses the temperature underground to have a cooling or warming affect on your home, notes Rob Harriot from New Energy Developments Inc. Once youre five feet under- ground, the temperature stays a con- stant 50 degrees Fahrenheit, he says. During the summer we take advantage of this by taking the heat from the house and pumping it through lines in the earth, which acts to cool your home, and it will pump the underground heat into your home during the winter months. Although the system costs $20,000 to install in a home that is 25 years old and 2,000 square feet, its still worth its price, he says. There is great cost saving in operation because your alternatives for heat are either gas, or if youre in the country, propane or oil or elec- tricity, and all of those methods will cost you more per month than tak- ing heat out of the earth, which is basically free, says Harriot. For more information on renew- able energy, visit the website http://www.ene.gov.on.ca/en/busi- Fair shed light on renewable energy options MICHELLE SIU / OAKVILLE BEAVER SOLAR POWER: Russell Lauzon, of Solar Direct Canada, stands beside a Solar panel at his booth at the Renewable Energy Fair at the Halton Regional Centre in Oakville last Saturday.