Renewable Energy Survey

Hello,

My name is Terry Thibodeau, Economic Development Officer with the Annapolis Digby Economic Development Agency. The Agency is very active on various fronts, among them the establishment of renewable energy projects in our region. The government of Nova Scotia recently announced guidelines under which community driven projects can qualify for Feed-In-Tariff in support of renewable energy projects. Students at Dalhousie University as part of their research initiatives have asked that the Agency help in their efforts to understand more of the community understanding of how the new FIT program will affect them. The Department of Energy are sponsoring this project and they have contacted us in support of the efforts of the students. We indicated that we would cooperate where we could.

At this time I would ask that you visit the website listed below. The survey will not take long. I have completed one myself and it took about 12-15 mins. This information will go a long way into helping the province develop its policies around the new tariffs and will provide direction into establishing a strong position on the adaptation of renewable energy in the province.

https://surveys.dal.ca/opinio/s?s=9485


If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact me at your earliest convenience.

Respectfully

Terry Thibodeau
Economic Development Officer
1-902-638-8967


Message from Dalhousie University Below:

Objectives of the Research

Your organization is invited to participate in a research study conducted by Erin Burbidge, Gillian Cormier, Virgile Kpodar, Darryl MacKenzie and Jagdeep Mohi, graduate students in the Faculty of Management at Dalhousie University (“Research Team”). This research is being conducted under the supervision of Dr. Lucia Fanning, Director of the Marine Affairs Program in the Faculty of Management.

The Research Team has been engaged by the Nova Scotia Department of Energy to design and administer a survey to identify needs and gaps relating to the capacity of community organizations to participate in the Community-based Feed-in Tariff (ComFIT) program for renewable electricity projects. This research is being conducted as part of the requirements for completion of the Management without Borders course offered by the Faculty of Management of Dalhousie University.

The results of this research will assist the Nova Scotia Department of Energy in assessing the needs of community organizations and facilitating the renewable electricity projects application and approval processes and providing the support required by potential ComFIT participants. Ultimately, the knowledge gained through this research will assist in the development of community-based renewable Energy projects in Nova Scotia.


How to Participate

Your organization has been selected to participate in this research because it is potentially eligible to participate in the ComFIT program. The name of your organization was provided to the Research Team by your Regional Development Authority.

If your organization decides to volunteer, a representative of your organization will be asked to fill out a 20-minute online survey that is completed anonymously. Survey questions focus on the following topics:

- the knowledge possessed by your organization concerning:

(a) the province’s strategy for encouraging the development of renewable electricity projects by community organizations;

(b) the financial incentives and other supports in place to assist community organizations in developing renewable electricity projects; and

(c) the technical, legal, regulatory and financial requirements for establishing a renewable electricity project;

- the capacity possessed by your organization to develop a renewable electricity project; and

- the identification of barriers and supports that would impact your organization’s interest and ability to develop a renewable electricity project.
If you wish to participate, please visit the Study Website at: https://surveys.dal.ca/opinio/s?s=9485
In order to become part of the final report, please complete the survey starting November 9, 2010 at midnight and submit it by no later than November 17, 2010.

Thank you for considering participation in this study.

please don't print this e-mail unless you really need to ... Annapolis Digby is making better use of our biomass

Energy from Oceans and Rivers

From: "The X Journals"

Assessing Impact of Renewable Power from the Natural Movement of Oceans and Rivers

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory has been awarded $3.45 million over three years to examine the environmental impacts of marine and hydrokinetic power. The project will include field tests to investigate the risks that these kinds of power generation can have on the environment and wildlife. (Courtesy of Pacific Northwest National Laboratory)
The Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory will receive more than $6.8 million over three years to advance the production of renewable power from the natural movement of oceans and rivers.

The bulk of the funding - $3.45 million, or $1.15 million per year - allows PNNL to lead a project that will examine the environmental impacts of marine and hydrokinetic power. Marine power includes power harnessed from the flux of ocean tides and waves, while hydrokinetic refers to power generated from flowing freshwater without dams. The project will prioritize the risks that these kinds of power generation can have on the environment and wildlife; conduct laboratory and field experiments to further investigate certain risks; and predict the long-term impact of full-scale energy installations.

“Understanding how harnessing marine and hydrokinetic energy can affect the environment is key,” said Charlie Brandt, director of PNNL’s Marine Sciences Laboratory in Sequim, Wash. “This work will help remove the roadblocks that currently prevent developers from putting tidal-, wave- and current-powered machines in the water.”

Some of the issues researchers will examine include how fish and marine mammals are directly affected by water power devices - including induced electromagnetic fields, noise and blade strike - and whether producing these kinds of power could create “dead zones” by interfering with the ocean’s circulation and nutrient patterns.

Staff from PNNL’s offices in Seattle, Richland and Sequim, Wash., and Portland, Ore., will work together on the project. The study will also be done in collaboration with Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Sandia National Laboratories, the Northwest National Marine Renewable Energy Center (to which Oregon State University and the University of Washington belong), the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth and Pacific Energy Ventures, an Oregon renewable energy consulting firm.

DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy also announced that PNNL would support four other advanced water power technology projects being led by other national laboratories. For two of the projects, PNNL will partner with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and Sandia National Laboratories to use computational fluid dynamic models to develop and evaluate marine and hydrokinetic power devices. PNNL will also work with Argonne National Laboratory on advanced water flow forecasting to optimize the efficiency and environmental performance of hydroelectric power plants. And, finally, PNNL will team with Oak Ridge National Laboratory to increase fish passage safety and power production at existing dams, study how fish and wildlife are affected by the variable stream flows from dams, and measure and predict greenhouse gas emissions from dam reservoirs.