Renewable Energy: Solar and Wind Power

Renewable Energy: Solar and Wind Power. . Children's Science and Nature Area , Niagara Region , Renewable Energy: Solar and Wind Power , The energy of the sun and wind can be harnessed to create clean energy and electricity, and has been growing in use for the last few decades. Solar energy beaming down into solar panels, and wind energy blowing to turn giant windmills are the most common ways to capture this energy. , , The Seigneurie de Beaupré Wind Farm located in Quebec, is one of the biggest wind farms in Canada. It currently produces over 363 megawatts of electricity, with more expansions planned to increase their production of electricity. , , Solar Power: For many years, people have been using the sun's energy to make their homes brighter and warmer. Today, we use special equipment and specially designed homes to capture solar energy for lighting and heating. , How Does Solar Power Work to Create Heat? Solar collectors trap the sun's rays to produce heat. Most solar collectors are boxes, frames or rooms that contain four parts: , 1. Clear covers that let in solar energy , 2. Dark surfaces inside, called absorber plates, that soak up heat , 3. Insulation materials to prevent heat from escaping , 4. Vents of pipes that carry the heated air or liquid from inside the collector to where it can be used , , What is a Sunspace? A home that uses some of its structure as a solar collector is a passive solar home. Passive solar homes sometimes use rooms called sunspaces to capture solar energy. , , A sunspace can be either a room that faces south or a small structure attached to the side of a house. Sunspaces have a large amount of glass, areas of dark stone or concrete walls and floors. , , These materials make up the thermal mass, which absorbs heat. Vents placed against the back wall of a sunspace allow heated air to move naturally into nearby rooms. At the same time, cooler air from nearby rooms can move into the sunspaces. The "Solar Silo" you see in this area is an example of a sunspace. , , Passive Solar Home: How does a passive house's sunspace room work? , , Wind Power: Wind power is the fastest growing renewable energy source in the world. About 6 per cent of Canada's energy is generated from wind, and it is one of the fastest growing sources of electricity in the world. Oceans and large lakes, wide-open prairies and hill or mountain areas that act as a funnel often provide good winds. The Canadian Wind Energy Association believes that Canada has the potential to eventually generate 15 percent of its total electricity from wind energy. , , How Do Wind Turbines Works? Electricity is produced when the wind propels the blades of the wind turbines. A shaft rotates a dense coil of insulated wire between the poles of a powerful magnet in the generator; this in turn creates an electrical current. A wind speed of 15 km per hour is the minimum required for effective electrical generation. The more constant the wind, the better the generation potential. , , Where are Ontario's Commercial Wind Turbines Located? Most of Ontario's wind production areas are located on the leeward (sheltered form the wind) side of the great lakes. As of 2019, Ontario already had 5,436 megawatts of wind capacity installed. To put some context to that, a typical Canadian family home uses roughly seven MWh per year, so a one megawatt plant on power 1,200 homes. [Footnote 1: cbc.ca/news/canada/canada-s-new-power-strategy-excludes-megaprojects-1.1039996] The first turbine in Ontario was located in Tiverton in 1994. , , Benefits of Wind Power: - Does not create emissions (dangerous fumes) or hazardous waste , - The rustling of leaves is often louder than the sound of a wind turbine , - Can withstand 180 km per hour winds and temperatures as low as -40 degrees C , - Can co-exist with existing agricultural practices