Wednesday,

Here in’ B.C., most of our.

‘September 29, 1982

-bage. In. large urban areas, where

THE REVIEW

SOPlOMDel 675 be

energy. now... comes ‘from. oil, garbage | is. available in~ large A .

- natural gas, and hydroelectricity.. . amounts, it can be burnt as a fuel a Tas
Alternative sources that show the for generating electricity. . For oct

“most promise for the near future now,.. however, the cost .in

in’ B.C. are geothermal,
“small.
remote areas, and biomass.

also make an important, though |
2 smaller, contribution - to B. C.’ Ss.

relatively: recently,’ large-pockets. °
-- of. hot’ water,
hot rocks sometimes remain close.

eo _ enough | to. the surface 10 tap. for
S _energy. - :

: ~ Meager Creek:-near:. paintsrion
With: federal -

7 project

coal,

“hydroelectric plants. in

Solar and wind energy. may

‘steam, or simply
One: ‘euch’ lake *: ins BC.

-and » “provincial oe
OB: (ons Hydro. has: ‘been

The biggest. geothermal energy ie
in. operation today. is the ©

a Geysers, 160 kilometres north of

San‘F rancisco, The field supports.

“several: ‘generating: units ranging”

“> nearly 1000 megawatts.

expected

. Meager .
“would probably te ‘be as bigsas

“about |
produced at B.C.’s Bennett: Dam
While the: og
oil
: however, ‘e ® taitly high. Until: the
technology AS. improved or athe

from 50 to: 100 megayyatts. Thee

Vancouver for this power would:
be about five times the present
price of hydroelectricity. .
“Another. use of ~ biomass
“ordinary wood heating. Although |
many “people » now » heat

future energy supply. wood, .. its” “widespread use. is
Geothermal ~ a - limited: by. supply, and also
The interior of. ‘the. ‘Barth is ~~ potential pollution problems.
LS very? ‘hot. ‘Some of that» heat)... But wood -wastes from the.
vereates. volcanic: “activity. in: foresigy: -industry already ‘are.
“various parts of the world. Where providing. about 20:-per. cent of was
that’ activity has. occurred ~ B.C.’s ‘total energy: supply. Hog ee

‘fuel: (bark, -sawdust-and shavings) _ ae
and ‘black liquor’? (a by- product. fe
of the. pulping process). are. burnt.
to. make steam. The steam is used we
for -process® heat and,
“Cases; for producing electricity.
Foi a
“are using: these: wood ‘wastes. Ome

CO:
and. electricit

demonstration. ne plant’. could. aon
; built within the decade. He

‘steam
“B.C, Hydro: has proposed: a coal-.
fired: thermal plant at the Hat
Creek’ coal. field; which is one of

total. capacity- installed, ‘SO. far is. eS

“he -Geysers is”
roduce. 2000.
megawatts: of electricity, whichis
-four- fifths «the “amount :

Unimately,

on. the. Peace: River

project, ~ developed, "

: the Geysers, it could still make i .

AUBIN

form of urban refuse

~ significant contribution (o B.C."

future energy neguirenyen |S:

: Biomass ete z
Biomass. ener ey is. 5 silat energy
- trapped in plant lite and. or ganic

derivatives.’

cultivate TUS growing
species et 10 fuck Aber mal

TMoiues Songs : i:

That friendly” fire cheerfully.
crackling | away. in your. fireplace:
is. warming: ‘your “heart

i lv 8. ‘possible thi someday We: me

a ahe | _
and. pare

moder n
people’ ‘are ‘still.very. concerned
about the environmental effects
“both of coal. mining: and coal- aun

Smal Hydro

nine. small hydro. plants,
providing Jess than. 10 mey

3 fireplace

but

py obably not your house: In. fact,

fireplace ..¢

ever y night.”

during the winter can raise your:

“monthly heating bill by. as much ed

Solas ten percent,

Here's how ft happens: AS the f
‘fire’ srOWS bigger and warmer, it
draws" more and more roam ale
oe Another idea is to close the

os up the: chimney. This. dno quen

“y gueks colder

will be the loss

“fram “outside, | through:

around, doors and: windows,” So

the colder itis outside, the greater

Unis ait flows

aver with the: fire: out “and ooo)

“damper closed, “a considerable

ar inte the roc fe
eTACKG es

of cnergy through

: amount of heat EMANes, MD: a

‘e One. of the new types of grates

7 You: alah also x BIN: About.

is.

with:

ine some. :

st- companies ‘increasingly. ee

generate both. ‘process: heat
In the future, the

Coal: -can be. burnt: to produce 5 Drilling rig at meager. ‘Creek,

“to Bencrate  eléctricity. ey

ee projects.
This i

Ahe world’s thickest deposits. eee large. utility. providing an. in--
New. ‘technology -has reduced» - tegrated . -province- -wide power #4
‘the amount of air emissions from. system. Tt might. be» more. ;

But _economically: feasible, however,
‘for-acsmall local.

individual: “entrepreneurs 10 build

‘thermal - “plants.~

fueled plants, © area,
Coal. alsa can ‘be: conv erted! to. The. power. rc om ‘a “how: vy 5-
or “fuels. The “cast, inegawatt plant, for example,

would cost about: five times: as”:
much, if built by. Hydro, than.the:

‘cost of conven ntional fuels is power from. the. -2700-megawatt
higher _in comparison, rea Revelaiake® project, ‘now: inder™*
conversion. is© an -unlikely construction. tee eee
alternative for B. Gee BS onutee: But omany: isolated come

; — munities rely on expens sive diesel
Hydro. currently operates
RAG hy. i

BC,
Where suitable: river
vt might he pra tical io

electricity.
1TUS ONISt

ol powers: Most: of these “plants, build: -amall hydro ‘plants for these
are. faintly: old, and today the “remote | Jocations, : and. so cut
economies: of” “seale) seem ta dawn. on our need: for: imported
ofayour much | Jarger, : oie ;

power
4 a :

hnaney ‘the. aust a fireplace cover to

When
_ damper is lef Opens more e heat Is: — veduce the amount of warm
lost. room: ar, drawn. a the:
“Howe over, there are some ways: chimney,

to reduce the heat loss;

r'imetal fireplade, liners will |

. inereane: the efficiency of YOUN
Ley fireplace. by parting. more heal

Anta he room: and less. wp the”
chimney.

CW outside alr,

bustiont

o> inexpensive. fireplace : plug
“doors of the. roam where you.
are. using’ ae’ fireplace. and ©.
~shghtly open a window in the
“same room... This provides #
/ fresh ait for’ both you and the Never use, it:should be sealed

fire, Bur pres: ents the fire fron eo ait! completely to -stop: heat
drawing cool outside air dn

‘Athronghout the entire house,

fireplace opening completely,

“pensive way to do this {6 to put
Continued on page D2

Piety WSR CREE GL tk Fie A Oe A ONE Nf

area’ s. potential ‘for geothermal energy.

particularly true. for alle
~ dam, so environmental impact is

ov that. ‘could be: built as early. a
company or. .
a small h hydro tacitly in shelr own) |
“disadvantage” of being a diffuse =

“large wind turbines to equal the
“power. production: of one large |

os hydroelectric: plant, Moreover, energy is not partsof.the: energy om: More F fe
‘the. wind: comes and“ goes. So- aseenario. in. B.C, Whether we will) i ore sone ap.
there, would’ still have: to -be “ever: use: this power source a aie ication ible fo or ‘grant:

conventional: ‘energy. sources to a

powered. plants to provide their.

“# Specially: designed plas ‘doors a
can be used to cnt down on”
heat lossy but only if the
fireplace is. adequately. supplied

Jot, com:

omade af, plywood and ine
sulation can be used to fillthe —

If you havea fireplace that you

Mie loss, One. simple ‘and. inexeo

Half costs
paid when
you convert

from oil heat —

Over © 18, 000 B. C. “foie and. -
apartment owners have converted
from oil heat with the help of the
Canada. Oil» Substitution
Program (COSP) by the end of -
‘its first. year of operations in gone Re
of this year. — 4 oe

: Part: of the National ‘Berky oe
Program, COSP provides taxable
grants of up to. $800 to cover half
=the cost of converting. oil- fired
“space heating and. water heating
systems ‘to other fuels. Ee

ae ‘Apartment » ‘pulidings -are 0.
~ eligible: for. grants of: up to $5500, 7
ra depending | ‘on the. number: of. =
- suites in the building: . oe pies
“AY number of, guidelines apply ie
to the program: a0 on

convert to electricity. if natural as
gas is available at the property. sok
‘line and at no cost. They. can,
-however, “convert to a heat.
fs 1p; or sp propane gas, wood

near: Pemberton,

small.
sometimes ‘be.

“hydro. “facilities: can
built without”

‘conducted a one-year test of a 50:
kilowatt vertical axis windmill at ‘
Ch

‘minimal. aby A OF Hydro. is studying
“a possible project. ‘at Bella Coola

eet to. ‘determine if “this:
“type of: windmill: can be used. to.
replace costly ‘diesel- fucled:,

: gener ators: in, communities along ae you i oe ae
‘the northern ‘B.C...coast: sand. Ae

; Charl tie | bearer “ties left: inthe gas: ines This will
Nuclear Me ee SANS sehen! Bes save considerable expense later if

"ny gave ee lac “ you ever replace: your, old: wate:
y governmen es icy, nuclear. ‘ heater with: a'gas. heater,

1985, A number. of other. sites are.

also under investigation
Wind |
Like solar energy, “wind nag the:

-source: It. would:take hundreds of ©

some: future ime. will depend”
~ “largely ¢ on n the opinion of B, Cc $:

sack wp the windmills.

ertheless, in: remote: are
rong. winds, it may: be
feasible to build wind turbines to.
sounple nent the energy.supply for
~ communities currently: depende Mt
on diesel- generated elect icity,

Mall, $021 Kingsway,
B.C. VSH 28:

e When: no fire is: burning, anes:

irominecneetigrons etna {ni ceerereymmtemeninetstlen aimee manger emacbit ery NTA A

eh can be used to cut down an eat 10

Se eapeeipicil