Green Energy Futures

Cameron Doepker was inspired right after graduating in industrial engineering to design a better mousetrap - ok, it wasn't a mouse trap, but he did design a combined furnace and hot water heater that is 95% efficient. That's pretty cool, but now he's looking to the future of the hydrogen economy. Green Energy Futures CKUA Podcast www.greenenergyfutures.ca

When NAIT's Alternative Energy program started 10 years ago they were teaching some pretty cutting edge stuff and their grads struggled to find jobs. Today grads are leading the renewable energy revolution. We sit down for a chat with Dr. Jim Sandercock, program chair about the success of the program and of its grads who are busy changing the world.

This week on Green Energy Futures CKUA Radio Podcast we track down Mike Fell the social science researcher from the UK who is trying to make Heat Pumps a wee bit more sexy as a climate change solution. Spoiler alert, this involves George Clooney and a pretty CHIC website.

You often hear oil and gas pitted against renewable energy as if they are in an all-out war for supremacy. But Alberta, Canada's oil province is also blessed with the best renewable and clean energy resources in the country and the energy expertise to build the net-zero economy of the future. We have done so many Green Energy Futures stories about inspired Albertans building the sustainable econom...

There has been $3.7 billion in investment and 4,500 jobs created by municipalities and companies alike procuring 100% renewable energy from private developers in Alberta: companies like Amazon, RBC, Telus, Bimbo and more. We talk to Nagwan Al-Guneid, director of the BRC. Green Energy Futures CKUA Radio Podcast www.greenenergyfutures.ca

A recent survey says Canadians care deeply about climate change, but fewer than one in five Canadians are investing in energy efficiency and smart home devices.  We talk to David O'Reilly at Schneider Electric Canada about the potential of smart home technologies to save energy, save money, and take a dent out of the 13% of greenhouse gas emissions that come from our homes.

Climate Resilient Design takes on a whole new meaning at Zibi, Ottawa's Carbon Neutral Community. Sure the buildings get electricity from run-of-river, and heat from district energy, but what will living in this new kind of community be like? We talk to Sean Lawrence of Kohn Partnership Architects about climate-resilient design and new ideas for living sustainably in the middle of the Ottawa River...

A river runs through Ottawa's ambitious carbon-neutral community called Zibi. Powered by run-of-river, heated by waste heat, and built energy efficiently, Zibi just might be a model of new climate-resilient, urban design. We talk to Ashley Graham of Zibi and Sean Lawrence of Kphn Partner Architects about this fascinating initiative. Green Energy Futures CKUA Radio Podcast

James Regulinski likes the idea of Environmental Social Governance (ESG) investing, but he wasn't convinced it was helping solve the climate crisis fast enough. So he and his partners started Carbon Collective to advise investors based on the impact of companies fighting climate change. Green Energy Futures CKUA Radio Podcast Episode 314 www.greenenergyfutures.ca

This Canadian EV calculator takes real-time grid data and lets you compare emissions from EVs vs gas vehicles - spoiler alert – EVs produce a lot fewer emissions even in provinces with dirty grids. The calculator also allows you to compare fuel costs of electric versus gas vehicles and these results may surprise you! Green Energy Futures CKUA Radio Podcast Learn more in our blog: https://www.green...

Canada has a new Emissions Reduction Plan that seeks to reduce emissions by 40% by 2030. Binnu Jeyakumar of the Pembina Institute says "This is a turning point for climate action in Canada. It's the first time we have a detailed plan on how we get 40% emissions reductions...by 2030. We zero in on new measures to decarbonize Canada's electricity grid including the introduction of a Clean Electricit...

Geoships just might be a creative answer to the climate and housing crises. Made out of ceramic, infused with locally available materials (such as hemp) the affordable designs are modular, resilient to climate disasters, and affordable. We talk to Jean-Marc La Flamme from Geoship about this rethinking of the fabled geodesic dome.

Kanaka Bar Chief Patrick Michell's home burned along with nearly the entire town of Lytton B.C. Canada in a climate-change-induced wildfire in June 2021. Kanaka Bar is now working with SAIT polytechnic from Calgary to find climate-resilient solutions to build back right. They're determined to build homes that are net-zero, climate-resilient, and affordable. Green Energy Futures CKUA Radio Podcast...

In June 2021 Lytton, British Columbia burned to the ground in the middle of a Canadian record-setting heat dome event. As the world looked on in horror, Melanie Ross and her team at SAIT Green Building Technology program decided to offer to help. Now they are working with the Kanaka Bar Indian Band to find the lowest emissions, most fire and climate impacts resistant model for rebuilding homes in...

Five years ago the Sundance Housing Coop in Edmonton, Alberta made the audacious decision to deep energy retrofit all 59 homes in the complex to net-zero. We talk to Sandy Susut about why and how they pulled off this amazing project. Green Energy Futures CKUA Radio Podcast Learn more: https://www.greenenergyfutures.ca/episode/energiesprong-retrofitting-59-homes-to-net-zero-in-canadas-north

Buildings are responsible for 30-40% of greenhouse gas emissions. Edmonton builder Peter Amerongen is tackling this head-on by piloting the Dutch idea called EnergieSprong. New walls and roofs are built in a factory and craned onto old energy inefficient homes transforming them all the way to net-zero. It's the largest project of its kind in North America as 59 homes are being transformed to net-z...

Electric Autonomy Canada set out to design the ultimate Electric Fuelling Station of the Future in an international design competition. The winning designs will knock your socks off. James Silvester of Edinburgh, Scotland wins Electric Autonomy Canada's award for the top Electric Fuelling Station of the Future in a Canadian design competition. #EV #ElectricVehicle That's this week on the Green Ene...

What are the most important barriers to electric vehicle adoption? What do EV drivers really need at an EV charging station? In search of the ultimate EV charging station, ElectricAutonomy Canada surveyed EV drivers - We talk to Ilana Weitzman this week on Green Energy Futures CKUA Radio Podcast. Learn more at www.greenenergyfutures.ca

Coal-fired electricity is going, going, gone as of 2023. University of Calgary economist Blake Shaffer calls this the biggest greenhouse gas reduction in Alberta history. Now the challenge is to take the Alberta electricity grid to net-zero. Shaffer tells us it's hard, but there are several ways it can be done. Green Energy Futures CKUA Radio Podcast Learn more in our Green Energy Futures Blog: ht...

Nations, companies, and home builders - everybody was talking about getting to net-zero emissions in 2021. We share three of our favourite stories from 2021 from the long and winding journey to net-zero emissions. We look at a very inspiring net-zero passive house, the world's most efficient windows, and a very innovative EV charger that is also a solar inverter and AI-powered energy management de...

2021 will go down as the year solar boomed in Alberta. Just as the largest solar project in Canada came online in April in Claresholm, Alberta a project 3.5 times larger was already under construction. There are dozens of projects underway and even Alberta's oil industry is building solar farms in the energy-rich province. See our blog: www.greenenergyfutures.ca

ENEON was born in a partnership between an oil and gas supply firm and a battery company. In a few short years, they have grown significantly and are building Battery Energy Storage Systems for grid and microgrid markets in Canada and the U.S. See our blog and part I in this series: https://www.greenenergyfutures.ca/episode/rigs-to-renewables-oil-and-gas-guy-energy-storage

Jason Beacock went straight out of school to work on the rigs, drawn by the allure of high salaries. He loved the work but he always had a passion for renewable energy. Then the company he worked for pivoted to battery energy storage. Today ENEON, an Alberta-based company is installing battery systems all over Canada and the U.S. to help grids of all sizes optimize their use of renewable energy. G...

Sure solar energy and wind power are already cheap and booming in Canada today, but for Canada to reach its net-zero goal we need to scale up our efforts 10-fold says Robert Hornung of the Canadian Renewable Energy Association of Canada. And to do that our grids and the policies that govern them need to get a whole lot smarter. This is part 2 in our series on Powering Canada's Journey to Net-Zero...

FULL INTERVIEW - Net-Zero Grid Part I – Solar and wind my be booming already, but the pace needs to ramp up ten-fold if Canada wants to transform its electricity grid to net-zero. We talk to Robert Hornung of the Canadian Renewable Energy Association about "Powering Canada's Journey to Net-Zero" a new report. Green Energy Futures CKUA Radio Podcast