Federal Support Helps Evaluate New Canadian Technology
Released on Apr 03 2008
SolarWall News >> Media

Source: SOLutions Magazine (Winter 2008)

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Article Text:

The [Canadian] federal government has kick-started four projects demonstrating new photovoltaicthermal technology (PVT) by covering half of the projected $2 million cost.

"These hybrid demonstration projects will turn the exteriors and roofs of homes and businesses into clean-energy systems," Natural Resources Minister Gary Lunn said in an announcement.

An interdepartmental investment program called TEAM has committed $900,000 to the projects, to be built in Ontario and Quebec. The funding will be used to demonstrate PVT systems on four buildings including system design and controls, installation, monitoring and analysis. NRCan's CANMET Energy Technology Centre in Varennes, Quebec and the Solar Buildings Research Network (SBRN), with researchers from academia, government and industry jointly leading the project.

"We're looking at the building facade as an energy producer," sayslosef Ayoub, senior planning advisor with the CANMET group in Varennes. "There is a role for this. There is definitely a market for it, but somebody has to invest money to demonstrate and to monitor and to further evaluate and to see how it can be improved and where it can go." The technology is based on the integration of Toronto-based Conserval Engineering's Solarwall, which is a solar thermal air-heating panel, and PV modules from Vancouver's Day4Energy. Ayoub expects the installation of all four systems will be complete this summer. Monitoring will span between one and two years.

Last changed:Aug 07 2008