Solar Sunday – Earth Hour

Earth Hour in Canada – BC not pulling its weight!?

VANCOUVER — Despite British Columbians vocal protests to SAVE THE ENVIRONMENT!! — BC residents increased their power use during Earth Hour for the first time in a decade!

B.C. Hydro says electricity use across the province rose by 0.2 per cent from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. Saturday night, compared with the same hour the week before

Earth Hour, an event in which people around the world volunteer to turn off their lights and non-essential power, began in Sydney, Australia in 2007.

Philippe Devos, head of communications for World Wildlife Fund Canada, said it’s a symbolic event aimed at spurring people to think about conservation and climate change.

We are powering down at 8:30 p.m. EDT to do our part in on the largest grassroots movement for the environment. Are you joining us? #EarthHour 🌎⚫ pic.twitter.com/tnRWC1018r

— Canada (@Canada) March 24, 2018

Is Earth hour dimming in popularity in B.C.?

BC Hydro argues that participation is declining, according to its numbers.

“From a climate change perspective, Earth Hour seems to lack the gravity in B.C. that it carries in many other places around the world served by fossil fuel-generated electricity,” said BC Hydro in a new study called Lights Out: Why Earth Hour is dimming in B.C.

Ironically… Green technology may be the true cause of the “lack-of-participation”…

For example, over the event’s 11-year history, many homes have moved toward using energy efficient light bulbs, which don’t use as much electricity. So turning off those kind of bulbs doesn’t save as much electricity as old, traditional light bulbs. — I can kind-of see that may be a valid point… but it doesn’t account for an INCREASE!

Ontario, You’re not off the hook either!

Several Toronto landmarks went dark tonight for Earth Hour, but Toronto Hydro says overall enthusiasm for the event has waned so much in recent years that they won’t supply numbers for energy use declines for this year’s event.

Yikes!

In Other Solar News

Many small scale solar panels for homes have people installing them for themselves all over Canada. — all they are missing was a successful way to store the power.

Generating power is not the issue when it comes to many renewable energy sources, but storing it is. That’s why a Saskatchewan resident recently had a Tesla Powerwall installed in his home. Courtesy of CBC below, check out the story!

1st Tesla Powerwall, which lets you store solar energy, installed in Sask. home https://t.co/4umPjlijxY #yqr #sask #solarpower

— CBC Saskatchewan (@CBCSask) March 23, 2018

That’s your Solar Sunday,

Cheers.

Kelly Hall