CMPX Success!

Last week the Ontario Geothermal Association attended/exhibited at the CMPX show. We had a great show, thank-you to all members who stopped by the booth to chat! It was great to see so many familiar faces in person again. One theme that seemed clear to us - Heat Pumps stole show! Manufacturers are expanding product lines and showcasing their heat pump technologies.

Over the last few weeks, there were lots of success stories related to renewables and geoexchange from right here in Ontario and Canada, to around the globe. Below are a few of the stories we followed that you may be interested in!

You can learn more about how the Ontario Geothermal Industry is helping Ontario communities reduce their reliance on fossil energy at The Ontario Geothermal Association 2022 Conference. Find link below to conference website for more details!

OGA Closing the Loop Conference 2022 - April 26th, Mississauaga, ON.

Learn more about how the Ontario Geothermal Industry can help communities reduce their reliance on fossil energy at The Ontario Geothermal Association 2022 Conference. Find the link below to the conference website.

Drilling Begins at Minto Communities' Oakvillage Development

Developing buildings that rely as little as possible on fossil fuels is the next big goal of the development industry. Recently, Minto communities GTA and Creative Energy broke ground on one of the GTA’s first geoexchange community energy systems for the North Oak Towers located at Dundas Street East and Trafalgar Road in Oakville. The teams got together to commence the drilling process of 800 foot deep vertical closed-loop boreholes at the site of the project. 

Full Story Here

How to nail down the green renovation revolution

Canada’s building emissions are at an all-time high. So how do we close the ‘say–do’ gap? Carbon emissions from buildings in Canada hit an all-time high in 2019, the most recent year for which data is available. Instead of declining, emissions from Canada’s building sector rose by 1.1 million tonnes that year

Read the Full Story by Corporate Knights.

Demand for heat pumps is higher than you might think

Heat pumps are no longer a novel technology, and - despite what the fossil fuel industry may try to tell you - there is a growing demand for them. They are being showcased on television, talked about on the radio, and debated online by mainstream press outlets.

Read the Full Story

BLAST FROM THE PAST

We are coming up to the 6 year anniversary of the OGA participation as an intervener in OEB 2016-004 Generic Proceeding on Natural Gas Expansion in communities not served. If you are interested in reviewing the file documents, you can find the complete document set here.

This was a pivotal proceeding that exposed some interesting information about how methane gas expansion is financed in Ontario, and exactly how much it costs the public. As you'll find in transcript Volume 1, cost per meter (to the wall of the house) is $25,625 per customer. This does not include the cost of the equipment inside the house (furnace/ac etc.). You'll find the official transcript here. If you look to page 204 of the document, you'll see this information. I encourage everyone to review the complete question set put forth by OGA lawyer Jay Shepherd, an interesting exchange. 

When selling geothermal systems whether into retrofit of single family homes, new construction, high-rise, we are always balancing economics. Geoexchange technology provides zero-emission heating, cooling and hot water, with nearly 70% of the energy derived right on site. Unfortunately, there still exists a disconnect in many ways between who benefits from the technology and who pays. In recent years innovative financing and EAAS models have emerged that are breaking these boundaries and pushing the industry forward. However, there is more work to be done.

We continue efforts to"level the playing field" and challenge any misinformation that exists or is presented in the public domain. Ground Source Heat Pumps are a key solution to ensuring a cost effective transition to zero-carbon electrified HVAC & DHW systems in our homes and buildings, as was detailed in the Dunsky study (2020). If you're new to our channels and you'd like to learn more about this - please join us at the OGA 2022 conference on April 26th.

OGA Chair,
Jeff Hunter

UPCOMING EVENTS

SAVE THE DATE: OGA Annual Conference
April 26th 7:30am - 4:30pm

Checkout the Conference website for full details! Sponsorship/Exhibitor Opportunities Available!

Want to share a story of a recent GeoExchange project? We'd love to feature your project on our social sites! Get in touch at office@ontariogeothermal.ca