Managing Social Friction in Wind or Solar Energy Projects
•
1 like•518 views
Wind and solar energy have brought electricity generation home to the neighbourhood, and big surprise, not all the neighbours are happy about it. Change can be hard, and respecting the neighbours is important. This presentation explores the causes of social friction and how to manage it without sacrificing your project.
Recommended
More Related Content
What's hot
What's hot (9)
Similar to Managing Social Friction in Wind or Solar Energy Projects
Similar to Managing Social Friction in Wind or Solar Energy Projects (20)
More from Derek Satnik
More from Derek Satnik (13)
Recently uploaded
Recently uploaded (20)
Managing Social Friction in Wind or Solar Energy Projects
- 1. © Mindscape Innovations Group Inc. Managing Social Friction: Lessons Learned from Ontario’s Green Act QUEST, Winnipeg, 2012-11-20 Derek Satnik, P.Eng., LEED® AP Mindscape Innovations Group Inc. www.mi-group.ca
- 2. Picture from http://www.bcenergyblog.com/tags/ontario-wind- farms/ Agenda A “101” style walk-through of real-life project experiences: •Context & Planning •Challenges to Expect •Pitfalls to Avoid •Where to Find Help •Lessons Learned
- 3. Photo by K. Stevens, 2008 – Ulsan © Mindscape Innovations Group Inc. Derek Satnik, P.Eng., LEED® AP Managing Partner & Chief Innovation Officer • Electrical Engineer, renewable energy / LEED® specialist: Consulting with Stantec / Enermodal since ’99 (various capacities on facility design teams), Managing Partner at Mindscape since Oct. 2006 • Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC): LEED for Homes, Real Estate, Neighbourhood Development, and Mid-Rise (sub-)Committees • Canadian Residential Energy Services Network, Founder & Advisor • Net-Zero Energy Housing Coalition, Technical Advisor • Built Green Canada, Technical Standards Committee Chair • Natural Resources Canada’s “Solar Ready” program, Advisor • Ontario Sustainable Energy Association, Past Vice-Chair • Ontario Clean Air Alliance, Board of Advisors • Green Energy Act Alliance, Management Committee • Community Renewable Energy Waterloo, Past-President • Conestoga College Program Advisory Committee helping create a renewable energy trades program • Local Initiative for Future Energy Co-operative Inc., Founder • Sustainable Waterloo (regional carbon market), Advisory Board
- 4. © Mindscape Innovations Conservation Roadmap & ROI Chart From book Smart Power: An Urban Guide to Renewable Energy and Efficiency, © William H. Kemp
- 5. Energy Efficiency 101 Step 1: Learn what you’re using (metering, watch bills) Step 2: Identify opportunities to use less Step 3: Identify applicable incentive programs Step 4: Consider hiring an energy audit professional Step 5: Retrofit – Start with the low-hanging fruit Step 6: Use min 50% of the savings to finance further efforts (build an increasing project budget year after year) Repeat! Slide © Mindscape Innovations Group Inc. Walmart, McKinney, Texas, with white roof, wind & solar: http://www.elperfecto.com/wp-content/uploads/Bing_Maps_Wind_Turbine_Wal-Mart_McKinneyTX.jpg
- 6. Photo by K. Stevens, 2008 – Lions Head Implementation of Renewable Energy Systems Step 1: Scoping – determine technology options Step 2: Feasibility assessment(s) Step 3: Research permitting requirements Step 4: Research grants and incentives Step 5: Hire RE consultant or turn-key OEM/distributor • Mindscape provides renewable energy resource assessments to determine which forms of renewable energy will best fit your needs and location • Mindscape also has partners involved with many different renewable energy technologies (check OSEA members list and www.OntarioGreenSpec.ca) © Mindscape Innovations Group Inc.
- 7. © Mindscape Innovations Group Inc. Profitability Comparison for RE Technologies Payback (yrs) RelativeCost ($/unit) 0 25 15 Solar DHW PV BIPV PV w/ trackers or conc.Solar walls PV thermal hybrid Wind >1MW Wind <30kW Conservation Geo Bio Hydro
- 8. Photo by K. Stevens, 2008 – Prescott-Russel Challenges / Pitfalls • Transmission/Distribution Constraints • Utilities adapting differently and with varying levels of supportiveness • Finances – Industries maturing: costs improving – Incentive programs maturing • Clear contract documents • Social friction & misinformation • CSA equipment certifications • ESA final site approval © Mindscape Innovations Group Inc.
- 9. Managing Social Friction Social friction is emotional: fear, uncertainty & doubt • Be proactive: understand the likely issues – Media, recent/current events, relevant science & myths • Respect the people regardless of their concerns • Have a process – Share your plan – Listen to concerns • Choose your battles – “Walk softly, and carry a big stick” – Be well informed, and boldly challenge mistruths – Don’t make mountains out of mole-hills © Mindscape Innovations
- 10. Social Friction: Myths & Misunderstandings About Wind Energy Myths • Infrasound • Bird / bat kill - more likely to die from a cat, car, or building • Ground vibrations …A long list of unfounded and unprovable silliness Misunderstandings • Land use - farm up to tower base • Audible noise - quieter than the wind • Intermittent (“blows when it wants to”) - geographic diversity - supply mix planning - pair with PV / hydro / biogas Picture from www.canhydro.com Slide © Mindscape Innovations Group Inc.
- 11. Picture from www.canhydro.com Slide © Mindscape Innovations Group Inc. The Truth about “Aesthetics” & Wind Turbines… • NIMBY (“not in my backyard”) – General reaction from everybody that has to watch you make money off their wind • POOL (“please on our land”) – General reaction from everybody that gets invited to co-invest and own part of the wind project • “Your own pigs don’t stink…” • Share the equity (even just 1%!)
- 12. Know who you’re talking with Respect for them, and for you • 70+% are Honest Jane & Confused Kathy: have concerns, maybe heard rumours, need information and to be heard and respected • NIMBY (Not in my backyard) – often resolvable • BANANA (Built absolutely nothing anywhere near anyone) – unrealistically selfish • NOPE (Not on Planet Earth) – willfully ignorant Know when to disagree and let go © Mindscape Innovations Group Inc.
- 13. Selling the Benefits of (Distributed) Renewable Energy • Recognize the audience • Local revenue & jobs: keep the farm • Helps stabilize cost of electricity • Distributed electricity generation increases grid stability, reduces transmission losses, and dismantles electricity monopolies – energy independence • Electricity without emissions • Tourism • Remember: he who complains the loudest is always a statistical minority. Get others heard. Picture from www.canhydro.com Slide © Mindscape Innovations Group Inc.
- 14. Where to Get Help • Ontario: – REFO (advice): www.energy.gov.on.ca/en/renewable-energy-facilitation-office – OSEA (advice, resources): www.ontario-sea.org • CanREA: www.canrea.ca • Tax Incentives (class 43.2 depreciation) • Consultants (Mindscape or other) www.mi-group.ca Picture from http://www.julietschor.org/2010/05/welcome-to-plenitude/ Slide © Mindscape Innovations Group Inc.
- 15. Photo from http://www.socalofficerealestateblog.com/wp-content/newuploads/2009/06/saddleback-church-solar-electric-panels-1-large.jpg Enablers & Incentives That Make $ense Utility based: • Design assistance grants (conservation) • Energy audit & retrofit rebates • Net-metering • Feed-In Tariff (FIT) Municipality based: • Expedited approvals • Density bonuses • Partial/temporary property tax waivers • DC credits / cash rebates Other: Capital Cost Allowances (tax based) © Mindscape Innovations Group Inc.
- 16. Photo from http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2009/04/img/solar_church_onpage.jpg © Mindscape Innovations Group Inc. Lessons Learned • Plan Early • Spend 1% on feasibility • Use available support • Ask lots of questions (early and often, especially of approval agencies), and push for real answers • Talk to the neighbours and be willing to share • Expect delays • Have clear roles & bid documents • Don’t neglect CSA / ESA • Sometimes net metering is better than FIT
- 17. Picture from http://www.winnipeg.ca/ppd/pdf_files/Nhbd_guide.pdf Slide © Mindscape Innovations Group Inc. Transferrable Lessons Typically true for any public process: •Plan Early •Budget for feasibility •Use available support •Ask lots of questions (early and often, especially of approval agencies), and push for real answers •Invest in stakeholdering •Expect delays •Have clear boundaries and scope limitations •Don’t neglect external approvals (eg: CSA, LDCs, Conservation Authorities, etc)
- 18. Photo by K. Stevens, 2009 - Toronto © Mindscape Innovations Group Inc. Key Points • Conservation before generation • Green power is popular & feasible • Social friction is everybody’s responsibility • Social friction is emotional: fear, uncertainty & doubt • “The truth shall set you free” • Seek every opportunity to turn enemies into allies • Have competent help • Plan ahead
- 19. © Mindscape Innovations Group Inc. Mindscape Innovations Group • In this new library of ideas, we’re the librarians. • Turn-key full lifecycle solutions for environmentally and technologically enhanced homes, businesses, and communities. • 14 awards since ‘07, municipal through international • Core enabling services to both the green building sector and the renewable energy sector: policy and incentive program development, Community Energy Plans / Sustainability Plans, feasibility studies, renewable energy system solutions, processing grants and incentives, permits and approvals, managing public stakeholdering and social friction, and much more...
- 20. © Mindscape Innovations Group Inc. info@mi-group.ca 877-394-6589 www.mi-group.ca Thank you.
Editor's Notes
- Ontario is a problematic province, with a diversity of strengths and weaknesses, a huge provincial budget, a multimodal economy, and a voracious appetite for energy. The provincial energy system is one of the largest items on the Provincial budget, and is a growing concern. Ontario's Green Energy Act has begun the process of decentralizing Ontario's energy system, opening up opportunities for local communities and local individuals to generate energy for themselves. What Ontario's government and ENGO sector did not expect was the degree of opposition and localized social friction that locally owned renewable energy projects would face. That opposition has had mixed competence, but has become increasingly well organized, and has been very damaging to Ontario's nacent green energy economy. Comparable and contrasting experiences will be assessed from other parts of Canada as well, from Alberta's wind farms to Nova Scotia and PEI. This paper will focus on transformation of Canada's energy markets, and on what Ontario's experience with the Green Energy Act can teach us all about social and market forces that are actively and passively opposing the transition to ICES'. Comments/recommendations will be made on effective vs. ineffective policy change, strategies and methods for increasing market acceptance and engagement, and risks that need to be managed (and how).
- Picture from http://www.bcenergyblog.com/tags/ontario-wind-farms/
- Listed in order of Mindscape’s expertise, and loosely of CREW’s preference: we know wind the best, and biomass/biogas the least. Wind has the greatest impact per dollar spent
- First things first: planning municipal energy should preface conservation over generation. Moral of the story: grab the low hanging fruit first. Less invasive = less resistance.
- Image: Wind turbines and solar panels outside Wal-Mart in McKinney, Texas Whether retrofitting buildings or street lighting, the same principles apply: Use Less: Know your turn-down ratio (50-70% is not uncommon from what we’ve been told by our colleagues) Consider controls to improve turn-down: lighting controls, PLC/BAS controls, etc. Turn-off stuff not in use (eg: motion sensors in bathrooms) Turn-off stuff that’s not required (eg: daylight sensors, moisture sensors on irrigation) Eg: don’t spend electricity on lighting when the sun is doing fine Eg: don’t spend water and electricity irrigating when it’s raining Eg: economizers for fresh air Recover the energy you’ve already used: ERV’s, DWHR, steam flue heat exchangers, etc. Incentives: (see later slides)
- Step 1: Scoping – determine technology options Step 2: Feasibility assessment(s) Step 3: Research permitting requirements Step 4: Research grants and incentives Step 5: Hire RE consultant or turn-key OEM/distributor Mindscape provides renewable energy resource assessments to determine which forms of renewable energy will best fit your needs and location Mindscape also has partners involved with many different renewable energy technologies
- Conserve! Then think about generating: Best financial returns are on the commercial scale: if you’re looking to invest, put your money in a wind coop. Biomass has some attractive opportunities, but … CREW focuses on mature technology that’s ready for mass market
- Social friction is emotional: fear, uncertainty & doubt
- Social friction is emotional: fear, uncertainty & doubt
- Bottom line: There are some legitimate drawbacks to wind energy, but they’re extremely minor compared to the alternatives, or even compared to the risks we take when we get into the car and drive to work every morning. Note: wind is not unreliable – it’s intermittent. Important difference. Turbines are the most reliable generators around – far more so than nuclear. “ unfounded and unprovable silliness”: Ask for recent reports based on recent data – note that the industry has advanced significantly over the last few decades, and every year counts. All of reports against wind that actually have valid concerns are very obsolete. 20 yrs. of reports in Europe, Canada (yes local), and around the globe that deal with all the concerns raised thus far. “ There is nothing new under the sun”, especially with wind energy antagonists. Bird kill stats from CanWEA (per 10,000 avian fatalities): <1 from wind turbines 50 from communication towers 710 from pesticides 850 from vehicles 1060 from cats 1370 from high tension lines 5820 from collisions with buildings / windows
- POOL eg: coastal farm community in Germany whose gross revenue increased >40x after turbines arrived. They call the off-shore turbines beautiful. NIMBY eg: certain rural farmers in Ontario that got bad land deals from large out-of-province developers.
- Social friction is emotional: fear, uncertainty & doubt
- Diversity in corporate revenue: eg John Deer Other benefits: -Land lease revenue for rural land owners (eg: wind) -farmer claims: energy is most reliable crop (over any agricultural crop) Rural economic development (new jobs for design, construction, maintenance, …)
- Note: Net-metering and FIT are NOT INCENTIVES : they are honest accounting. True cost paid on delivery, no other help (eg: no construction or tax related subsidies, just a stable contract with fair and fully exposed terms, quite unlike traditional energy).
- Boundaries, Scope limitation, & Public Engagement Know what you’re actually asking vs. sharing Know that ppl can tell if your asking is genuine vs. selling
- Image from http://www.caribbeanelections.com/education/images/library_books_5516.jpg Prefer personal power instead of community owned (eg: coop)? Contact Mindscape. Keep brief: <1 min. Mindscape Innovations, the 2008 Gowlings "New Business of the Year", which provides core enabling services to both the green building sector and the renewable energy sector: from feasibility studies to renewable energy system solutions to processing grants and incentives to certifying ENERGY STAR or LEED buildings.