Power from the Sun: The ups and downs of installing solar in Lethbridge (Part 2 Q&A)

Light from the sun travels approximately 150,000,000 km to reach the earth in 8 minutes and 19 seconds. The energy of this sunlight supports almost all life on Earth by photosynthesis and drives Earth's climate and weather. Through photovoltaic arrays, this energy can also be easily converted into electricity. Slowly but surely, the world is adopting so called “green energy” as a move towards reducing use of fossil fuels and mitigating detrimental effects of greenhouse gases. Lethbridge lies well within the sun belt of Canada with approximately 2,500 hours of bright sunlight annually in comparison with for instance, Vancouver’s1,900. However, Lethbridge lags behind the rest of the province and even Canada in the installation of photovoltaic arrays. Why is this? The speaker will outline his and others experiences in installing photovoltaic arrays in Lethbridge. How does one go about getting it done? What are the systems available and what are their differences? What are the obstacles, costs, benefits and rewards? Speaker: Mark Goettel Ph.D. Mark is the Editor-in-Chief, Biocontrol Science & Technology and a presenter for Scientists in School, Southern Alberta Region. He is also a Jinshan Scholar, Visiting Professor at the Institute of Applied Ecology and Research, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China. He was employed at the Lethbridge Research Centre for 21 years as an Insect Pathologist studying insect pathogens and their role in managing pest insect populations. He is an avid world traveler, gardener, naturalist and “mister fix it.” Mark earned his B.Sc. in Biology (Honors) at Concordia University 1975, his M.Sc. in Insect Eco-physiology at the University of Ottawa 1977 and his Ph.D. in Entomology at the University of Alberta 1987. He conducted post-doctoral research at Cornell University in 1987 & 1988 and spent a year on work study leave in France at the Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique. Moderator: Duane Pendergast Date: Thursday, April 24, 2014 Time: Noon - 1:30 PM Location: Country Kitchen Catering (Lower level of The Keg) 1715 Mayor Magrath Dr S Cost: $11.00 (includes lunch)