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Home My WebLink AboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1981-10-28, Page 43Page 19 Solar energy projects endorsed by governement TORONTO — The Ontario Ministry of Energy will pro- vide $1 million over five years to share the cost of ac- tive solar energy demonstration projects with selected communities in the construction of new municipal non-profit hous- ing, Energy Minister Robert Welch said today. "This is a major step in my Ministry's five-year, $50 - million strategy to en- courage decision makers in both the private and public sectors to adopt and use solar energy technology," Welch said. The major objectives of this program are: To increase the market for solar energy equipment; To reduce future operating costs of new municipal non- profit housing. Grants of up to 90 per cent of the cost of active solar energy projects on new municipal non-profit housing will be administered by the Ministry of Municipal Af- fairs and Housing with funds provided by the Ministry of Energy as part of the joint Housing Energy. Manage- ment Program (HEMP). Each participating municipality will contribute 10 per cent of the cost of the project. Under this program, solar systems would be used for domestic hot water heating applications. "We're confident that non- profit housing projects selected to incorporate these solar heating systems will achieve energy savings," Housing Minister Claude Bennett said. 'Ministry staff will be monitoring the effec- tiveness of the solar packages." This is the second program to be developed under On- tario's solar strategy. It is intended to encourage ap- plications from municipalities not eligible under the previously an- nounced. Commercial - Industrial Program. Further programs are also being developed for other areas. Ontario's $50 -million solar strategy, announced by Welch in October 1980, sets 1995 as the date by which two per cent of the province's energy needs will be provid- ed by solar energy. This is the equivalent of 15 million barrels of oil or enough to heat more than 700,000 homes for a year. Other major objectives of the strategy include: To help improve the cost - Form an energy club at school If you're not a student and want to learn more about energy, why not form an energy club at your school? Not only can you discover ways to save energy, you can teach others as well. And while you may not be paying energy bills now, someday you will. Learning to use energy wisely will in- still habits that will stay with you a lifetime. Don't forget that any energy saved will help make Ontario's future energy •sup- ply a little more secure. Many schools across On- tario already have energy clubs. All you need to start one is a lot of enthusiasm and a wide variety of talents. You'll need artists in your club, public speakers, science enthusiasts, actors, designers and countless other talents. Ask a teacher to represent your club and act as a resource person or advisor. Then you can go to work. Promoting energy con- servation is easy. Urge fellow students to use energy wisely — turn off lights in empty rooms, ride a bike to school instead of begging a . ride. If club members are anx- ious to try more ambitious projects, here are some things you can tackle. Set up a paper recycling depot at your school if your community offers a paper recycling service. Help cut down waste in the school cafeteria. A grade five class at McNaughton Avenue Public School in Chatham analyzed garbage in their cafeteria on five ran- dom days and came up with some frightening statistics 800 lunch bags tossed out in an average week, 250 slices of bread, 75 apples. Find out how your cafeteria rates. Then do something about it. Suggest ways to cut food waste and perhaps use partially eaten sandwiches and fruit in a compost plot at. home. Urge students to recycle lunch bags — they can often be us- ed several times. Do a survey to determine how students use energy and if they can improve their habits. Then, once 'your club has tracked down ways to save energy, ask the principal if you can share them with the rest of the school through regular public address an- nouncements. Invite a speaker with an energy message to come to your school,someone such as a local power utility official or a community resident with a heat pump or solar system. There are almost endless ways your club can promote energy awareness and con- servation, including: + writing and performing a play with an energy theme; + organizing a poster con- test using energy topics: + challenging students to build the -best solar cooker or solar heater; + setting aside a corner of the school library and dedicating it to energy issues; + meeting wit'h school maintenance staff and discussing ways to reduce the energy consumption of the school building. You can even move out- side your school to en- Remodeling your kitchen now could save you money courage better energy use throughout your community. Write letters to the local council or area newspaper suggesting ways to cut energy waste. Encourage l your parents to conserve energy. For more information, write Energyscope, care of the Ministry of Energy, G.M.S. 37, Queen's Park, Toronto M7A 2B7. performance ratio of solar energy systems; To help develop a healthy solar energy industry in On- tario capable of supplying competitive products in both domestic and foreign markets. Ontario is already the site of many Canadian firsts in the solar energy field — in- cluding the first solar -heated public school and the first multi -unit residential building heated with solar energy. 001100 REWARD Like mo.t other thine. in our inflationary eeontml\. hone pro\ einem costs are e\pectcd to increase about 10 percent this \ ear. If \oh'hccn'thinking about reminlelinc. the sooner you he - tin. the. less etpcnsive it 'v1/4 hc. It you're thinking o.t upgrad- ir g eour home to put it on the re- sale market. one of the best 1e;n. to do II is to ImtderliI/C• the kitchen. Real estate experts .aan up- to-date. attractiec and efficient kitchen trcqucntic makes a house easier to sell. Hov,e‘et. these experts Learn against o'et- improt•ing Don'1 veer-in►proee. lire cost 01 imla,t e- mcnt.. Including [lc \\ appli- ances. should not he more than 10 percent of the home's \:IItuc Ill other %%mils. don't spend more than $6.000 on kitchen re- modeling in a ionise that's vt orth Plan the remol leling \\ ell in advance. 11 eou plan to hire a • professional. remember that construction usuall\ slackens during the 1/4.e inter month:. Chat might' he the hest lime to get the doh done and . ou m:n get a het ter price. RUST BAN 'UNDERCOATING Special it 11111111 WORTHY'S ESSO SERVICE CENTRE 79 Vittorio b Nelson St. Goderich" 544-8614 Complet( protection for your car on.r $79.95 The Federal Government's CHIP Program will reward you up to :500.00 for insulating your home! 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