LE3 .A278 2004

2004

Segato, Roberto

Acadia University

Bachelor of Science

Honours

Environmental Science

Earth & Environmental Sciences

The object of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of constructing a renewable energy system for the Morton Centre property. This project was undertaken for two reasons: (1) because of the environmental, economic, political, and social costs of using energy generated from non-renewable sources, and (2) because of the Morton Centre’s long-term goal to function as a sustainable community. The Centre has seen increased use for both research and non-research activities over the past two summers. As a result, infrastructure on the property will need to be renovated and constructed to meet the increasing demand upon it. Under these guidelines, this study was designed to collect baseline data to identify which sources of renewable energy are appropriate for the property and to estimate an approximate capacity for each source identified. This study is not intended to design renewable energy infrastructure, but to provide a scientifically sound framework for future development. This study qualitatively and quantitatively assessed the capacity of solar radiation, microclimate variation, wind, and tides to meet property’s energy needs. It concluded that wind and solar would be the most feasible sources to generate electricity, while solar would be the best way to meet the property’s heating requirements. Microclimate variation was not deemed suitable to meet the needs of the entire property for two reasons: (1) because of the small temperature gradients present, and (2) because no technology currently exists to convert small temperature gradients into usable energy. Likewise, tidal energy was not deemed feasible for two reasons: (1) because of the associated environmental impacts, and (2) because such a system would not have a large enough generating capacity to make its construction economically viable.

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https://scholar.acadiau.ca/islandora/object/theses:417