A local program that teaches students how to incorporate renewable energy into the home is the subject of a paper to be published at a solar energy conference at Queen’s University in Kingston later this month.
William Perrault, a post-secondary education program co-ordinator at Seven Generations Education Institute here, will present his paper at the 28th-annual Conference of the Solar Energy Society of Canada Inc. (SESCI).
Perrault, from Couchiching First Nation, said Seven Generations Education Institute has been developing classes on solar and wind energy for several years.
The two classes recently have been combined with a course on energy-efficient building design, and another on the Ojibway language, to form the current program, called the Renewable Energy Certificate Program.
The certificate program was designed with the help of Tammy Thibault, a curriculum writer at the institute, and Lambton College in Sarnia, Ont.
Perrault first learned about the SESCI conference from a senior energy advisor at Natural Resources Canada.
SESCI had put out a call for abstracts from people interested in speaking at their conference. All accepted submissions would be published.
Perrault quickly wrote up an abstract describing the program and titled it “Bridging the Cultural/Language Gap Between Renewable Energy Technology and First Nation Communities.”
He never expected to have his submission accepted.
“It’s like winning the lottery. You buy a ticket, but you never expect to win,” he remarked.
Perrault then spent several weeks writing the paper, which he will present at the conference, along with 60 other presenters at Queen’s on Aug. 18-20.
Perrault, who has worked at Seven Generations Education Institute for seven years, has a B.A. and a B.Ed.—and credits both to the institute that hired him.
“When I first got here, all I had was a two-year diploma,” he said, adding he gradually earned the two Bachelor degrees from Lakehead University in Thunder Bay while working at the institute.
“Through the support of many in this organization, they allowed me to further my education and be where I am today,” he enthused.
The institute also helped him put together the paper describing the new program. This will be Perrault’s first published paper.
“If it wasn’t for their support, this never would have happened. I wouldn’t have been able to do it,” he stressed.
The first run of the new program will wrap up tomorrow.
“We’re running it once and working the bugs out,” Perrault explained. “As we go through the material, the instructors [Frank Ilczyszyn and Jane Oldale] will see problems, or suggest we move sections.
“We make adjustments as we go to make the program even better.”
Another important component of the program is the use of traditional aboriginal knowledge in each course.
“We always try to incorporate traditional knowledge—the ways our forefathers used to do things—into the curriculum, to give a connectedness to the people we’re trying to offer it to,” Perrault said.
He cited the use of radiant floor heating in modern homes, once used in traditional wigwams. “First Nations people have been using radiant heating for thousands of years,” he noted.
That knowledge—and the design of these ancient wigwams—is included in the course to provide “a clear sense of the links between traditional aboriginal knowledge and modern renewable energy practices,” Perrault wrote in his abstract.
In these courses, knowledge is combined with living reminders of history. Elder Jim Banks has been present in class since the program began in March, offering his input when appropriate.
“We always try to seek guidance from the elders to ensure we stay on track,” Perrault said.
At the end of the 180-hour program, graduates will have the skills to design renewable energy systems for domestic use and train the occupants to service the systems.
“[Graduates] will be able to size a system for a home and make recommendations to the homeowner for retrofits to make the home more energy efficient,” he noted.
“They’ll be able to do energy audits on the home and find power draws and save money. And they can give homeowners a reality check,” he added.
Many people don’t realize what is required to switch a home to renewable energy. “A lot of homeowners think they can keep their air conditioning and do everything the same way as before,” Perrault said.
While using renewable energy frees you from the worry of paying the hydro bill every month, it requires some sacrifices.
Air conditioning, microwave ovens, hair dryers, and most refrigerators use a great deal of hydro—more than most solar and wind energy collectors can generate.
Perrault said being energy-efficient is not the same thing as using renewable energy. Anyone can be energy-efficient.
“You don’t become energy-efficient through using renewable energy. You become energy-efficient through changing your personal lifestyle,” he stressed.
(Fort Frances Times)
Fort Frances Times
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