Trend towards alternative energy.

• Author: Ross, Ian
• Position: Brief Article

Rising utility prices are driving more people to seek energy options

California blackouts, Alberta's energy deregulation woes and wide-spread fears over Ontario's push to an open market are persuading more and more consumers to consider alternative sources of power.

The renewed public interest in solar and wind-generating systems has kept: Laurence McKay of Northern Lights Energy Systems Ltd. on the road for countless hours this spring to service a steadily growing clientele.

"You're lucky you caught me today," says McKay during an interview. Together with his wife Diena, McKay runs a small company from his home near Richards Landing on St. Joseph's Island, about a 45-minute drive east of Sault Ste. Marie.

McKay is a full-service dealer, designer and installer of solar, wind and micro hydro-turbine systems geared mainly to the cottage industry in the Algoma and Sudbury districts. He is also a northern distributor of Kyocera solar modules, Southwest Wind Power generating systems and Trace Engineering inverters.

Solar and wind power systems are popularly used by cottagers in remote locations unable to access the utility grid. But McKay senses a growing sentiment in the last few years amongst homeowners, tourist lodge operators and businesses faced with rising electricity, oil and natural gas bills. They too are seeking energy options.

"I'm getting more and more people that have the opportunity to hook up to the utility, but choose not to," he says. "It's one little bit of freedom that you can actually choose .to do. You can't avoid taxes, but there are a few options to get out from under the control of the utility."

Though he's been fielding a number of calls about his systems, McKay says few people realize how much energy they actually consume in their home.

"Installing a typical home system is equal to the purchase of a new car. Depending on what kind of appliances you run and how often you run them, it will drive the cost up or down.

"Someone who's frugal will be able to run equal to the cost of an economy car. On the other hand, if you constantly run the dish washer and a big-screen TV, you could be talking the price of a sport utility vehicle."

When meeting with clients to design electrical or hot-water heating systems, McKay takes into consideration their lifestyle choices, budget, personal preferences and appliance choices.

But once the system is installed there's only the follow-up cost in scheduled maintenance and battery...