Tidal Current Energy Project at Race Rocks 2006-2011

Background of the Integrated Energy Project for Race Rocks:

Starting in 1997, Lester B. Pearson College had to raise the funds to keep the diesel generators working to supply electricity to the island. The cost of doing this was originally $11,000 per year and within 4 years reached $20,000. The lighthouse light and foghorn had been made energy self- sufficient with 8 solar panels and a battery array installed by the Coast Guard by 1997. By 1998 we were proposing to develop support for alternate energy technologies to make the rest of the island energy-self sufficient and in so doing, create a curriculum resource on alternate energy for science courses at Lester Pearson College and elsewhere.

The Tidal Current Energy Project which was part of the Integrated Energy Transition at Race Rocks operated from 2006 to 2011. It was essentially a big experiment, and was one that showed the difficulties encountered in working with Tidal Energy installations, while providing the leverage to help Race Rocks transition from fossil fuels to environmentally sustainable forms of energy in operation of a remote educational facility.

This archive provides a chronological account of the process we at Lester Pearson College undertook in this endeavour.

 

History and Background Information on the Alternate Energy Project at Race Rocks.

 

 

Along with the Tidal energy part of the project , there was also the Solar energy component. It is profiled here: The Solar Energy Component of the Integrated Energy project

 

 

 

Traditional Energy Generation
By Diesel Oil at Race Rocks .
Environmental Impacts of the Existing Diesel Powered Generator

 

 

Environmental protection of the Ecological Reserve with the Installation of the Tidal current Generator at Race Rocks..2004

 

BC Parks Use Permit for the tidal energy project..2004

 


ENCANA Partners to enable Pearson College- ENCANA – Clean Current Tidal Power Demonstration Project at Race Rocks Feb 25, 2005

 

Preliminary Environmental Screening for building of Battery Storage facility May 2005

 

 

 

BC Parks Preliminary Assessment for Cable entry and crossing of the island May 2005

 

 

 

Underwater testing of structural materials to be used for the turbine

 

 

 

Deployment and retrieval of the ADCP instrument for Current measurement 2005

 

 

 

BC Parks Impact Assessment Process for Piling Location , Nov2 2005

Nov 2 2005

 

 

Video of Invertebrates on the substrate at Tidal Current Energy site March 2006

 

 

 

Dredging the overburden for the tidal energy installation.

 

 

 

Installation of the Anchors for Drilling for the Tidal Current Energy Project

 

 

Drilling for the Piling Installation

 

 

Drilling Problems encountered in installation of the tidal current energy Piling

 

 

Installation of bottom part of the piling

 

 

 

Installation of upper part of the piling

 

 

 

 

Laying of the cable to shore Aug.20-22, 2006

 

 

 

Testing of the Turbine in Pedder Bay

 

 

 

 

Installation of the turbine Sept. 27, 2006

 

 

 

Installation of the turbine control unit Sept 2006

 

 

 

 

PM Stephen Harper visits Race Rocks for an “ecoenergy announcement” Jan 19, 2007

 

 

Video on the Pearson College, EnCana, Clean Current Tidal Power Demonstration Project at Race Rocks

 

 

 

tidalturbinrPresentation at the European Commission Coordinated Action on Ocean Energy (CA-OE)Workshop on Environmental, Economics, Development Policy, and Promotion of Opportunities, Copenhagen, Denmark 26-27 April 2007

 

6 months of growth on the Tidal Current turbine April 2007

 

 

 

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Connor Scheu and Wouter Zwart April 2, 2009 the outputs of energy from the system.

 

 

 

April, 2007.The tidal energy turbine is raised to change the bearings which had been deteriorating faster than expected.

 

 

Redeployment of the Tidal Energy Turbine  October 2008

 

 

Underwater materials performance testing/fouling 2008

 

 

 

END of Tidal Energy project and removal of Turbine

Census, birds and mammals

Sea lion populations have stabilized in terms of numbers. With just ~250 California’s and ~150 Steller’s. Ever since the earthquake on 09/09/11 (which was not felt by me here), the sea lions have moved up from “the arena” and East bay on Great Race to surround three sides of the Keeper’s residence. They have blocked 2 of 3 entrances! They can be shooed away, but return during the night. The cool winds and overcast days permit them to sleep comfortably during the day only to be particularly raucous during the night. The transition between Glaucous winged gulls and their winter replacements the Thayer’s gulls has begun. Some Heermann’s gulls are present now as well. It appears at least one oystercatcher clutch was successful as an adult pair and their two fledged chicks are still present on Great Race.

Pandion haliaetus: Osprey—The Race Rocks Taxonomy

 

 

This is the first image taken of this species at Race Rocks. Ryan states: “While counting marine mammals from the lighthouse I noticed the sea gulls take flight similar to a bald eagle response.  I then saw this osprey flying SE over Great Race about level with the top of the tower.  The next day I observed a pair of ospreys hunting in the shallows West of Pedder Bay Marina.”.We have seen ospreys previously in Pedder bay, where a pair had a nest up until the early-1980’s.

Image by Ryan Murphy

 

Other Members of the Class Aves at Race Rocks 
taxonomyiconReturn to the Race Rocks Taxonomy
and Image File
pearsonlogo2_f2The Race Rocks taxonomy is a collaborative venture originally started with the Biology and Environmental Systems students of Lester Pearson College UWC. It now also has contributions added by Faculty, Staff, Volunteers and Observers on the remote control webcams.

Ryan Murphy

Puffinus griseus : Sooty sheerwater- The Race Rocks Taxonomy

Sooty Sheerwater images by Raisa Mira, Ecoguardian

Images by Raisa Mirza
These are the first images taken of this species at Race Rocks. It occurs only rarely around Race Rocks, as it is mainly pelagic.

Domain Eukarya
Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Chordata
Subphylum Vertebrata
Class Aves
Subclass Neomithes
Superorder Neoaves
Order Procellariiformes
Family Procellariidae
Genus Puffinus
Species griseus Gmelin 1789
Common Name: Sooty Shearwater
taxonomyiconReturn to the Race Rocks Taxonomy
and Image File
pearsonlogo2_f2The Race Rocks taxonomy is a collaborative venture originally started with the Biology and Environmental Systems students of Lester Pearson College UWC. It now also has contributions added by Faculty, Staff, Volunteers and Observers on the remote control webcams.