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
BC Parks Use Permit for the tidal energy project..2004
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
U
nderwater 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
Presentation 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
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