Jul 20, 2020
Compared to conventional methods of energy generation, likefossil fuels, greenhouse gases emitted from renewables arelittle-to-none; making them the cleanest, most viable solution toprevent environmental degradation. In this episode, we inviteBrandy Giannetta, Senior Director at Canadian Renewable EnergyAssociation, to discuss renewable energy and the realisticstrategies for increasing its supply to permanently replace theremaining carbon-intensive energy sources in Canada.
Related Content & Links:
- https://hydroottawa.com/
- Websites:
- Canadian Renewable Energy Association https://renewablesassociation.ca/
- Linkedin:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandy-giannetta-45872539/
Transcript:
Dan Seguin 00:02
Hey, everyone. I'm Dan Seguin from hydro Ottawa. And I'll behosting the think energy podcast. Are you looking to betterunderstand the fast changing world of energy? Join me every twoweeks and get a unique perspective from industry leaders as we deepdive and discuss some of the coolest trends, emerging technologies,and latest innovations that drive the energy sector. So stay tunedas we explore some traditional and some quirky facets of thisindustry. Hey, everyone, welcome back. This is theThinkEnergy podcast. We've all heard the saying 'it's not easybeing green'. But when it comes through renewable generation, isthat true? With all the scientific evidence out there, being aclimate change denier is becoming more and more synonymous withbeing a flat-earther. It's clear that humans have been pollutingour atmosphere with carbon dioxide and other global warmingemissions. NASA, the World Health Organization and the UnitedNations say we have to change the way we live, work and play. As weface our own extinction, what is the answer? Do we have the courageto be green? Are we okay with it not being easy. That brings us torenewable energy. How easy or difficult is it? How does it improveour health, environment and economy? Where is Canada at? And are weon track to becoming a global climate leader? Are we leveragingrenewable energy within the electricity system. And do we haveenough new renewable capacity to power our energy needs compared toconventional methods of generation like fossil fuels, greenhousegases emitted from renewables our little to none, making them thecleanest, most viable solution to prevent environmentaldegradation. Renewable sources of electricity have powered Canadafor more than a century. According to Natural Resources Canada,renewable energy sources currently provide about 17% of Canada'stotal primary energy supply, with wind and solar as the fastestgrowing in the country. So here's today's big question. What is arealistic strategy to increasing the supply of renewable energy sothat we can permanently replace the remaining carbon intensiveenergy sources in Canada. And what would the global impact be?Joining me today is Brandy Giannetta. From the Canadian RenewableEnergy Association, Brandy is a regional director responsible forpromoting, communicating and advocating for adoption of theassociations policies, with political representatives, members ofgovernment, media, and other key stakeholders and decision makers.Brandy, welcome to the show. Maybe start us off by talking aboutthe Canadian Renewable Energy Association. its mandate and why it'simportant for Canada.
Brandy Giannetta 03:46
Sure thing! Well the Canadian Renewable Energy Association: Weare a national Industry Association is we we see ourselves as thevoice for wind energy, solar energy and energy storage solutions,here in Canada with the goal of powering Canada's energy future. Soour association really works to create the conditions for modernenergy solutions vis-à-vis stakeholder advocacy, public engagementat several different levels. So we are a multi Technology IndustryAssociation and we are new. We are looking again to provide thatunified voice for renewable energy as well as energy storage acrossCanada. So we're the product of uniting what was the Canadian WindEnergy Association with what was the Canadian solar industryassociation so CANWEA and CANSIA our well-known names as having haddecades of advocacy in Canada on behalf of the wind sector in thesolar sector in Canada. And now we're one new expanded IndustryAssociation, so very exciting, which also now includes, of course,energy storage. So that's in recognition of that pivotal role thatenergy storage is going to play alongside those renewabletechnologies as we look to transform Canada's energy mix.
Dan Seguin 04:59
What is the Canadian Renewable Energy Association's role intransforming Canada's energy mix?
Brandy Giannetta 05:08
Right? So Well, our new joint venture as one's association isreally going to enable our members as well as the associationitself to secure what we think is going to be a larger piece of thefat future energy pie that could normally have been achieved assingle technologies or single entities. So our technologies havingcommon interests in common characteristics will with respect tothat policy, energy policy, you know, climate policy, differentmarkets and regulatory frameworks throughout Canada, and reallyadvocating within those commonalities to support the deployment ofall of the technologies or solutions. So I didn't mention in thefront that we have over 300 members within our association thatrepresent that full scope of the sector. So we're really uniquelypositioned to do that as an industry association, but I see somereally sort of specific aspects of how we will do that. In what ourstrategy will entail. And I alluded to a little bit around theadvocacy side, providing access to credible and timely information,and industry engagement. So that's an internal process, as well asan F front facing sort of public facing engagement role that willplay. So as a national Industry Association, as I mentioned, wewill be active at the federal level from an advocacy perspective,but will we're also present in multiple jurisdictions acrossCanada. So we advocate for policies that focus on that transitionto a clean economy, but it's powered by renewable energy solutions.So that's really the key there. What are what are one of the thingswe'll be working toward is to create new opportunities, but also toremove the existing barriers that are stopping us from realizingthose, those solutions and ultimately, that will enhance thedeployment of our technologies throughout the country, and what wereally consider to be safe and sustainable, environmentallyfriendly manner, but also a big part of that advocacy side andcredible information and front facing side of what we do will be toincrease public awareness of our technologies as they stand. Butalso, most importantly, the benefits that they provide that they'realready providing to communities throughout Canada. And across thefuture, the potential to do even more. So federally, we have, youknow, number one priority is to make sure that we're wellpositioned to contribute to economic recovery, particularly in aCOVID situation that we're in right now. But also as a unifiedvoice for the renewable side and energy storage, we're going toreally try to help navigate Canada to an emissions reductiontargets, we're going to create good jobs, we're going to stimulatethe economy, you know, we're going to be present in urban centersand rural centers and indigenous communities. So we have so muchvalue to offer. And as a collective effort, we're really going totry to influence those public policies that are really energyfocused and economic stimulus focus to be able to do that. And wecan do it because they'll probably say this a lot. We're a reallyscalable set of resources and when you put us all together, we'rereally well suited to power that transition.
Dan Seguin 08:03
How is your association positioned to deliver clean, low cost,reliable, flexible, and scalable solutions for Canada's energyneeds?
Brandy Giannetta 08:14
Well, I'm glad you said it first, because I think I'll berepeating myself a lot, because that's the key. We're low cost,we're reliable. You know, we offer flexible, scalable solutions. Sowe have a headquarters in Ottawa, we're nationally, you know,present. But we also have people in the key regions across Canadafrom east to west and centrally and connect in Toronto. And wedefinitely look to influence regionally regional policies as wellas national policies. And we definitely have a public facingcommunication side where we're advocating for energy solutions thatwill leverage the value proposition that renewables and energystorage provide together. So we're going to have what I talkedabout a little earlier with that internal forum for dialogue forour members that enables us to really collaborate providedopportunities for the stewardship of our technologies but also thegrowth of the industry across Canada and Canadian economies. Sorenewable energy and energy storage, as I noted, have a reallyimportant and central role to play as we transform our Canadianenergy mix. And we see electricity markets adapting to thesetransformational demands to not only decarbonize, but as a result,electrify new sectors with clean electricity resources. So thatreality has really been a huge driver in that tremendous new marketopportunity for renewable energy and energy storage together. As wesort of get more comfortable with what that transition looks likeand what it entails, our electricity system here in Canada isreally going to need increased, actually, I would say significantlyincreased amounts of renewable energy, energy storage and at theutility scale. So our grids need to be powered by clean supply ofrenewables backed up by energy storage, and we need to make surethat they remain affordable, reliable, flexible, and scalable, asyou noted, so that's going to mean, you know, large utility scaledeployment of renewables and energy storage, but also a significantuptake and sort of mobilization of those behind the meterapplication. So distributed energy resources, for example. Andputting that new collaborative framework in place like we've doneat our association, is going to fully be able to allow us to fullyleverage that opportunity.
Dan Seguin 10:23
Let me ask you this. Is the renewable energy industry primed toenter a new phase of growth driven largely by increasing customerdemand and cost competitiveness? Are you seeing a cultureshift?
Brandy Giannetta 10:38
Definitely, yes, there has been and it's, it's, I would say, Nowmore than ever, that we are realizing that culture shift and we'restarting to see things materialize as a result of that shift. Soultimately, the needs and the wants of Canadian consumers haveevolved but they're continuing to evolve. So you know, energytechnologies: these aren't the only thing. It's markets that areinnovating. The costs are coming down, as we all know, to asignificantly affordable level. Business models as a result arealso changing, not just here in Canada, but globally. So it's aglobal trend. It's not unique to Canada, we are well poised tofollow those global trends and capitalize on the learnings andadvancements of technology as well as the market and businessstructures that have evolved as well. So renewable energy andenergy storage as solutions. Focused approaches are reallyincreasingly contributing to those electricity grids and energysystems at a large scale, which in that what that means is thatwe're enhancing the reliability aspect and offerings, theflexibility of the technologies. And because we're super scalable,as I told you, I'll talk about that a lot, because it's certainlyan attractive aspect of the advocacy side. The scalability of ourenergy production and use in Canada and abroad is really a factorthere because we can do it at whatever scale needed for whateversystem You know, is being sought. So a consciousness about theenvironment continues to grow alongside that. So we got energypolicy and economic stimulus, but we also have environmental policyand the drivers for decarbonisation, and electrification of thesectors that aren't traditionally powered by electricity, like carsand transportation like but a large scale as well as buildings arereally increasing the demand for energy solutions that arenon-emitting affordable, scalable, flexible, and all of those greatthings. And that's something that obviously our industries canprovide. So our vision really, ultimately is to ensure thatrenewable energy being solar and wind and energy storage on top ofthat are playing that central role as we transform the mix so thatwe can continue to provide those solutions across the board.
Dan Seguin 12:43
Randy, do you believe that renewables like wind and solar canhelp deliver the Clean Power jobs needed for sustainable economicdelivery?
Brandy Giannetta 12:55
For sure, I mean, the calls for an economic recovery right nowthat are grind Clean Energy and Climate Action are increasinglygrowing and becoming more prevalent across the across the globe.We've got the International Energy Agency, for example, who calledthis a historic opportunity, you know, despite the fact that we'rein a global pandemic, and there are many crises to manage. We'retaking our cues from the International Energy Agency as a properagency seeking, you know, recognition that we have an opportunityupon us that is historic and in its nature, the InternationalMonetary Fund as well has its leadership has come out to say thatwe must do everything within our power to make it a green recovery.So right here in Canada, we in particular, are signatories to apublic letter, which has asked Canadian governments to pursue aresilient recovery to the COVID situation in particular. So we'vegot hundreds of signatories representing over a you know, I thinkover 2000 now, Canadian companies that are right here, you know,headquarters here in Canada that have signed that letter seekingcampaign. In order to pursue federal and provincial governments tocommit to a clean recovery and resilience plan, so the therenewable energy sector as well as energy storage industries, we'remaking a case for those policies, energy policies, economicstimulus, packaging, recovery policies that are, you know,threefold, we need to make sure that they're economically timelyand long lasting, so right time, right place, and that they aresustainable, making sure that they're environmentally sound. Sothere needs to be that environmental sustainability attached tothose policies. And then eminently feasible, they have to bepractical, realistic and actually implementable with a provensuccess here in Canada or elsewhere. So that we can capitalize onthat and truly, you know, make that history that the InternationalEnergy Agency has referred to. So our federal government stimulusand recovery efforts in particular, I think our focus right now forus because we think that those efforts can create jobs, they canspur clean tech innovation. They will encourage economicdiversification across many sectors, not just the energy sector,but also ultimately we're going to cut carbon pollution while doingthat and why not because that illness causing you know, airpollution is something that we can tackle at the same time while wegrow our economy. And really what we're looking to do is makeCanada more resilient country, and we want to do it on the back ofour energy sector. So we really believe that's important. And we dobelieve that those initiatives taken in support of economicrecovery also allow us to address all those significant otherchallenges like climate change. So it's really important that weinvest in wind energy and solar energy and in energy storage atappropriate scales and in appropriate locations, so that we candeliver the jobs, the economic benefits, making sure that todaywe're realizing those benefits, and then building out that longerterm infrastructure that's sustainable, it's going to provide areally strong foundation for a lot more investment down the road.And again, jobs economic activities going to all spur as we as webuild out those little as of tomorrow,
Dan Seguin 16:01
so climate adaptation and resilience stand out as rapidlyemerging areas of employment as a result of climate change impacts,what types of careers are in demand? And at what rate are jobs inclean energy sector growing?
Brandy Giannetta 16:20
That's a great question because you know, the numbers are there.So we know the stats, and we can say it all those figures. And I'lltalk a little bit about that. But the jobs are exciting. Andthere's no limit to the types of jobs one of the greatest statsthat I love. And I check it out every year as the annual numberscome out of the US in particular is the wind turbine techniciansand solar technicians that has continuously year over year over thepast several years, ranked as one of the fastest growingoccupations in the United States. So that's really exciting becausethat resonates here in Canada as well as we build out our industry.In fact, we did a wind energy supply chain study in Alberta, a fewyears back and it really detailed the breakdown of the jobsrequired just for a wind farm in particular And it was varied fromthe very, you know, technical and professional engineeringrequirements, geotechnical type requirements siting and negotiationof land agreements, and the regulatory advocacy work as well asenvironmental side of that. There's also, you know, the broaderprocurement construction side and you know, transportationlogistics, you know, setting up a crane and having that thatbroader service industry attached to the evolution of the sector.So it's really a significant cross section of very technical andprofessional quality career type positions, research driven thingsfrom environmental sustainability, and then the, you know, theheavy lifting of the transportation and construction side ofthings. So there's a lot of, we're seeing offshoots of service jobsas well. And one of the large one of the aspects of the solar side,especially behind the meter, and that large uptake of solarinstallations behind the meter has created a lot of opportunitiesis very labor intensive. And we're seeing from the solar industry,significant numbers on manufacturing, sales, distribution andwholesale careers. We've got the installation community as wellacross Canada growing at an exponential rate, operations andmaintenance will remain a significant portion of a sophisticatedworkforce. And then as I said, that offshoot service industry thatsupplies the services to those things. So as you can see, it's nota shortlist of jobs. It is, is a varied and like I said, extensivelist of job opportunities that will continue to evolve and grow.Now, if you want to talk about statistics, the rate that it'sgrowing at, we have already over 300,000 people employed in theclean energy sector in Canada. So that number has continued to growby close to 5% every year, and it's slated to continue to do sowhich just to give you some perspective is about a third fasterthan Canada's economy as a whole and its growth rate, which is justunder 4%. So by 2030, the projections that we're relying on todayshow us that there will be over a half a million Canadians employedand gainful full time lucrative careers in the clean energy sector,across the country. And that's going to be, you know, thanks inpart to continued commitment to climate policies, to programs thatare supporting robust clean economy type stimulus, and that growthrate will continue to evolve as a result. So it's very goodnews,
Dan Seguin 19:21
Brandy, in a world where distributed energy resources areincreasingly valued. I'd love to hear your views on both the windand solar value proposition as compelling options and how customerscan more actively manage their demand.
Brandy Giannetta 19:39
Right? Well, I have to go back to the old you know, the thereference to scalability, wind energy, solar energy, even energystorage - extremely scalable. What that means, as I as I notedearlier, is that these technologies, you know, they're wellpositioned to transform our energy system, but they can providesolutions at a micro level or a macro level. So at the micro level,distributed energy resources can be deployed in a number of ways toempower the customers that are seeking those technologies. And thenof course, then scaled according to a very unique set of needs asdefined by the customers themselves. And they're affordable. Somore and more energy customers of all types, as I think I said thisalready, or they're seeking, you know, clean, affordable, safe, allof those all of those buzzwords and properties and principledapproaches to pursuing these technologies as solutions. Andultimately, they're less and less focused on a single technology toprovide it. Is it smart? Does it make sense does it fit all thoseboxes being checked, you know, whether that's wind, solar orstorage at the scale that's required. That's really that's thevalue of that as a solution of these technologies as a solutionoption, and they're multifaceted. So I think that really there'sdefinitely clear public desire, obviously for clean and affordableas we've noted many times, but those solutions behind the meter, sosmaller scale applications, Like rooftop solar panels, personalizedhome energy storage systems, things like that are going to continueto evolve and provide those solutions at other larger rate. And theinnovation behind those distributed energy resources is reallywhat's, you know, allowing us to be poised to meet the demands oftoday's customers, but we evolve those offerings for the futureneeds and wants as well. So that transition again, clean, renewablesources, is very important. And the impact for the consumer andultimately, our economy and environment are what's really drivingthe value proposition there.
Dan Seguin 21:33
As solar and wind power come closest to meeting three key energyconsumer priorities—cost-effectiveness, decarbonization, andreliability—what role will they play with microgrids andself-sufficiency?
Brandy Giannetta 21:50
Oh, great question. Again, all those buzzwords but importantones right. They're really principled realities and, you know,criteria that we're aiming towards So the successful and enhanceduptake of micro grids and self-sufficiency will be motivated aslong as we continue to meet those principles and those criteria. Soremember flexible, scalable, and portable. So we've got a microlevel, you know, distributed energy resource, and we can deploy itin a number of ways. So I talked a little bit about in the previousquestion about, you know, based on what the customer's needs andwants are. So, you know, some really, you know, tangible examplesof that are converting remote communities that aren't gridconnected, so they have no wires and no transmission access. Andthey've been running on diesel generators for decades forgenerations really. And we're going to convert those to sustainablemicro grids, we're going to use solar panels, we're going to useindustrial size storage, whether that's batteries or otherwise, andmaybe even a wind turbine or two, if it makes sense. You do it toscale. And now you've got a remote community that'sself-generating, you know, non-emitting, and it's quiteindependent. And that's, that's a success story in and of itself.Distributed energy resources, can really promote increased energyself-sufficiency. And through other examples that are a littlesimpler even like deployment of rooftop solar in neighborhoods, youknow, we're going to use it to heat your house your water insteadof the electrical or gas hot water heater, maybe you're using it toheat your pool. So you're not running you know, another gas line orgas system in your urban areas, but also providing electricity morebroadly like bigger installations on hospitals and colleges anduniversities and schools like that municipal buildings, all ofthose are all you know, fall into the bucket of distributed energyresources which promote self-sufficiency and ultimately, renewableenergy powered things like charging stations for electricalvehicles is enhanced. You know, I would say ultimately,self-sufficiency, proper and enhanced reliability go hand in handbecause you can couple that with energy efficiency, electricvehicles, charging as well as discharging and smart grids and evencertain demand response measures. So the list goes on and on. Youknow, we can unpack them but though it's quite, I would say quitelucrative. And again, it all comes back to the fact that scalesscalability.
Dan Seguin 24:09
Brandy, can you help me understand what the role of storageplays in the deployment and advancement of renewable energy?
Brandy Giannetta 24:17
Oh, sure. Well, on a larger scale like utility side, thetechnologies renewables can be deployed in complimentary ways tosupply and support our broader electricity grids. Or they can beused as a co-located or hybrid resource with facilities like windprojects, wind farms and solar projects. Adding energy storage inorder to firm that utility scale offering of energy to the grid, sofirm power, or capacity, if you will, but by working together, therenewables and energy storage present a broader and more diverserange of not just firm energy offerings, but for customer seekingother things that diversity in tech technology provides scale gridservices and other products for lack of a better word to the gridoperator. And then ultimately, if you're looking at a smaller scaleto the customer, as standalone efforts to enhance the needs thatthey have identified, sometimes that's offsetting their peak demanduse and other aspects and applicability of the energy storagecomponent can be used that way. So, the scale varies large scaleutility grid offering to smaller scale behind the meter solutionsis a really energy storage in particular, as a technology has acentral role to play in that in that transformation to be able tomake those solutions tangible and affordable and implementable.
Dan Seguin 25:48
Now for the million dollar question, how is Canada faring as aglobal climate leader? In your opinion, what is the low hangingfruit and what has the potential to have the biggest impact to theindustry and maybe the world?
Brandy Giannetta 26:06
Well, sure, Canada is in a great position already, because weare starting from a spot of having strong renewable andnon-emitting electricity base. So there remains also a massiveuntapped potential for wind, solar and hydro resources to continueto be developed. And so I would say that we're as one of the bestcountries or countries best position to eliminate our fossil fueluse any electricity generation in particular. And then theabundance of our resources means that we're then also wellpositioned to support significant increase in non-emitting orrenewable electricity supply to power those other fossil fuelintensive industries, like I mentioned earlier transportation andbuildings. So we do need to move away from fossil fuels for thoseother industries as well. And we can do it on the back of theelectricity sector in Canada, as it currently stands, but we canalso evolve that significantly because we already have theresources. And I think the number is associated with deepdecarbonisation and vision that we need to increase our electricityproduction by two or three times to reach our sort of net zero GHGemission targets. And we already, like I said, have all of thoseresources available to us to do that. So it's a matter of the willand, you know, transitioning to that, as a global leader, we canreally, I think, step ahead of the crowd and shine.
Dan Seguin 27:26
What is exciting you about the renewable energy industry rightnow?
Brandy Giannetta 27:33
Well, we're on the right side of history, we always have beenbut now more than ever, I think the stars are really aligning, youknow, we've got decreasing costs, our customer demand and knowledgeis growing at a rate. I don't know that any of us could havepredicted a few you know, a decade ago, that emissions free zeromarginal cost fuel, it's never going to go away. It’s here to stay.It’s scalable, it's flexible, and it’s decentralized. All of thosebuzzwords, which we can unpack any single one of them. That'sexciting. But really put them all together. And I don't know, howexciting is that? Like, I don't know if I'm if I'm making theassumption, but I think it speaks for itself, like we are in areally good place right now, for all those reasons, and we need tobe excited about it.
Dan Seguin 28:15
Here's my last question, Brandy. What keeps you up at night?
Brandy Giannetta 28:21
Well, you know, I think governments across Canada, you know,they need to take the politics out of the energy sector. And thedecision making processes really need to be based on fair andtransparent competition. You know, we've all, you know, levelingthat playing field for us all and taking the politics out of it,because that decision making process really needs to be aimed atproviding the best solution to clearly define problems without thepolitics and that's not to say there's not a role for governmentsand energy policy. There certainly is, but sound policy, stableinvestment signals, those things need to outweigh the politics inorder to realize that, you know, progress and innovation it’s soripe for the picking. And I think our good friend Geddy Lee, aCanadian icon, says it best when he said "progress has no patience,but something's got to give." So those are the things that I stayup at night thinking about.
Dan Seguin 29:11
Brandy, we've reached the end of another episode of the thickenergy podcast. How can our listeners learn more about you and yourassociation? How can they connect?
Brandy Giannetta 29:23
Well, like I said, we are new. So we've got a brand new shinywebsite up and running. It's renewablesassociation.ca. We're activeon Twitter and LinkedIn, mostly, we've got Facebook and maybe acouple of other social channels. But we're going to continue to beevolving those sites over the summer in both English and French,which is very exciting and very important to us as a nationalIndustry Association to be fully bilingual. So I would say thatyour best efforts reach out vis-à-vis our website. We're a smallbut mighty team, and so we're listed there and you can contact uscentrally through the website is probably your best bet.
Dan Seguin 29:57
Again. Thank you so much for joining me today, I hope you had alot of fun.
Brandy Giannetta 30:02
I sure did. Thank you so much for the opportunity. I reallyappreciate it.
Dan Seguin 30:07
Thank you for joining us today. I truly hope you enjoyed thisepisode of The ThinkEnergy podcast. For past episodes, make sureyou visit our website hydroottawa.com/podcast. Lastly, if you foundvalue in this podcast, be sure to subscribe. Cheers, everyone.
