January 26, 2021
virtual

Interested in learning the latest opportunities for energy savings in your floriculture greenhouse? Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers (OGVG), the County of Essex, and Essex Region Conservation are hosting a workshop on January 26 to discuss energy savings in the greenhouse sector, with speakers from CI Energy Conservation, IESO, The University of Windsor, as well as ERCA and OGVG.

Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers (OGVG), the County of Essex, and Essex Region Conservation  would like to invite you to participate in a workshop on Tuesday Jan. 26, 2021 between 3 and 5 pm, via Zoom to discuss energy savings opportunities in the greenhouse sector. We will also be presenting work on the County of Essex’s Regional Energy Plan, which aims to reduce local energy use and meet our climate targets while promoting economic development. Join us to learn how these projects can support your business.

Please RSVP by completing this google form HERE and to receive the Zoom log in details. A calendar invite will follow. We ask that you forward this invite to facility managers and decision-makers within your organization who may wish to attend.

About the Regional Energy Plan

Essex County, Essex Region Conservation and all local municipalities are developing a Regional Energy Plan that will identify a series of key recommendations to address energy use and costs in the community. As a key economic sector in the County, we would like to hear from you! This workshop aims to share information about exciting research on energy use in the greenhouse sector; share information about energy-saving opportunities; and gather your feedback on energy efficiency recommendations being considered for the Regional Energy Plan.

The process to develop a regional energy plan began in 2019. An initial step was to assess energy use, energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions across all sectors. In 2019, the total source energy use in Essex County’s was 52 terajoules, of which the greenhouse sector consumed 38% of total source energy and accounted for 41% of the total greenhouse gas emissions.

The Essex County community spent $820 million on energy and water on all transportation, residential, commercial, and institutional activities.

Most of this money leaves the community. While some of the money spent on energy benefits local utilities, local energy dollars also go to Western Canada (oil, natural gas) and elsewhere in Ontario (centralized electricity generation). Transportation accounts for 40% of costs. The residential sector and the greenhouse sector account for 27% and 15% of costs, respectively. The Regional Energy Plan will look to recommend action across all sectors.