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Canfield
Building
Case Study
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Jean canfield broke new ground by becoming the first woman ever elected to the Legislative assembly of Prince Edward Island (P.E.I.), canada, in 1970.
Decades later, even after her death, canfield inspired
innovation in the form of the most sustainable building
ever constructed by the canadian government. The Jean
canfield Government of canada Building, located in charlottetown, P.E.I., was designed to serve as a technologically
advanced example of sustainability, a hub of progress in the
canadian government and a reminder of Jean canfield’s
dedication to innovation.
The 17,500-square-meter, four-story building operates in
conjunction with its environment, no matter the weather. a
photovoltaic (PV) array utilizes the sun’s power. When the
solar panels are temporarily incapacitated during a storm,
the building captures, stores and treats rain water for future
use. The canfield building benefits from the wind as well,
through purchase of a portion of its power from provincial
wind turbines, which yield virtually zero emissions.
according to Fat spaniel Technologies (fatspaniel.
com), which provides live statistics online for solar systems,
the Jean canfield Building’s 111.5-kilowatt PV system
The Jean Canfield Building is home to a 111.5-kilowatt photovoltaic array.
PublIC WorKS and GovernMent ServICeS Canada
has generated over 250,000 kilowatt-hours of energy and
displaced over 120,000 kilograms of carbon dioxide since
its installation in February 2008.
The Jean canfield Building also uses passive solar design
to conserve energy. natural light fills much of the work
space of the building, and shade is also used to moderate
the indoor temperatures. The roof and walls of the building
are reflective to reduce heat absorption.
For the rest of this case study, including the building’s
performance data, see solartoday.org/canfield.
— CHARLIE ANGELO
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Expanded from “Solar-Heat Your Home,” page
28 > Access Bob Ramlow’s past SOLAR TODAY articles detailing how to install a sand-bed solar radiant system and a case study of his own solar-heated
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RE PIONEERS | Where they are no W ron larson | Golden, Colo.
Ron LaRson has a knack for getting in- volved with the “next big thing.” In the 1970s, he promoted solar energy before it became trendy. Years before colorado became a leader in the “new energy economy,” he co-founded the colorado Renewable Energy society, a chapter of the american solar Energy society (asEs), and helped pass the state’s renewable portfolio standard. and now he’s leading the push for biochar, a renewable energy technology that cooks biomass to produce fertilizer and fuel that can power vehicles or electric generators. Many are heralding biochar as a potential solution to our fossil fuel dependency. If Larson’s involvement is any predictor for suc-
“Fossil fuels have peaked, I think,
and there’s only one alternative. We need
to go for renewables, and my driving factor
has been wanting to do something
to help with that process.” — Ron Larson
Copyright © 2009 by the American Solar Energy Society Inc. All rights reserved.
cess, they’re probably right. The former asEs chair
and board member recently sat down with SOLAR
TODA Y’s corey Dahl to talk about his favorite past
accomplishments and his excitement about biochar.
Read the full interview at solartoday.org/pioneers. S T
