Langley Township Has Power To Generate Change
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At an event filled with thousands of people, dozens of performers, and all kinds of activities to explore, some very special guests could be found near the sidelines. They didn’t make noise or produce obnoxious emissions, they simply maintained a powerful presence and gave off positive energy.
A new, clean energy source was used to power the blowers that kept the bouncy inflatables inflated and ran the speaker system during the Township of Langley’s Canada Day celebration at Willoughby Community Park. Visitors to the July 1 event may have noticed a series of solar panels, along with several VOLTstack power stations, tucked along the west side of the site.
A smaller system was also used to power the sound at Langley Centennial Museum’s Canada Day event in Fort Langley, and at Arbour Day in Brookswood in April.
The new green technology is being tried out by the Township, which is committed to reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and mitigating climate change locally and globally.
“The easiest and most important step to achieving this is to reduce our use of fossil fuels and move towards clean energy,” said Tanya Drouillard, Sustainability Programs Specialist with the Township of Langley. “Unlike diesel- or gasoline-powered generators which emit particulates and GHG emissions that are harmful to people’s health and the environment, these generators are a clean and healthy power supply option.”
“By replacing conventional generators with clean energy units at the Willoughby Canada Day event, the Township saved the equivalent of the amount of fuel it would take for a road trip from Langley to Saskatoon,” she said.
The green generators were supplied by Portable Electric, which had contacted the municipality earlier last year about the new technology. Township staff were excited about the possibilities they presented and decided to try them out at special events.
“The Township strives to keep our events as green and eco-friendly as possible, providing multi-stream recycling containers throughout our sites and setting up free water stations where guests can fill their own bottles,” said Sarah Regehr, Special Events Coordinator. “Being able to use a renewable source for our energy needs is an excellent addition which takes our commitment even further.”
“Not only are the units clean and green, they are silent as well, making activities more pleasant and safe,” Drouillard said. “At the Willoughby Canada Day event, parents could stand next to the bouncy castles and actually converse.”
Township staff setting up the clean energy systems found them to be portable, versatile, and easy to use, said Parks Services Coordinator Scott Johnson. “It was a simple flick of a button and we were good to go,” he said, noting the units come with different power supply options to accommodate various uses.
The clean energy generators can be charged by multiple sources of clean energy: by connecting to the normal electrical grid for hydro power, through wind turbines and run of river systems, or via solar power. Once the generators are charged - which only takes 2.5 hours - they serve power supply needs just like a conventional gas or diesel-powered generator. By using the units with solar panels as the Township is doing, the batteries get charged while they are in use and stay topped up throughout the day.
“We’re a fan of electric powered generators, which can run just about anything that requires electricity, from sound setups and lighting, to booths and broadcast equipment,” said Drouillard.
The Township will continue to explore other uses for the clean energy generators and how they might benefit areas such as filming and construction.
For more information, contact:
- Tanya Drouillard, Sustainability Programs Specialist 604-532-3565 or tdrouillard@tol.ca
- Scott Johnson, Parks Services Coordinator at 604-532-3538 or sjohnson@tol.ca
- Sarah Regehr, Special Events Coordinator at 604-533-6148 or sregehr@tol.ca
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