This fall, 24 students started classes in NAIT's new Alternative Energy Technology program, where they're being trained to work in the growing Alberta industry.

Or, in essence, "like Wayne Gretzky says, to skate to where the puck is going, not to where it is," says Gordon Howell, a professional electrical engineer and principal with Howell Mayhew Engineering Inc., who will teach a solar photovoltaic and solar thermal course in the new program.

"This is a transformational change in society. This is an energy revolution. To prepare for this takes a long time." And it requires the right policies and trained people.

Students are learning about technologies from biomass to fuel cell to solar electric to geothermal in the new Centre for Sustainable Energy Technology - and could one day consult with you about what renewable energy system makes the most sense for your home or business.

Here, instructors and advisers in the program offer a primer on the alternative energy technology choices readily available for the homeowner.

SOLAR PHOTOVOLTAIC (PV; also known as solar electric)

This technology converts sunlight into electricity and works anytime the sun is shining.

Who should consider solar PV?

"When people ask me about solar PV, I turn that question back on them and say, 'Why would you like to do this?'" says Rob Harlan, executive director of the Solar Energy Society of Alberta, who will teach in the new program.

"If it's simply economic return on investment, they may not have the stomach for it at this point in time." Common reasons to consider solar electric are a desire to lessen your environmental footprint, to make a statement or to give back to the utility grid.

Pros

• Solar PV modules are extremely long lasting (they have a 25-year warranty, have no moving parts and can handle extreme temperatures). "The original photovoltaic cells that were invented in the 1950s are still operating," says Harlan, although cells do lose efficiency over time.
• Systems are easy to install.
• Solar PV is quiet and non-polluting on site.

Cons

• Cost, though this is changing. The price of photovoltaic modules - the largest expense upon installation - has dropped 70 per cent since 2008, and that trend will most likely continue, says Harlan. At the same time, as pressures drive up the cost of electricity in Alberta, we are headed to grid parity - or the point at which the cost of solar PV is at least equal to grid power, which Harlan anticipates is five to 10 years away in Alberta.
• Storage capacity of off-grid systems. "We can consider storage as the holy grail of the renewable energy industry," Harlan says.
• A south-facing exposure is optimal.

What people don't know about solar PV

"As temperature drops, efficiency goes up," says Harlan. That's because heat reduces the performance of silicon solar cells.

Cost*

$36,000 for a 5,000-watt solar PV system connected to the grid. A system this size would serve an average house that uses 539 kilowatt-hours of electricity a month. (Source: Harlan)

Return on investment (the point at which the initial capital cost of the technology is paid off in energy cost savings)

It's a long time, says Harlan, and it depends on a number of factors, including utility rates, the value of the dollar, the cost of solar panels and government incentives.

SOLAR THERMAL

An average domestic solar thermal system provides about 15 per cent of a home's space heating and 70 per cent of its hot water.

Who should consider solar thermal?

Leigh Bond, president of Threshold Energies Corp., an alternative energy design/build contractor and an adviser to the NAIT program, suggests people who are building new homes consider both solar thermal and geothermal, but acknowledges the decision comes down to what people can afford.

Because a geothermal system relies on electricity to operate the heat pump, installing solar thermal can be a great way to offset electricity costs (which are greater with geothermal). For people retrofitting their homes, solar thermal (along with solar PV) is Bond's recommended alternative energy technology.

Pros

• It can be easily installed when retrofitting a home.
• It's relatively inexpensive.
• It contributes a significant amount of domestic water heating.

Cons

• Systems provide only a small percentage of space heating needs.
• Storage. "In one day, we get enough energy shining on the earth to last us the whole year," Bond says. "The problem is, how do you store that energy?"
• A south-facing exposure is optimal.

What people don't understand about solar thermal

Albertans think they can heat their homes with solar thermal, but that's not the case.

Cost

$9,800 for a family of four (Source: Bond)

Return on investment

15 years (Source: Bond)

GEOTHERMAL (also known as geoexchange, geothermal heat pump, a ground source heat pump or earth energy)

Electricity excluded, the average domestic geothermal system can meet 82 per cent of your home's energy needs, covering space heating, cooling and hot water (see chart below). This free low-grade energy stored within the Earth's crust is actually stored solar energy.

Who should consider geothermal?

"Every new home for sure and every new commercial building," Bond says.

Geothermal is also being installed at the subdivision level in some new developments, which means the homeowner doesn't pay upfront for the piping in the ground (which is about half the capital cost of geothermal), but is charged a monthly fee to access it. (And in this scenario, the capital cost is about $5,000 more for geothermal compared to natural gas, Bond says).

It's also possible to retrofit an existing home with geothermal, but even with the $4,375 grant from the federal ecoENERGY Retrofit - Homes program, it's a costly undertaking (remember, on a retrofit, you've got to dig up your yard and add the cost of re-landscaping to the job - and most people have more than $4,500 in landscaping, Bond says).

Pros

• Energy stored in the earth is available at all times.
• In Alberta, geothermal is 11 per cent more greenhouse gas friendly than natural gas.
• The pipes in the ground are a permanent asset expected to have resale value, Bond says.

Cons

• It is expensive to install.
• It increases the overall electricity consumption of your home.

What people don't understand about geothermal

People think the temperature of the ground needs to be room temperature otherwise it won't work, Bond says. It doesn't work like that. It works at cooler ground temperatures.

Cost

$50,000 (about half the cost is for the piping in the ground). Regarding the high upfront costs, Bond emphasizes that, apart from electricity, "Geothermal addresses 82 per cent of your annual energy needs in one technology" - an amount he considers to be in line with the price of installation.

Return on investment

Eight to 11 years (Source: Bond)

*

Residential energy use

Space heating 63 per cent
Water heating 17 per cent
Appliances 14 per cent
Lighting 4 per cent
Space cooling 2 per cent

Total 100 per cent

Source: Natural Resources Canada's Office of Energy Efficiency