Camp Fircom has a unique and inspiring vision of becoming a world class centre for environmental education and creating a place where people can come from all over the world to learn about sustainable development and to reconnect with the natural world.
One of the reasons we were inspired to have our wedding there was the beauty of the site and how this vision matched our own values of living sustainably and making a positive contribution to the planet.
Patrick has been volunteering his time and expertise to help make this vision a reality and recruited two organizations that he works closely with to help: Rain City Strategies and First Power. For the past year, they have worked with the Camp to assess potential alternative energy sources such wind, solar and micro-hydro. The Camp hopes to reduce or even eliminate it's reliance on diesel generators to power the Camp as they are expensive to run and negatively impact the world's climate.
Based on an initial assessment, using a monitor generously donated by Rain City Strategies, it has been determined that the Camp has limited wind resources but great potential for solar power. Plans are currently underway to install thermal solar panels on buildings throughout the site. Thermal panels are used for heating water, which typically accounts for approximately 30% of a building's energy consumption. The potential for installing photovoltaic solar panels, which are used to create electricity for heating, lighting or powering appliances, is also being investigated.
Initial surveys and assessments for a micro-hydro turbine installation in a creek that runs through the Camp also looking promising. First Power believes that this installation could be a substantial source of energy during the winter months.
While it's unlikely that these renewable energy installations will be place in time for the wedding, Patrick, Rain City Strategies and First Power are committed to working with the Camp over the next few years to help establish the Camp as a leader in environmental sustainability and help teach campers about how to live better and possibly leave the planet a little better than they found it.
