The Riverdale Initiative for Solar Energy (RISE) has been honoured for helping build a green, clean and sustainable Toronto.Founded and run by east-end resident Ron McKay, RISE was recently recognized with a 2007 Green Toronto Award in the energy conservation category. RISE is a community-based project where local homes are outfitted with sustainable solar electricity generation systems.
"(Winning the award) is fantastic. It's a good culmination of the project and hopefully will lead to bigger and better things," McKay said of RISE, which facilitated the bulk purchase of more than 30 electricity-generating solar panel systems last spring.
Ward 30 (Toronto-Danforth) Councillor Paula Fletcher nominated RISE for the honour.
"I wanted to nominate a group that has really made a difference. RISE is leading the way on energy issues," said Fletcher, noting RISE has basically done the ground work for others.
"It is a true community development model, a true community initiative. They are making a difference and they deserve this award."
She also said innovative ways to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels must be explored.
McKay first introduced his energy conservation ideas to the community in June 2005 after having curated a successful art exhibit at Queen Street's Eastern Front Gallery. From there, the popularity of the concept grew to the point where more than 30 local homeowners took part in a solar system bulk purchase. To date about 1,070 tons of carbon dioxide emissions have been displaced because of RISE's efforts.
"It reinforced my idea that there is a core group of like-minded people (who) have a vision for the city and the communities they live in," he said.
"Riverdale is a great area where people understand issues and have the resources to invest in solar systems for homes."
Other communities across the GTA and its outskirts have begun to take heed of RISE's innovative ideas and have since developed their own spin-off groups. So far there's WISE-West Toronto Initiative for Solar Energy, GRASP (Guelph Residents Advocating Solar Power), Downtown West Solar Energy Projects and Downtown West Multi-Unit Solar Energy Project, which all share the same goal of purchasing and installing solar electricity generating systems.
McKay's latest steps have been to get involved in the development of the OurPower.ca portal, a Toronto-based affordable solar power initiative. The project's founders also include McKay, Riverdale resident David Ullrich, WISE's Jed Goldberg, Scott Snowden and Gregory Lang.
Essentially a set of tools to get others thinking about installing sustainable energy systems in their homes, founders of the portal aspire to spark interest in the concept across North America.
"We are now actively trying to consolidate the OurPower portal to create a turn-key package, a one-stop shop," McKay said, noting that installation of sustainable energy systems can also be beneficial to business associations, corporations and even highrise residential developments.
"We're making solar energy projects easier to access."
McKay's vision is to give people the tools needed to install other types of sustainable energy systems like geothermal and micro-wind generation.
"All these systems work together to compliment each other. It's an initial investment but great in the long run," he said.