Get in touch!
LIFE's office is in the Treehaus Collaborative Workspace, 260 King Street West, Kitchener, N2G 1B6.
Office hours are by chance or appointment. Please call us at 1-866-889-9155, or email info@lifecoop.ca, to schedule a visit.
Check out LIFE's new Facebook Page!
.Downloads
NEW!: LIFE's Draft Business Plan
Coming Events and Appearances
Come out and hear more about our work (and that of our friends)!
Watch here for upcoming events in the Spring of 2012.
Recent Appearances
January 10, 2012: LIFE Co-op and CREW co-hosted "Local Opportunities in Green Energy" at Kitchener City Hall. This presentation outlined existing and upcoming community renewable power initiatives and ways community members can get involved - including through investment in renewable energy projects - and the environmental, social and economic benefits available. Featured opportunities included LIFE Co-op's St Agatha Wind Project, CREW's Solar City Initiative, CREW's Solar City Co-op Project, and Guelph Solar Community Co-op.
November 28, 2011: LIFE and CREW co-hosted a public meeting on LOCAL RENEWABLE ENERGY OPPORTUNITIES at Kitchener City Hall.
November 23, LIFE held another community meeting at Angie's Kitchen in St Agatha. November 15, at the 11th Annual OSEA Community Power Conference, LIFE presented its project at the session on "Community Power Offerings". November 1-2, Montreal: Shane's presentation on community power was well received at Climate Action Network Canada's conference on provincial leadership in climate change and clean energy. LIFE's AGM was held October 26 at Angie's Kitchen in St Agatha. The AGM was preceded by a *public presentation from ENERCON*. October 22: LIFE's held its Annual Renewable Energy Tour! Tour participants visited a local biogas installation, a 10 kW solar array, and a biodiesel-powered pick-up. October 20: LIFE participated in a Co-op Biogas Workshop at the Holiday Inn, 510 Norwich St., Woodstock. Hosted by the Agrienergy Producers of Ontario and TREC(Toronto Renewable Energy Co-op). October 19: LIFE attended the 11th Annual Co-op Conference and Gala, hosted by On Co-op, at the Royal Botanical Gardens in Burlington. Sept. 29, LIFE participated in an candidates' forum on environmental issues at Rockway Mennonite Church. A video recording of the event can be viewed at this Youtube link. Sept. 15, LIFE hosted the "Roadmap to Success": OSEA's Community Energy Information Session at City Hall in Kitchener. Sept. 6: LIFE Co-op held a community information meeting at Angie's Kitchen in St Agatha. August 27: Potatofest at the Laepple Organic Farm, 2298 Bleam's Road, 1-7pm. Linda Laepple is a founding director of LIFE Co-op. See http://laeppleorganic.ca/.
August 25: CREW Green Movie Night, featuring "Powerful: Energy for Everyone". LIFE Co-op shared information on the St Agatha Wind Project. August 14: LIFE's project manager discussed the co-op and the St Agatha wind project as part of "Get FIT: A Green Energy Act Information Session", held in Downtown Waterloo. The event was hosted by Waterloo PIRG and Reduce the Juice. July 20: Community Meeting at Angie's Kitchen, St Agatha. June 30: LIFE presented its project opportunities as part of the Climate Action Network's "Harvesting Clean Energy on Ontario Farms" Speaking Tour, at Ignatius Jesuit Centre, Hwy 6 North, Guelph February 14, 2011Press Releases
LIFE Co-op Receives CEPP Grant
for Wind Project
LIFE Photos
There Is a Lot Happening At LIFE!
Please take a visual tour below to see some of our recent activities and the activities of our members:
- Tour to Sky Generation Turbines
- Inside The Windmill
- The Power Quest by Linda Laepple
- Soil Samples
- Wind Test Tower Installation
Tour to Sky Generation Turbines
In July 2010 a group of members and interested friends took a bus trip to Ferndale for a guided tour of Glen Estill's Sky Generation wind turbines. It was both an educational and entertaining day.
Take a Tour Inside of a Windmill
See the view from the windmill!
These pictures are from one of 6 Enercon turbines built and operated by LIFE Co-op member Erwin Schweizer in Germany. All Windmills are owned by members of the local community in the form of Limited partnerships. Erwin has installed wind monitoring equipment for LIFE Co-op in Wilmot Township and Perth County in 2006 and is our industry connection and technical advisor.
The view from the 1MW 80m turbine over to the smaller 600Kw turbine. The device on the left is the air traffic light. |
The shade picture is one area to consider when planning a wind project. |
During a visit to the top of the tower, a brake slows the rotation of the wings. Wind project developer Erwin Schweizer, friend of LIFE Co-op, shows an anemometer monitoring the wind to collect data for the performance of the turbine. |
In the village to the left, Erwin S. and LIFE Co-op friends Martin & Thessy Brenner own and operate jointly a 350kw bio-gas installation. |
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| The view from this 80 meter standard size tower goes over the rolling hills of the Haerzfeld and Ries area in southern Germany. | |
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| The above images show part of the generator of the 1MW gearless Enercon wind turbine. | |
The Power Quest
View some images from Linda Laepple’s lovely children’s book The Power Quest by Linda Laepple, educational and interesting. A fun story explaining in a simple to understand language where electricity comes from in Ontario. A book for children, available at the Laepple Farm or can be ordered at any book store.
ISBN 13:9780978359508
ISBN 10:097835950X
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Soil Samples
These photos show the collecting of soil samples for our wind test tower.
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Wind Test Tower Installation
Below is a wind test tower being installed. This photo shows the installation of a typical wind test tower in process. It takes 8 to 10 hours to pull / stand the tower up.
