Ski Resorts Suffer, Green Energy Rebates Increase, Electric Tool Demand Grows in 2024
Global warming's impact on ski resorts this winter serves as a stark reminder of the broader environmental changes affecting us. Environment Canada is predicting that El Niño is also expected to remain in place into Spring. As we face shorter seasons and less reliable snowfall due to rising temperatures, there's an increasing awareness of climate change and its far-reaching effects. This heightened environmental consciousness is driving consumer and corporate behavior towards more sustainable practices, including a shift from gas powered vehicles and tools towards electric. The good news is that the Canadian government continues to support EV rebates and incentives.
2024 British Columbia Rebates
Gas-powered engines emit significant amounts of greenhouse gases. Electric mowers, leaf blowers and other tools, on the other hand, offer a cleaner, more sustainable alternative. By reducing reliance on gas-powered equipment and adding EV chargers, solar carports and other green solutions, homeowners and garden enthusiasts can play a part in mitigating climate change.
Greenworks has been working hard to become an environmental leader for reducing greenhouse gas emissions to help mitigate climate change. Ontario, Quebec and BC have all considered or implemented bans on gas leaf blowers and mowers in specific municipalities. In fact British Columbia has committed to make all vehicles zero-emission by 2040. The City of Vancouver has committed to use only electric lawn maintenance tools by 2024. Victoria has also already banned gas leaf blowers and gas mowers within the city limits.
NOTE: Grizzly Shelter Ltd is a dealer for Greenworks Commercial Electric Tools within the British Columbia interior. Click here to find a dealer in your area.
BC Government Green Energy Rebates
Plugin BC Incentives
BC Government Electric Car Charger / Home Incentives or Rebates
Removing gas engines and moving to electric not only reduces noise and maintenance costs, but also reduces insurance by removing gasoline fire risks. Many provinces across Canada have also banned 2 stroke gas engines in lakes and waterways. But the worst culprit for both noise and toxic health and safety emissions on land? The leaf blower.
Fun Fact: Did you know that Greenworks was founded by a Canadian and manufacturers the Stihl line of electric power tools? Stihl is also the largest investor in Greenworks.
As far back as 2004, the West End of Vancouver has banned gas powered leaf blowers. Montreal had also banned leaf blowers in some suburbs back in 2014. Noise complaints are the main impetus behind the city council voting these out, where the droning of these blowers echoed down city streets between apartment buildings. This year Victoria council followed suit and advocates for electric blowers in their place.
Click here for our locally welded Solar Carports
https://grizzlyshelter.ca/blogs/news/residential-solar-panel-carports-are-heating-up
In the Interior of British Columbia, the public works departments of Trail and Creston are currently running 82 Volt Greenworks Commercial electric tools such as trimmers, chainsaws, mowers and leaf blowers for their municipalities. Comments from Trail indicate that they can start mowing/trimming closer to resident homes earlier in the morning due quieter electric brushless motors.
Other towns of Nelson, Rossland, Warfield and Kaslo have or are close to making a 2040 all renewable commitment.
Another benefit for municipalities is allowing them to save on liability insurance for the maintenance of land. Using electric tools vs gas reduces the fire risk that comes with using explosive/flammable gasoline. Electric brushless motors do not generate the heat that gas engines do, further reduce risk of fire in dry grass etc.. The oil, filters and gas rags that result as waste are not an issue with electric tools. Electric tools are not only
Gas Leaf Blower Noise
One of the main initial issues with leaf blowers is noise. Gas leaf blowers especially are loud, and emit a deep vibrating low frequency sound that travels farther than quieter higher pitched electric tools. Lower frequency sound can also pass more easily through walls, unlike higher frequency electric motor sounds. Brushless motors have made electric motors even quieter now. The average electric blower produces noise at about 65 dB(A). At the operator's ear, a gas leaf blower sends out 95 to 115 decibels. Typical speech is about 60 decibels, a washing machine is 75, and a chain saw is 115. Greenworks electric tools are 50% quieter than gas equivalents.
Electric Is Better for Worker Health & Safety
In addition to electric tools being free of cancer causing fumes and 50% quieter, they are also much lighter than their gas counterparts. On average, electric tools are 30% lighter in fact even when you include the weight of a battery. Gas combustion engines include pistons, oil, gas, carburetors, oil reservoirs, spark plugs and fuel lines. Not only are these gas engine heavy, but all these numerous heavy parts need maintenance and fluids. Workers who run gas power tools all day must carry about a lot of weight, which strains backs, shoulders, necks and limbs.
Vibration white finger (VWF), also known as hand-arm vibration syndrome (HAVS) or dead finger, is a secondary form of Raynaud's syndrome, an industrial injury triggered by continuous use of vibrating hand-held machinery.
And its not just weight of gas engines that creates a health and safety risk, but vibration also. Electric tools have 5 times less vibration than gas engines. Gas engines include pistons pulsing up and down up from 3,000 RPM up to 10,000 RPM which causes tremendous vibration on the hand, forearm and shoulder, especially for chainsaws and trimmers. Chainsaw owners who run them over a number of years often develop "cool hand" syndrome where they experience nerve damage that makes their hands feel cold.
New research published in the Journal of Environmental and Toxicological Studies says the devices run at a lower sound frequency that allows the noise to not only travel further than other noises but also penetrate thick walls.
It would follow a recent ban in Westmount, Montreal, which only permits leaf blowers use in April, October and the first half of November. South of the border, there are now hundreds of municipalities doing the same from Nevada to New Jersey.
Two stroke engines are particularly harmful to the environment and operators by expelling a high volume of very harmful carbon monoxide fumes.
Gas powered snow blowers are not far behind the environmental disaster that leaf blowers are. They also have high decibel low frequency sound waves that can travel through walls. And the carbon monoxide emissions in 1 hour are equivalant to driving an F150 for over 1,000 miles. Electric snow throwers are now as powerful as gas, and can be perpetually recharged when you use 2 batteries (one recharging).
Top 3 Electric Tool Myths
- Electric Tools Lack Power vs Gas - This used to be the case, but now with 82 Volt Lithium Ion Batteries, electric is at least as powerful as gas. In fact electric brushless motors have more torque. An 82 Volt 5 Amp battery with our electric chainsaw provides the same power as a 50 cc gas equivalent.
- Run-time Is Less Than Gas - With 2 batteries (1 in the tool, and 1 charging) you can run perpetually. And single 8 Amp batteries will run for over an hour depending on the tool and usage. We also provide battery backpacks that add 2 to 3 hours to your run time.
- Electric Tools Are More Expensive - Nope, gas are. In fact the average total cost of ownership for electric tools is 1/3rd the cost of gas tools. Electric tools are lower maintenance due to brushless motors, no messy oil, clogging carburetor, corroding fuel lines or air filters. Greenworks tools use metal for all high impact wear-and-tear parts.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), a new gas powered lawn mower produces volatile organic compounds and nitrogen oxides emissions air pollution in in in one hour of operation as 11 new cars each being driven for one hour.
Why Greenworks Commercial eTools?
- 80% world market share for electric tools since 2002
- the ONLY line of commercial 100% battery powered equipment including blowers, chainsaws, trimmers, pole saws, edgers, zero-turn mowers, snow throwers, tillers, winches and utility vehicles
- global company with 1,000 patents, 5,000 employees and presence in 8 countries in North America, Europe and Asia
- Greenworks manufacturers Stihl power tools and Stihl is largest shareholder in Greenworks which was founded by a Canadian!
- Battery technology leader with 82 Volt power and long battery life after 500 charges (batteries are 100% recyclable)