Clean Energy Webinar Series (IINL)
#Educational
#Educational
Over the past three or four years, Canada has increasingly added various types of Renewable Energy as part of the Energy Portfolio. Depending on the location and type of the energy required, it is important to have an understanding of the various options available. Is the requirement for a large municipal setting or rural setting? Is the location easily accessible for maintenance or difficult? How often is maintenance required. Is an operator required on a daily basis or much less frequently? The series of three separate presentations will consider the types of Renewable Energy Technology being used in Canada, how are they being applied and example projects and the insurance or risk considerations. Part 1 - Hydrogen Technology and Carbon Capture Hydrogen and carbon‑capture technologies are emerging as important tools in the transition to cleaner energy. Hydrogen can be produced in several ways and used across many sectors, from transportation and service stations to residential heating. Carbon capture removes carbon dioxide from industrial processes or directly from the air, creating a growing market for storage and reuse. Both technologies offer major potential but come with underwriting considerations, including equipment reliability, high‑pressure systems, regulatory uncertainty and the risk of business interruption when systems fail or feedstock supply is disrupted. Part 2 - Geothermal Energy and Biomass Energy Geothermal and biomass energy provide dependable renewable options grounded in natural resources. Geothermal systems tap heat from shallow or deep underground sources to produce hot water, building heat or electricity. Biomass turns organic materials into usable power, with environmental impacts depending on sourcing and emissions controls. From an underwriting perspective, these projects require careful review of subsurface conditions, drilling quality, fuel supply, mechanical systems and construction activity, as well as the potential for delays or outages that affect continuity of operations. Part 3 - Solar and Wind Energies Solar and wind energy continue to grow rapidly on land, on rooftops and across water‑based sites. Solar installations benefit from abundant sunlight, while wind projects harness strong onshore and offshore wind resources to produce clean electricity. Both technologies must be evaluated through their full life cycle, from manufacture to decommissioning. Key risks for insurers include weather exposure, electrical and mechanical failures, construction and installation challenges, and business interruption when equipment underperforms or the resource itself fluctuates. WEBINAR LOG-IN Please ensure the email address in your profile is current. Connection testing and login details will be emailed prior to the webinar. CANCELLATION POLICY: Participant substitutions are accepted up to 24 hours prior to the webinar. The Insurance Institute of Nova Scotia (IINL) reserves the right to cancel the webinar in the event of unforeseen circumstances. CONTACT FOR QUESTIONS: iinlmail@insuranceinstitute.ca
George has over forty years of experience in all facets of petroleum and renewable energy technology, project management, needs assessments and training, having worked extensively in Middle East, Asia, South America, Africa and Canada. As head of the Petroleum Technology Department at the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology for eight years, he successfully managed a program with 500 full and part-time students per year. During the last twenty-seven years he has conducted numerous workshops internationally and in Canada on all aspects of petroleum technology for participants from over 70 countries. He has designed petroleum engineering curriculums for schools in Ecuador, Qatar, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Saskatchewan and carried out Petroleum Engineering Needs Assessments for Universities and Governments in Bangladesh, Bolivia, China, Colombia, Nigeria and. He has provided many presentations for the Insurance Institutes in Alberta as well as many individual insurance companies in Alberta and Saskatchewan.
Lindsay Mackay is a Senior Renewable Property & Casualty Underwriter at Aviva Canada, specializing in complex risk underwriting across renewable energy, power, construction, and emerging climate transition technologies. With nearly a decade of experience spanning underwriting, brokerage, and risk management, she brings a uniquely multidisciplinary lens to the evolving intersection of climate resilience, advanced risk modeling, and sustainable energy infrastructure. In her role at Aviva, Lindsay leads underwriting strategy for sustainable energy portfolios, applying probabilistic loss modeling, scenario analysis, and engineering based assessments to support accurate risk selection and capital deployment in collaboration with head office and Aviva Risk Management solutions. Her expertise includes evaluating natural catastrophe exposures, operational volatility, and business interruption risk across asset classes such as solar PV, onshore wind, battery energy storage, hydrogen, and carbon capture. She also contributes to the development of Aviva’s technical underwriting frameworks and climate transition playbooks, helping shape how insurers assess and support next generation energy systems