Southern Alberta gets a lot of sun throughout the year, meaning is has some of the highest solar energy potential – also known as photovoltaic potential – of any place in Canada. Calgary, for example, ranks the second highest of all major Canadian cities for photovoltaic potential. We receive approximately 50% more solar energy than Germany, a country that has been leading the charge with solar installations (Pelland, 2006).

In an effort to increase awareness and understanding of Canmore’s potential to generate solar energy, the Town of Canmore commissioned a study to evaluate the solar potential of the community. The results revealed that Canmore holds tremendous potential for generating electricity from solar, despite shading that happens from the mountains. It turns out that roof design and geometry have 4.3 times more impact on solar potential than the physical location of buildings within the valley. By incorporating best practices for solar design the limitations presented by location can be addressed (Ehr, Patterson & Donegan, 2019).

The study also shone light on the significant role that residents can have in the production of solar energy. With 75% of the community zoned for residential development, citizens could offset 64% of their residential electricity use with solar installations on their roofs. If solar was adopted on every building in the town, 42 181 MWh/yr of electricity could be produced. This is the equivalent of taking 8600 vehicles off the road and a greenhouse gas reduction of 40 000 tonnes of carbon dioxide. As solar panel technology continues to improve these numbers will only grow (Ehr, Patterson & Donegan, 2019).

Bow Valley Green Energy Co-operative (BVGEC) partners with local building owners and managers to build rooftop solar installations. When selecting a host for a new solar installation, they work closely with expert solar installers to determine locations that will capitalize on the incredible solar potential that Southern Alberta has to offer.

References

Ehr, C., Patterson, E. & Donegan, T. (2019). Rooftop solar in Canmore: A neighbourhood by neighbourhood analysis. https://canmore.ca/documents/planning-building-development/signposts-to-sustainability/3109-rooftop-solar-in-canmore-final-report

Natural Resources Canada. (2021). Photovoltaic potential and solar resource maps of Canada. https://fgp-pgf.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=c91106a7d8c446a19dd1909fd93645d3

Pelland, S. et al. (2006). The development of photovoltaic resource maps for Canada. Natural Resources Canada. https://www.nrcan.gc.ca/sites/www.nrcan.gc.ca/files/canmetenergy/files/pubs/2006-046_OP-J_411-SOLRES_PV+map.pdf

With the right angle of installation, snow only reduces energy production of solar panels by 1-5%. Researchers at the Northern Alberta Institute or Technology (NAIT) set up an array of solar panels at two sites and positioned the panels at different common installation angles ranging from 14° to 90°. Six pairs of solar modules were compared in the study. In it, one panel had the snow removed and one was left with the snow uncleared (NAIT, 2016).

The researchers found that the angle at which the solar panel was mounted had a far greater impact on energy production than snow coverage. Over a three-year time span, the solar panels that had the snow cleared from them experienced only 1-5% higher production than those that were installed at an equivalent angle and did not have snow cleared. The ideal angle to maximise energy production with snow accumulation was 45° (NAIT, 2016).

Part of the reason that snowfall has a negligible effect on the efficiency of panels is that most of the total annual sunlight – and therefore total annual production – comes between March and October. During these months, days are longer and there is less snow. In addition to this, snow that does accumulate on panels will typically melt more quickly than the surrounding shingles due to their smoother surface and higher ambient temperature.

Prior to breaking ground on new buildings in Canmore, rooftops should be designed to accommodate solar arrays that maximise solar potential and minimize lost efficiencies due to snowfall. This includes designing rooftops that have southern exposure and have continuous roof space with minimal penetrations or chimneys. Building new homes that incorporate best practice for solar design is relatively inexpensive and better enables homeowners to benefit from this resource for the life of their home.

References

Northern Alberta Institute or Technology. (2016). Alternative energy program: Solar photovoltaic reference array report. https://empowerenergysolar.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/NAIT_Reference_Array_Report_March_31_2016_revD.pdf

Agricultural land

Alberta has long been a world leader in resource development and its adoption of PV technology is no exception. As of 2019, the province was the second highest producer of electricity from solar in Canada. It is increasingly common to see areas in Southern Alberta that were formerly used to produce crops for food or feed production now being converted into large solar arrays. A more innovative approach is build agrivoltaic systems (Dinesh & Pearce, 2016; Ketzer, 2020).

Agrivoltaic systems use the same tract of land for PV power generation and agricultural production. Sheep grazing and the production of shade tolerant crops are two examples of agrivoltaic systems that are gaining traction. These types of systems have been found to reduce “heat island” effects and improve crop production, water-use efficiency and renewable energy production. An alternative approach to using arable land for solar generation is to use roof space on existing infrastructure in the built environment. That is where BVGEC comes in – investing in community renewable energy generation projects (Dinesh & Pearce, 2016; Ketzer, 2020; NREL, 2019).

Residential & commercial land

One of the most exciting possibilities of generating electricity from solar is that it can utilize land that is already in use as a residential or commercial space. A study commissioned by the Town of Canmore in 2019 found that if solar was adopted across every possible rooftop in Canmore, the electricity generation would be 42 181 MWh/yr, which is equivalent to taking 8600 cars off the road. The Bow Valley is a crucial wildlife corridor as well as an incredibly popular place for people to live and visit. For this reason it is critically important that we find ways to develop sustainable ways of producing electricity while also minimizing our development footprint. (Ehr, Patterson & Donegan, 2019).

There are many other benefits to converting rooftop spaces in towns into solar power generation. Solar energy makes cities more resilient to disasters when it is paired with energy storage or integrated into microgrids. Homeowners and businesses that install solar panels are able to generate their own electricity which offers an additional source of revenue and increases resilience to spikes or general increases in fossil fuel prices. This is especially true when solar systems are paired with energy storage systems such as batteries (Pforzheimer & Ridlington, 2020).

BVGEC works with local businesses and organizations to establish solar installations on existing and new buildings within the Bow Valley. Among these projects are Ralph Connor Memorial United Church, St. Michael Anglican Church, and I-Place. In this way they are also helping community members who might not otherwise be able to afford solar installations become involved in community generation.

References

Dinesh, H., & Pearce, J. M. (2016). The potential of agrivoltaic systems. Renewable & Sustainable Energy Reviews, 54, 299-308. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2015.10.024

Ehr, C., Patterson, E. & Donegan, T. (2019). Rooftop solar in Canmore: A neighbourhood by neighbourhood analysis. https://canmore.ca/documents/planning-building-development/signposts-to-sustainability/3109-rooftop-solar-in-canmore-final-report

Ketzer, D. (2020). Land use conflicts between agriculture and energy production: Systems approach to allocate potentials for bioenergy and agrophotovoltaics. Stockholm University. https://www.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:1382756/FULLTEXT02.pdf

National Renewable Energy Laboratory. (2019, September 11). Benefits of agrivoltaics across the food-energy-water nexus. https://www.nrel.gov/news/program/2019/benefits-of-agrivoltaics-across-the-food-energy-water-nexus.html

Pforzheimer, A. & Ridlington, E. (2020). Shining cities: The top U.S. cities for solar energy. Frontier Group. https://environmenttexas.org/sites/environment/files/TX_Shining_Cities_2020_scrn.pdf

The emission intensity (the total amount of a given pollutant – for example CO2 – per unit of energy that is produced) of PV systems is 10 to 53 times lower than the burning of fossil fuels, depending on the specifications of the system. Life cycle assessments of PV systems have found a carbon footprint emission of 14-73 g CO2-eq/kWh compared to the burning of oil for electricity (742 g CO2-eq/kWh) or coal (~1000 g CO2-eq/kWh). Efficient recycling processes can further contribute to a reduction of up to 42% of the greenhouse gas emissions associated with the life cycle of solar panels (NREL, 2012; Tawalbeh et al, 2021).

Another way of thinking about the benefits of producing electricity from solar is energy payback. Energy payback is the length of time that a PV system has to operate in order to recover the energy that went into making the system in the first place. A 2004 analysis by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory found that rooftop PV systems can repay their energy investment in an average of two years. This number is based on an assumed solar panel efficiency which has improved considerably since the date the analysis was published (NERL, 2004).

While the electricity generated from PV panels produces minimal emissions or greenhouse gases during their operational life, there are environmental impacts associated with the manufacturing and disposal processes. One of the main inputs in solar cells is silicon, which can be derived from pure quartz crystal or quartz-rich sand. Quartz must be heated at incredibly high temperatures in smelters in order to extract pure silicon, a process that requires lots of up-front energy. Manufacturing also requires the use of hazardous chemicals such as hydrofluoric acid (Orlando, 2019).

Researchers are continuously searching for alternative manufacturing processes which will further reduce the associated negative environmental consequences. For example, thin-film solar panels are an emerging technology that are cheaper to manufacture and use less energy and materials in the process.

Every product that we consume has positive and negative environmental consequences associated with it. When we assesse the entire life cycle of PV systems, it is clear that the benefits vastly outweigh the downsides. This is especially true when we compare these systems to other methods of electricity generation.

References

National Renewable Energy Laboratory. (2004). PV FAQs: What is the energy payback for PV? https://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy04osti/35489.pdf

National Renewable Energy Laboratory. (2012). Life cycle greenhouse gas emissions from solar photovoltaics. https://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy13osti/56487.pdf

Orlando, C. (2019, October 30). How environmentally friendly is solar power? Chariot Energy. https://chariotenergy.com/blog/how-environmentally-friendly-is-solar-power/

Tawalbeh, M., Al-Othman, A., Kafiah, F., Abdelsalam, E., Almomani, F., & Alkasrawi, M. (2021). Environmental impacts of solar photovoltaic systems: A critical review of recent progress and future outlook. The Science of the Total Environment, 759, 143528. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.143528

96% of the materials in solar panels are available for reuse in the production of new solar panels, and on average solar panels have an expected lifetime of 25 to 30 years. With proper waste management planning, e-waste associated with decommissioned solar panels can be turned into opportunities to create value and new economic avenues. Initial groundwork and planning for recycling must begin now in order to meet the surge in demand that is expected to occur (Weckend, Wade & Heath, 2016).

The International Energy Agency estimates that in order to meet a Net Zero Emissions by 2050 scenario, we must grow our solar generation capacity by 24% each year between 2020 and 2030. Huge increases in capacity will come with a corresponding increase in waste and disposal in regular landfills is not recommended due to toxic materials in panels (IEA, 2021).

The technology for solar panel recycling exists but it will take time for widespread implementation to occur. Design of solar panels should take place with panel end-of-life in mind so that recovery of resources at the end of their lifespan is taken into account. On May 11, 2020 the Government of Alberta announced a $43 million dollar expansion of electronic recycling in the province which will include solar module recycling (Sinha et al, 2019; Solar Alberta, 2021; Weckend, Wade & Heath, 2016).

As with the recycling of other materials, this option should only be considered once panels have truly reached the end of their lives. Other options in the waste hierarchy – reduce and reuse – should be exhausted before we fully decommission a PV panel or system. As research and development continues, it is expected that fewer raw materials will be required to manufacture panels. Additionally, rapid PV growth presents opportunities for secondary markets of repaired and refurbished panels.

References

International Energy Agency. (2021, November). Solar PV: Tracking report. https://www.iea.org/reports/solar-pv

Sinha, P., Heath, G., Wade, A., & Komoto, K. (2019). Human health risk assessment methods for PV, Part 3: Module disposal risks. International Energy Agency (IEA) PVPS Task 12, Report T12-16:2020. https://iea-pvps.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/PVPS-Task-12_HHRA-PV-Disposal-1.pdf

Solar Alberta. (2021). Solar 101 https://solaralberta.ca/learn/solar-101/

Weckend, S., Wade, A., & Heath, G. (2016). End-of-life management: Solar photovoltaic panels. International Renewable Energy Agency. https://www.irena.org/-/media/Files/IRENA/Agency/Publication/2016/IRENA_IEAPVPS_End-of-Life_Solar_PV_Panels_2016.pdf

The cost of PV systems continues to fall every year, which has made it one of the most affordable and accessible forms of renewable energy. Ongoing improvements in manufacturing processes and increased efficiency of panels are largely responsible for these falling cost. Higher efficiencies in systems translate to smaller areas required for a given wattage, and therefore the potential to produce more electricity in the same area.

Cost of solar panels is calculated based on the cost of the power produced by an electricity generating system over its lifetime (also called levelized cost of energy). Based on this metric, the cost of utility-scale PV plants declined by 82% between 2010 and 2019. The cost of residential solar installations did not fall as significantly as utility-scale operations due to their smaller size. Even so the total installed cost of a residential PV system fell by between 47% and 80% between 2010 and 2019, depending on the market (IRENA, 2020).

With ever-changing provincial and federal solar incentives and rebates, residential and commercial solar is more accessible now than ever before.

References

IRENA. (2020). Renewable power generation costs in 2019. International Renewable Energy Agency, Abu Dhabi. https://www.irena.org/-/media/Files/IRENA/Agency/Publication/2020/Jun/IRENA_Power_Generation_Costs_2019.pdf

Some of the most common questions that people ask about solar are how much it will cost and what the payback period is. The simple answer is that a residential solar installation can be expected to pay back your initial investment somewhere between 8 and 20 years. A more specific answer is, it depends.

The payback period of a system will depend upon a number of factors (Kuby Energy, 2021): Cost of PV system, including hardware, installation and soft costs (e.g. permitting, system design); cost per kWh, including changes in rates for electricity; system output, which will vary depending upon location, orientation, impact of possible shading

To ensure the shortest payback period, smart meters should be used and combined with adaptations in lifestyle to meet peak solar output. Beyond the financial benefit associated with installing solar – whether you are consuming the electricity within your own household or selling it back to the grid – it is worth also noting the environmental benefits of solar. The estimated energy payback of a PV system is less than two years, meaning that after that time your system will be producing emissions-free electricity (Canada Energy Regulator, 2018).

Many solar installers in Alberta such as KCP Energy and Kuby Renewable Energy offer free site appraisals for homeowners who are interested in outfitting their homes with solar panels. This will take into account things such as roof or electrical upgrades that may be necessary before proceeding. From this appraisal, installers will be able to give you a more accurate depiction of what your payback period will be.

References

Canada Energy Regulator. (2018). The economics of solar power in Canada. Open Data Canada. https://www.cer-rec.gc.ca/en/data-analysis/energy-commodities/electricity/report/solar-power-economics/index.html

Kuby Energy. (2021). The cost of solar panels. https://kubyenergy.ca/blog/the-cost-of-solar-panels

Over the past several decades, the cost of installing PV systems has dramatically decreased. This is due in part to improved efficiencies in systems. An efficient solar panel can generate more electricity by occupying less space. The conversion efficiency of solar cells is based upon the cells’ ability to convert energy from sunlight into electricity through the process of photovoltaics.

There are numerous factors that influence the conversion efficiency of the panel. These include the spectrum and intensity of sunlight and temperature of the solar cells, which will be influenced by time of day and year, angle and positioning of the panel and amount of cloud cover. Panels are generally more efficient at lower temperatures – which is good news for the Bow Valley!

In addition to the above factors impacting efficiency, research and development has led to large gains through changes to the solar cells themselves. While efficiency of cells varies with the type of technology and the factors listed above, average efficiencies generally range from 15-20%. While this number may seem low when compared to a modern methane-fired generator that is 50% effective or an efficient diesel generator that is 33% efficient, there is an important distinction to be made: solar energy is a resource that is in infinite supply (Dodge & Thompson, 2016).

The input required to produce solar energy – the sun – will shine regardless of whether we harness its power or not. On the other hand inefficiencies related to the burning of fossil fuels represent a resource that is finite, expensive and polluting. The remaining energy is lost in the form of heat and it is lost forever.

Another metric for looking at the efficiency of solar panels is capacity factor. Capacity factor measures the actual, average output of a generator compared to its rated, maximum output. Due to the fact that during the night solar panels sit idle during the night, average outputs are low relative to their maximum output. Capacity factors in Southern Alberta are around 18%, which ranks among the highest in the country (CER, 2020; IRENA, 2020).

References

Canada Energy Regulator. (2020, September 29). Economics of solar power in Canada – results. https://www.cer-rec.gc.ca/en/data-analysis/energy-commodities/electricity/report/solar-power-economics/economics-solar-power-in-canada-results.html

Dodge, D. & Thompson, D. (2016, February 9). Shining a light on solar myths. Pembina Institute. https://www.pembina.org/blog/shining-a-light-on-solar-energy-myths

IRENA. (2020). Renewable power generation costs in 2019. International Renewable Energy Agency, Abu Dhabi. https://www.irena.org/-/media/Files/IRENA/Agency/Publication/2020/Jun/IRENA_Power_Generation_Costs_2019.pdf

Kelly-Detwiler, P. (2019, September 26). Solar technology will just keep getting better: Here’s why. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/peterdetwiler/2019/09/26/solar-technology-will-just-keep-getting-better-heres-why/?sh=a91cc5d7c6bf

In 2016, Alberta set a target to produce 30% of its electricity from renewable sources. In the process, the province is also seeking to phase out pollution from coal-fired electricity generation. These goals are in line with a global trend of divestment and declining employment opportunities in fossil fuel industries. This points to the tremendous opportunity for sustainable job growth in the clean energy sector (Jeyakumar, 2016).

Clean Energy Canada estimates that by 2030, Canada will see an additional 208,700 new clean energy jobs. This number far exceeds the 125,800 that will be lost in the fossil fuel industry. Clean energy jobs in Alberta specifically are set to increase by 164% over the next decade. These projections were modeled under the federal government’s new climate plan, A Healthy Environment and a Healthy Economy (Clean Energy Canada, 2021).

The Pembina Institute conducted an analysis of the employment potential in the clean energy sector in Alberta and found incredibly promising results. They determined that an investment in renewables and energy efficiency would generate more jobs than those lost through the phasing out of coal power. The Pembina Institute also found that additional investment in community energy can increase the employment potential by 30-50% (Jeyakumar, 2016).

We must hold our governments accountable in taking an active role in clean energy transitions through specific targets and policies. Part of ensuring an equitable transition towards renewable electricity generation is the planning of a gradual phase out of coal generation. This will provide ample time for job retraining and prevent a rapid retirement of coal plants over a short period of time. Bow Valley Green Energy partners with local businesses including KCP Energy, Kuby Renewable Enery Ltd, Solar YYC and Virtuoso Energy on their community generation projects (Jeyakumar, 2016).

References

Jeyakumar, B. (2016). Job growth in clean energy: Employment in Alberta's emerging renewables and energy efficiency sectors. Pembina Institute for Appropriate Development. https://www.pembina.org/reports/job-growth-in-clean-energy.pdf

Clean Energy Canada. (2021). The new reality. https://cleanenergycanada.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Report_CEC_CleanJobs2021.pdf