Ten Facts About Solar Energy in Alberta
Dr. Surindar Singh ExecuCve Director, Renewables & Emerging Technologies Alberta Innovates, Energy &Environment SoluCons
Career Pathways in Renewables: Making a Living of the Green Dream Grant MacEwan University – CN Theatre Room 5-‐142 December 4, 2013
Fact 1: More Solar Energy available in Alberta than in Germany
Annual PV potenLal: Berlin 848 kwh/kw
Annual PV potenLal: Edmonton 1245 kwh/kw
Source: Green Power Labs, CanSIA and GoA
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Fact 2: Solar Capacity: Germany 32.4 GW; Alberta (0.003 GW); Growth of Solar PV in Germany:
Source: Harry Wirth, Recent facts about photovoltaics in Germany, Fraunhofer ISE, Sep 12, 2013
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Fact 3: Canadian Solar Capacity is increasing exponenCally, (mainly in Ontario, which has a Feed-‐In-‐Tariff Program)
In Ontario “By the end of 2014, almost 1,900 megawaBs (MW) of solar generaFon and an esSmated 900 MW of demand response from large consumers will be available to support reliability, parScularly through the summer months.” Source: Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO), Ontario hZp://www.ieso.ca/imoweb/siteshared/ power_outlook.asp
Source: Canada – A Global Leader in Renewable Energy, Energy & Mines Ministers Conference, Yellowknife, NWT, August 2013
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Fact 4: Solar Panel costs are plummeCng
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Fact 5: Alberta has oldest Solar Community (Drake’s Landing) Energy Consumption Comparison
Established in 2005, the Drake Landing Solar Community is located in Okotoks, 15 minutes south of Calgary. Its unique feature is that 90 percent of space heaCng needs for the community’s 52 single-‐detached homes are met by solar thermal energy. Slide 6
Fact 6: The Town of Vulcan has a “Solar Tree” • Funded by the Alberta Department of Energy’s Energy InnovaFon Fund • To be completed in 2015, it would generate 244,300 kWh of electricity annually, which would be sufficient for 34 homes • The key objecCves include: § Advancing solar technology for rural municipal industry development § Electricity GeneraCon § DemonstraCon & EducaCon § Ongoing Research & Development
Picture Courtesy : MaN Orr, Town of Vulcan
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Fact 7: Alberta Innovates Energy & Environment SoluCons (AI-‐ EES) supports University of Alberta solar project
• At the University of Alberta, Professor Jillian Buriak and her graduate students are developing nanoparCcle-‐based 'ink' to make printable or spray-‐on solar cells. • “Half the world already lives off the grid, and with demand for electrical power expected to double by the year 2050, it is important that renewable energy sources like solar power are made more affordable by lowering the costs of manufacturing,” Buriak said.
hZp://news.ualberta.ca/newsarScles/2013/august/discovery-‐could-‐make-‐solar-‐power-‐cheaper-‐more-‐accessible
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Fact 8: The Climate Change & Emissions Management CorporaCon (CCEMC) has funded 3 Solar Projects
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2 Landmark Net-‐Zero Modular Homes “The work under this project includes the installaSon of 200 – 8kW solar PV systems on NetZero Ready homes across the province. These systems will generate 2,032 MWh of electricity annually and directly reduce GHG emissions by over 42.4 kilo-‐tonnes in their 25+ year life span.”
hZp://www.climatechangecentral.com/node/534
• Monthly billing • Maintenance done by ENMAX • ASer 15 years, homeowner owns the solar panels hZps://www.facebook.com/LandmarkHomesCalgary
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Fact 8: CCEMC has funded 3 Solar Projects (conCnued) 3 City of Medicine Hat ConcentraCng Solar • The first of its kind in Canada • The objecLve is to prove the feasibility of integraCng solar thermal steam generaCon into a combined cycle electrical generaCng plant in southeastern Alberta. • The solar troughs on the approximately 5.56 acre plot of land follow the sun throughout the day. • The solar energy heats a fluid which in turn generates steam, which is then piped into the City’s power plant steam cycle to generate electricity. • The project will produce approximately 1 megawal electrical (MWe) at full capacity.
hZp://www.hatsmart.ca/City%20of%20Medicine %20Hat%20Energy%20Projects/Solar %20ConcentraSng%20Steam%20Power%20Plant %20Project.asp
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Fact 9: There are several other Solar iniFaFves in Alberta
hZp://www.skyfireenergy.com/solar-‐residenSal/grid-‐Sed-‐electric-‐systems/echo-‐haven-‐net-‐zero-‐house-‐calgary-‐alberta/
hZp://www.lassothesun.ca/
hZp://www.lassothesun.ca/pages/solar-‐sites.htm
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Fact 10: The Province is supporFve
Premier Redford stated that she envisions Alberta “as a global leader in sustainable hydrocarbon producFon and the global leader in renewable energy producFon.”
At a recent Solar conference, Minister McQueen stated, “ People know that renewable energy is a very important part of our energy strategy … Alberta is rich in many energy forms. Solar certainly plays a huge role for us.” hZp://www.greenenergyfutures.ca/episode/sunny-‐solar-‐alberta
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So, what are the opportuniCes?
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