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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