By: Mason Mattu, News Writer
In December 2024, Clean Energy Research Group (CERG) published a paper calling for Canada to build “mass utility-scale solar mega projects,” according to an SFU news release. Utility-scale solar “refers to large solar installations designed to feed power directly onto the electric grid.” An electric grid is an “intricate system” that provides electricity “all the way from its generation to the customers that use it for their daily needs.”
Solar power works by “converting energy from the sun into power” through solar panels. Solar cells — the smaller units solar panels are comprised of — “convert solar energy into electrical energy.” When these cells are “exposed to photons of sunlight,” the cells release electrons, which carry an electric charge and can be “captured by the wiring in solar panels.”
The Peak corresponded with Anil Hira, political science professor and department chair at SFU, director of CERG, and co-author of the paper, for more information. CERG is a “non-profit volunteer-based group associated with SFU” that examines “the challenges and opportunities for the global transition from fossil fuels to renewable, clean energy systems.” Hira’s areas of study include political economy, technology and innovation, and energy policy. He described CERG’s latest research on solar energy as “advocacy” for solar to have a greater role in Canadian energy production. According to Hira, some benefits of solar energy include its renewability, solar panels are configurable, and costs for installation have dropped by 90% over the last decade.
The study notes that the majority of solar power in Canada is in the form of smaller-scale panels attached for “residential and commercial generation.” It labels this type of solar generation as politically attractive, but not enough to achieve Canada’s green transition. Hira said Canada’s green transition involves: eliminating support for the fossil fuel industry and taxing them; funding research and development for “renewable energy, batteries, and electric vehicles;” considering “just transitions for equity and environmental legacy;” and creating “harmonized policies across federal, provincial, and municipal levels.”
The paper also points out that generation costs for utility solar panels are 50% less than the price of residential solar. Solar remains the “cheapest source of electricity in history” according to the International Energy Agency.
“The EU, including Germany and Spain, have a lot more solar [than Canada]. California, Arizona, and Hawaii are also far ahead of us.” — Anil Hira, political science professor and department chair at SFU and director, Clean Energy Research Group
“The EU, including Germany and Spain, have a lot more solar [than Canada]. California, Arizona, and Hawaii are also far ahead of us,” said Hira. In Canada, provinces have different primary ways of producing electricity, including hydroelectric generation in BC, nuclear and hydroelectric generation in Ontario, and natural gas in Alberta.
Solar accounts for 0.5% of Canada’s renewable energy sources. Germany uses solar energy to produce 12.20% of their electricity.
Hira also suggested that solar can be used along with hydroelectric generation. He proposed that “hydro can serve as a battery, reducing the intermittency issues of solar.” Solar power cannot be relied on at all times as the sun only shines during the daytime, meaning an alternative source of electricity is needed.
Almost all electricity generation in a province is under the jurisdiction of the provincial government, meaning the federal government would have to lobby provinces to support utility-scale solar projects. “There has to be a fight to establish federal supremacy over climate change and/or get enough provincial governments in power with a mandate to support [measures against] climate change. That depends on voters,” stated Hira.
In early December, the Government of Alberta imposed new regulations for solar and wind farms, including prohibiting wind projects and renewable energy projects in certain zones. The province said this is to “protect the environment, food security, and the province’s scenery.” Such regulations do not apply to the oil sector.
For more information, see the published study here at doi.org/10.1016/j.solcom.2024.100096.
