Solar generated energy has witnessed an enormous boom in the past 30 years in Canada. Older technology made it difficult to generate sufficient amounts of energy in the more northern climes of the hemisphere for places like Canada and Northern states of America. However, as solar panels became more popular, developments have now made it possible for even the coldest and low-light areas of the globe to harvest this free green energy too.
Here we’ll take a look at some key statistics to show just how Canada has embraced solar technology in a big way, and how it can continue to grow in the decades to come as it reduces its reliance on traditional fossil fuels.
How Much Solar Energy Is Generated In Canada?
In total, it was estimated that the total supply of energy derived from solar power in Canada in 2021 was nearly 2400MW. During 2021, a further 288MW of solar installations was created, an increase of almost 14% from the previous year.
Between 2015 and 2020, the country installed a very limited amount of solar arrays, only 70MW in total, and the pandemic caused a fluctuation in the market and a hold on new solar installations. Now that the pandemic is behind us, we can look to the future with a brighter hope for solar installations.
How Do The Different Provinces Generate Electricity From Solar?
How each province generates solar electricity is largely down to its geographical position. Nunavut for example gets a lot of exposure to daylight thanks to extended summer days and not much cloud, however, coastal regions like British Columbia can experience cold and wet days most of the year. Alberta and Manitoba receive the largest amount of solar radiation.
In December, the amount of solar generation falls to just 46 kilowatt hours, however in April this can rise to 122 kilowatt hours due to prolonged periods of sunlight and cloudless skies.
In terms of megawatts generated by the various territories, Alberta is leading the way with a whopping 250MW which could potentially power 100,000 homes. Smaller contributions to the green revolution in Canada come from Saskatchewan, Quebec and Nova Scotia – delivering 21, 9.5 and 4.8 megawatts of power respectively.
The Future Of Solar Energy In Canada
Many notable contracts concerning solar power were put into place in 2021 in Canada. Solar Krafte Utilities will be creating a brand new ‘solar park’ by the close of 2022 which will be delivering around 400MW of power to Alberta.
The Claresholm Solar park is also a recent addition to the country in Alberta, comprising over 475,000 solar panels generating approximately 132MW of solar energy. That’s enough to supply 33,000 homes in the province with clean, green energy. BluEarth has also recently completed two projects in Alberta with an estimated 60MW of solar power.
If you’re interested in joining the solar revolution sweeping across Canada, get in touch with your local solar installers near you to discuss your range of options.
References
References:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_power_in_Canada
https://www.solarfeeds.com/mag/solar-power-statistics-in-canada-2021/
https://pvbuzz.com/top-five-largest-solar-installations-canada/
https://environmentjournal.ca/canada-installed-almost-1-gw-of-wind-and-solar-energy-in-2021/
