Canada should focus on building mass utility-scale solar mega-projects to kickstart its green energy transition, according to a new report from Simon Fraser University’s Clean Energy Research Group.
Canada should focus on building mass utility-scale solar mega-projects to kickstart its green energy transition, according to a new report from Simon Fraser University’s Clean Energy Research Group.
The recommendation comes from a new paper published in the journal Solar Compass which looks at the current state of solar power and compares the benefits of both mass-scale projects and smaller, decentralized approached like individual homes and commercial buildings installing their own solar panels.
“Solar has major advantages over wind, geothermal and nuclear power as a renewable energy source,” says Anil Hira, director of the Clean Energy Research Group (CERG) and a professor of political science at SFU. “The cost for installing solar panels is has dropped dramatically in the last decade, by an estimated 90 per cent, and is a vital part of energy plans in many countries, yet in Canada, that potential has barely been touched on. While solar power makes up approximately four per cent of global electricity generation, it only accounts for 0.5 per cent in Canada. Focusing on utility-scale solar projects could have a significant impact in parts of Canada, including British Columbia. Solar can help us to diversify our energy mix so we are not so reliant on hydro and reduces the intermittency problems with wind.”
Read More: Simon Fraser University
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