From pv magazine USA
Although Canada is a relatively nascent solar market compared to the United States, the country relies heavily on hydropower for its clean energy and has even implemented federal and provincial goals to phase out coal use for electric power generation.
As for other types of renewables, the Canadian industry is growing and shows great promise. At least that’s the conclusion that can be drawn from a new report by the Canadian Renewable Energy Association (CanREA). The organization said that Canada’s wind, solar, and energy storage sectors ended 2020 in a strong position, with the industry ready to expand significantly in 2021.
Despite the challenges posed by the global pandemic, Canada ended 2020 with a total wind capacity of 13,588 MW, a total solar capacity of roughly 3,000 MW, significant growth in energy storage, and a “positive forecast for 2021,” said Robert Hornung, president and CEO of CanREA.
As in the United States, the Covid-19 pandemic caused supply-chain disruptions, energy-demand fluctuations, and workforce health concerns in Canada–all of which temporarily delayed many renewable energy projects from coming online in 2020.
Key figures
According to CanREA, Canada installed at least 70 MW of solar PV capacity in 2020, along with an additional 166 MW of wind power. The group said that wind and solar generation now meet 40% of electricity demand in Prince Edward Island and 18% in Nova Scotia, with the contribution approaching 10% in other Canadian provinces.
According to CanREA, wind and solar energy have contributed more to Canada’s installed electricity-generating capacity than any other technologies over the last decade. Much of this growth is attributable to significant cost reductions caused by technological advances. CanREA said the energy storage market is also growing. Canada currently has a total utility-scale energy storage capacity of more than 130 MW/250 MWh, with 10% coming online in 2020 alone.
With 240 MW of large-scale solar projects and 745 MW of wind projects currently under construction across Canada, CanREA said it anticipates significant expansion in the country’s non-hydro renewables industry over the next year. Overall, it expects close to 2 GW of wind and solar projects to be installed or begin construction in 2021.
The organization also predicts continued expansion for utility-scale, residential, and commercial storage, thanks to cost decreases and emerging regulatory and market frameworks. It noted that electricity system operators and regulators are actively working on options to integrate storage into the grid, including a review of market rules in Ontario and Alberta, and pilot projects in Quebec and Saskatchewan.
New opportunities
Despite the year’s challenges, CanREA said that 2020 offered new opportunities from multiple levels of government. The province of Saskatchewan and the city of Edmonton, Alberta, launched procurement processes, with Saskatchewan also seeking feedback on interest in battery storage projects in the province.
And the federal government and the province of Quebec both announced plans to procure low-cost, non-emitting electricity in the future.In January, the federal government opened a request for proposals to buy new clean electricity in the province of Alberta to power federal operations there.
CanREA said the year ended on a positive note, with the federal government announcing a new climate plan in December and Quebec presenting a new electrification strategy in November. Wind, solar, and storage are expected to play a central role in meeting the greenhouse-gas emissions targets.
“Customer interest in wind and solar energy is increasing, and there is a lot of optimism within the industry,” said Hornung. “We are ready to deliver the renewable energy solutions that will be central to Canada’s energy transition, with benefits for all Canadians.”
More data from CanREA can be found here.
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