Construction of largest solar facility in Saskatchewan set for 2025

Enhancing Strata Living with Convenient Electric Vehicle Charging

In a significant move, the British Columbia government has introduced new rules that streamline the process for homeowners within strata developments to request electric vehicle (EV) charging stations. These regulations, effective immediately, provide clarity on the procedure for homeowners to make such requests and set specific timelines for strata corporations to respond.

Housing Minister Ravi Kahlon emphasized the importance of ensuring that the absence of EV charging access should not deter individuals from choosing strata living, often considered a more affordable housing option. These regulations align with the province’s commitment to accelerating the transition to zero-emission and electric vehicles.

Key Highlights with “Power My Home”:

1. Response Timeline: The regulations establish a specific timeline within which strata corporations must respond to a homeowner’s request for an EV charging station. This ensures a prompt and efficient process, promoting the adoption of electric vehicles.
2. Exclusive Parking Permissions: Strata now has the authority to grant an owner exclusive use of a parking stall for up to five years if the installation of an EV charging station is in response to the owner’s request. This ensures convenient and dedicated parking for EV owners.
3. Supporting Clean Energy Solutions with “Power My Home”: The regulations mandate strata to obtain an electrical planning report to prepare for necessary upgrades to accommodate low-carbon energy solutions, including EV charging. This move aligns with the recent legislation aimed at expediting the adoption of clean-energy vehicles. Explore more about clean energy at Power My Home.

Josie Osborne, Minister of Energy, Mines, and Low Carbon Innovation, highlighted that the surge in electric vehicle adoption in British Columbia necessitates such proactive measures. B.C. passed legislation last month to expedite the transition to zero-emission and electric vehicles.

Electrical Planning Reports:

The regulations require strata to obtain an electrical planning report to facilitate upgrades for low-carbon energy solutions, including EV charging infrastructure. This proactive approach enables strata corporations to plan for associated costs and operations linked to the growing demand for electric vehicles.

Voting Threshold Adjustment:

Part of Bill 22, the Strata Property Amendment Act, introduces a reduction in the voting threshold from three-quarters to a majority for approving decisions related to EV charging equipment.

Regional Implementation:

The deadlines for obtaining electrical planning reports are being phased in over three years. Strata in Metro Vancouver, the Fraser Valley, and Greater Victoria are expected to have reports by late 2026, while other areas have until late 2028.

These regulations reflect a balanced solution, according to Tony Gioventu, CEO of the Condominium Home Owners Association, addressing the needs of owners desiring electric vehicles and charging facilities.

For more information about B.C.’s EV charger rebate program, visit goelectricbc.gov.bc.ca

Or email us at [email protected]

Welcome to the world of Solar Microgrids, where the sun becomes the driving force behind powering homes, businesses, and farms. In this article, we’ll unravel the concept of Solar Microgrids, their applications, and the transformative impact they bring to communities.

What is a Solar Microgrid?

Solar Microgrids are integrated networks or ‘grids’ of power, functioning much like the shared electricity networks used by you and your neighbors. The key difference lies in the source of energy – solar power. This innovative system captures, stores, and distributes clean electricity to entire communities through the installation of large, high-quality solar panels and batteries in a central location, often referred to as a ‘hub.’ This hub, securely housed beneath the solar panels, completes the microgrid by connecting electrical wiring to nearby houses, businesses, and farms.

The solar microgrid operates similarly to conventional power sources, with the central hub providing on-demand electricity to connected users. Families pay either a flat usage fee or a metered bill, contributing to the collective fund managed by an elected committee of community members. These funds are then utilized for future repairs or expansions of the network.

Solar Microgrids have proven successful in powering homes, hospitals, schools, businesses, irrigation pumps, street lights, and more. In Kenya alone, we have installed 10 solar microgrids with a combined capacity of 25.42 kW, bringing reliable, clean electricity to over 3,000 people.

Where is the Solar Microgrid Appropriate?

Solar Microgrids present a robust solution for rural electrification, particularly in remote communities without access to existing infrastructure. Ideal for small islands, mountainous regions, and remote rural areas, these microgrids thrive in regions with ample sunshine. Storage capabilities enable them to operate even during periods of sparse sunlight, making them versatile and reliable.

The scalability of Solar Microgrids is noteworthy. Systems range from 1.5 kW, supporting 25 homes and 5 businesses, to larger systems with capacities of up to 15 kW, catering to hundreds of households and small businesses. As communities grow, the microgrid can be seamlessly expanded to accommodate more users.

How Does the Solar Microgrid Work?

While Solar Microgrids hold immense potential as a renewable energy solution, their sustainability hinges on community involvement, training, and cooperation. At the heart of our approach is placing communities in control, working hand-in-hand with them from the inception to create a long-term vision and management plan. Discover more about our collaborative journey with communities as partners.

Join us in the solar revolution, where communities are empowered, and sustainable energy becomes a shared reality. Explore Power My Home and Energy Economics for more insights. Ready to embrace solar energy? Take the first step at www.powermyhome.ca.

BC Hydro will move forward with a call for new sources of renewable, emission-free electricity to power British Columbia’s growing clean economy and create new jobs throughout the province.

The call is expected to launch in spring 2024.

In addition, the Province is providing $140 million to the B.C Indigenous Clean Energy Initiative (BCICEI) to support Indigenous-led power projects, create economic opportunities for First Nations, and advance community self-determination.

“As we face the threat of a record fire season across Canada, the need to switch to clean power to fight climate change has never felt more urgent. The good news is that from electric cars to electrified heavy industry, British Columbians are taking action,” said Premier David Eby. “To guarantee the affordable power for this important transition, we’re working in partnership with First Nations and BC Hydro to generate more of the clean electricity that British Columbia needs to build our economy, and grow our role as a clean-energy superpower.”

Electricity demand is expected to increase by 15% between now and 2030. This is due to economic and population growth, and as more homes, businesses and industries switch from fossil fuels to clean electricity. In the past six years, the number of electric vehicles on B.C.’s roads has increased by nearly 2,000%.

Updated demand forecasts filed by BC Hydro with the B.C. Utilities Commission today confirm that new sources of electricity will be required sooner than previously expected. To ensure that it’s ready to procure new power supply, BC Hydro is moving forward with the development of a competitive process to acquire more clean electricity. This will be BC Hydro’s first call for power in 15 years, and will target larger, utility scale projects.

BC Hydro will only acquire 100% clean, renewable electricity, including wind and solar. The call for power process will be designed by BC Hydro and the Province following engagement with First Nations, industry and stakeholders. The engagement will include development of options regarding minimum requirements for Indigenous participation in new projects. The newly formed BC Hydro task force will also provide strategic advice.

The BC Hydro task force draws on further Indigenous and external energy experts to provide strategic advice on advancing Indigenous ownership and/or equity interest opportunities. The task force has three key priorities:

• speed of permitting and delivery;
• oversight to protect ratepayers and enable economic and climate priorities; and
• identifying, enabling and accelerating economic opportunities.

Over the next 12 months, the task force will focus on identifying and implementing short- and medium-term actions that can advance these priorities.

“First Nations are key partners as we work to power B.C.’s growing clean economy with clean, renewable electricity,” said Josie Osborne, Minister of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation. “Funding for the B.C. Indigenous Clean Energy Initiative will open up new opportunities for First Nations in clean-energy projects, including wind and solar, create local jobs, and support Indigenous self-determination.”

The Province’s $140 million contribution to the BCICEI will support smaller Indigenous-led power projects that may otherwise not be competitive due to their smaller size.

The BCICEI is a clean-energy funding partnership between the Province of British Columbia, the Government of Canada, and the New Relationship Trust. It provides support and capacity-building funds to First Nations communities toward the planning and implementation of clean-energy projects. The BCICEI is administered by the New Relationship Trust, an Indigenous-led non-profit organization that delivers federal and provincially funded programs in support of Indigenous capacity development and reconciliation.

BC Hydro expects to initiate a call for power in spring 2024 in order to acquire new sources of electricity as early as 2028. This may be followed by subsequent calls as the transition to clean energy continues to accelerate, and BC Hydro requires additional resources in order to electrify B.C.’s growing economy and meet the province’s climate targets.

Quick Facts:

• BC Hydro gets 98% of its power generation from clean or renewable resources, making BC Hydro the leader in North America when it comes to clean energy.
• BC Hydro’s residential electricity rates are also the second lowest in North America.
• Zero-emission vehicles represented 18.1% of new light-duty passenger vehicles sold in B.C. in 2022, the highest percentage for any province or territory, and well ahead of CleanBC targets.
• The number of registered light-duty electric vehicles rose from 5,000 in 2016 to more than 100,000 today – a 1,900% increase in the past six years.
• There are approximately 200,000 heat pumps installed in BC Hydro residential customer homes. This is equivalent to about 10% of homes.
• The BCICEI has delivered $26 million to support more than 100 Indigenous clean-energy projects in B.C. since 2016.
• In 2021-22, Canada provided a $6.4-million top-up to the BCICEI.
• In 2022-23, Canada renewed the BCICEI for 2022-23 and 2023-24 with an additional $3.6 million.

Learn More:

To read BC Hydro’s 2021 Integrated Resource Plan, including recent updates, visit: www.bchydro.com/cleanpower2040

To follow the B.C. Utilities Commission review of the Integrated Resource Plan, visit: https://www.bcuc.com/OurWork/Proceedings

For more information on the New Relationship Trust and the B.C. Indigenous Clean Energy Initiative, visit: https://newrelationshiptrust.ca/

To meet the members of the new BC Hydro Task Force and learn about its work, visit: www.gov.bc.ca/BCHydroTaskForce

Three backgrounders follow.

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Backgrounds:

Independent power projects from BC Hydro (Link to Source below)

Source: https://www.bchydro.com/work-with-us/selling-clean-energy/meeting-energy-needs.html

Introduction: Commercial solar, often referred to as C&I solar (Commercial and Industrial scale), occupies a unique position within the solar industry, distinct from its residential and utility-scale counterparts. While this sector has faced challenges, signs point to significant growth, making it a space worth exploring. In this article, we provide an overview of commercial solar, discussing its diverse customer base, project sizes, and the factors influencing its expansion. Join us on a journey through the complexities and opportunities in this dynamic sector, with a focus on Power My Home.

Understanding Commercial Solar: Commercial solar isn’t simply about powering businesses; it spans a wide range of customers, including large corporations, local businesses, governments, schools, and nonprofits. Projects can take the form of rooftop arrays or ground mounts, varying in size from kilowatts to multi-megawatts. The commercial solar landscape is expansive, offering flexibility from ground-mount installations to innovative use of rooftop space, all under the expertise of Power My Home.

The Commercial Solar Opportunity: Researchers at UC Davis, utilizing Aurora solar software, have explored the potential of commercial buildings in the U.S. Their findings showcase the immense opportunity, with a Texas-based aerospace company having the potential to generate 88 million kilowatt hours (kWh) of clean energy. This extreme example underscores the variability in project sizes within the sector, presenting a diverse range of possibilities for Power My Home to harness.

Constraints on Commercial Solar: Despite its potential, commercial solar has faced hurdles, leading to slower growth compared to residential and utility-scale solar. Factors contributing to this include historically lower commercial electricity prices, split incentives for building owners, and complex financing structures. Overcoming these challenges is crucial for Power My Home to unlock the full potential of commercial solar.

Solutions to Barriers: Efforts are underway to overcome challenges in the commercial solar sector. Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) have emerged as a key financing option, allowing investors to absorb upfront costs while consumers gradually pay off the system. The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) and SolarKal, highlights the diverse project structures and financing options available, emphasizing the sector’s cost competitiveness with utility energy.

Current Scale and Future Growth: As of the latest data, the U.S. has over 8,300 megawatts (MW) of commercial solar projects across 43 states, representing approximately 70% of all installed commercial capacity. While impressive, commercial solar still trails behind the residential and utility-scale markets. However, indicators suggest significant growth potential, with the sector poised to take off as barriers are addressed, with Power My Home almost at the forefront of this transformative journey.

Commercial Solar Benefits: Commercial solar offers a multitude of benefits to various stakeholders. Building owners can experience increased operating income and longer lease terms, while tenants enjoy reduced operating costs through utility bill savings. Power My Home, as close to leading solar contractors navigating this sector, can capitalize on economies of scale, making commercial projects potentially more lucrative than residential ones.

Conclusion: This article serves as an introduction to the world of commercial solar, offering insights into its diverse nature, challenges, and potential for growth.  As we look to the future, commercial solar stands as a pivotal pillar in the broader growth of solar energy, presenting exciting opportunities for all stakeholders involved. Including Elemental Energy & Energy Economics.

The solar photovoltaics (PV) industry is experiencing a global boom, offering a promising solution to contemporary challenges such as climate change and universal electricity access. The success of PV plants hinges on their quality and performance, making them integral to a sustainable future.

Untapped Solar Potential and Global Energy Disparities

According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), achieving universal electricity access is a prerequisite for any net-zero pathway. Astonishingly, nearly 700 million people worldwide lack access to electricity, with many lacking stable power for essential services like healthcare facilities. Paradoxically, the sun provides over 200,000 times the energy the world currently generates daily, with more than 80% of those without electricity residing in Sub-Saharan Africa—where sunlight is abundant.

Solar PV: A Catalyst for Change

Solar PV emerges as one of the most cost-effective ways to generate electricity globally. In 2022, solar PV generation witnessed a remarkable 26% annual growth, surpassing all other renewable energies. Projections indicate its continued ascent, set to exceed coal by 2027. This growth is a positive sign, especially considering the imperative to meet climate targets, reduce carbon emissions, and ensure electricity access for all.

The IEA asserts that by 2040, electricity generation must constitute almost half of total energy consumption to achieve net-zero targets by 2050. With electricity currently comprising only 20% of global energy consumption, solar PV stands as a transformative opportunity for the century.

Expert Insights into PV Industry Dynamics

Roger Taylor, a PV industry expert, underscores the significance of PV plant investment in quality products, design, and construction processes. He emphasizes the low operating costs of well-built PV plants, with sunlight being a free and abundant resource.

PV solar power plants are intricate systems comprising thousands of components. Taylor stresses that the safety and reliability of these plants depend on the complex interplay of various stages, including development, design, engineering, construction, operation, and maintenance, along with cybersecurity measures.

Standards: Ensuring Quality and Safety

IEC International Standards play a pivotal role in enabling solar PV installations to meet globally agreed requirements for quality, safety, and performance. With around 200 standards for PV components and additional standards for system design, quality management, and cybersecurity, the IEC ensures adherence to high-quality benchmarks.

Addressing End-of-Life Challenges

The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) highlights a potential increase in landfill waste as the PV market grows. However, adherence to standards, especially those governing design and construction, can mitigate environmental impact. Industry experts stress the importance of certifying PV components to specified quality levels, preventing premature retirements and ensuring environmental sustainability.

Global Certification Programs: Ensuring Quality Assurance

IECEE’s PV certification program offers access to qualified testing laboratories, certifying PV components according to IEC International Standards. These certificates assure compliance with global quality and safety requirements, instilling confidence across the supply chain.

Wolfram Zeitz, Executive Secretary for IEC CA Systems IECRE and IECEE, emphasizes the critical nature of assessing both components and the entire PV plant. This approach ensures the correct implementation of standards, maintaining quality and safety throughout the value chain.

Unlocking Solar Potential in Africa

Recognizing the resource limitations in many countries, IECEE’s PV certification program facilitates mutual recognition of conformity assessment certificates. In Kenya, the national certification approval scheme operates based on IECEE test reports and certificates, streamlining the clearance process for imported goods.

Irene Njine, Assistant Manager-Quality Assurance at KEBS, attests to the benefits of this program, citing time savings and simplified market entry for products tested by IECEE-recognized labs. Such schemes can also support governments in implementing incentives for solar products, as seen in Senegal’s quality control scheme, which exempts certified solar products from VAT.

The Future of Solar PV: Sustainable Growth

As solar PV experiences exponential growth, it aligns with the IEA’s vision of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. Declining module prices and increased policy demands fuel this growth. Standards and conformity assessment play a crucial role in ensuring sustainable development, longevity of PV plants, and the realization of solar energy’s full potential.

In conclusion, the future of solar power looks bright, promising a sustainable energy landscape and addressing global challenges. Standards, certification programs, and international collaboration are key drivers in ensuring that solar PV continues to shine as a beacon of renewable energy.

Credit Liked to: Embracing the power of solar | IEC e-tech

For a brief period over several weekends this spring, the state of South Australia, which has a population of 1.8 million, did something no other place of similar size can claim: generate enough energy from solar panels on the roofs of houses to meet virtually all its electricity needs.

This is a new phenomenon, but it has been coming for a while – since solar photovoltaic cells started to be installed at a rapid pace across Australia in the early 2010s. Roughly one in three Australian households, more than 3.6m homes, now generate electricity domestically. In South Australia, the most advanced state for rooftop solar, the proportion is nearly 50%.

No other country comes close to installing small solar systems on a per capita basis. “It’s absolutely extraordinary by world standards,” said Dr Dylan McConnell, an energy systems analyst at the University of New South Wales. “We’re streets ahead.”

There was no overarching plan that made Australia the world leader in household solar PV. Analysts mostly agreed that it was a happy accident, the result of a range of uncoordinated policies across tiers of government. Many were subsidy schemes that were derided as too generous and gradually scaled back, but the most important – an easy-to-access, upfront national rebate available to everyone – endured. It has helped make panels cost-effective and easy to install.

Cost was a big consideration for the Jamiesons – Sean, Deb, and their 19-year-old daughter, Molly – when they installed a system on the four-bedroom house in a beachside suburb in South Australia’s capital, Adelaide, a decade ago. They upgraded to a larger 8kW system during a home renovation five years later, and have installed two batteries, the first subsidized as part of a state government scheme trialing household energy storage systems to help stabilize a power grid that increasingly runs on variable solar and wind power.

Sean Jamieson, a pilot with the airline Jetstar, said the setup had been “incredibly beneficial”, in part because his family uses a range of energy-hungry equipment, including a pool and hot tub. They first opted for solar after watching the price of grid electricity rise sharply, mainly due to the cost of rebuilding electricity transmission poles and wires. He said it has continued to make sense.

“I’m looking at paying it off [through savings on what annual power bills would otherwise have been] in three or four years, so it’s been a great investment,” he said of the household energy system. “Generally, solar is just a no-brainer in South Australia. We’ve got a lot of sunshine and the most expensive electricity in Australia, and in the beginning, it was heavily subsidized.”

Dr Gabrielle Kuiper, an independent energy and climate change strategist, noted Australia was not the first country out of the gate on rooftop solar – that was Germany, which introduced the first subsidy scheme, and “none of us would be here without them” – but said it was one of the first to capitalize on the German model. It began with a natural advantage: more sun than nearly any other wealthy country. Even the southern island state of Tasmania is at a latitude that would place it level with Spain and California if it were in the northern hemisphere.

Kuiper said Australia had succeeded at solar for reasons beyond geography. Incentives were a big part of it, but the technology’s rise was accelerated by ordinary people embracing it to have some control over their power bills and, in some cases, play a small part in tackling the climate crisis by reducing the country’s reliance on coal.

The subsidies initially included a national rebate of A$8,000 for a small 1kW array – more than the sticker price in parts of the country. It was complemented by state government feed-in tariff schemes that paid households for the energy they fed back into the power grid and, in some cases, for all the electricity they generated.

There was little planning in how the various incentives fit together and critics attacked it as an expensive and inefficient way to cut greenhouse gas emissions. But it kickstarted an industry of installers, sales people, trainers and inspectors, and quickly made solar a viable option for people beyond the country’s wealthiest suburbs.

Today, the feed-in-tariffs have been cut, but the national rebate scheme survives, with bipartisan support despite deep divisions over other responses to the climate crisis. Analysts and industry players have praised its elegant design. The rebate is processed by and paid to the installer. The buyer may not even know it exists. It is reduced by about 8% each year, a rate that roughly keeps pace with the continuing fall in the cost of having panels installed.

The fall in cost has been significant. The sums vary depending on geography, but the SolarQuotes comparison site suggests many Australians can get a 6kW solar system for about A$6,000 (£3,100). The panels are likely to have paid for themselves within five years.

The influx of solar has brought challenges, including how to manage the flood of near-free energy in the middle of the day that risks making inflexible coal generators unviable before the country is ready for them to be turned off. Some states have responded by curtailing how much can be accepted into the grid, but Kuiper says this can be addressed through increasingly creative management. Answers include improving incentives for household batteries and fostering a two-way energy exchange between the grid and a growing electric vehicle fleet.

Rooftops provided 11% of the country’s electricity over the past year, part of a 38% total renewable energy share. The Australian government has set a challenging national goal of 82% of all electricity coming from renewables by 2030.

Simon Holmes à Court, a longtime clean energy advocate and convener of the political fundraising body Climate 200, said it was clear rooftop solar was playing a bigger part in reaching that than many people expected. “Not long ago renewables skeptics laughed at rooftop solar’s ‘tiny’ contribution. These days there’s no question solar is playing a major role in pushing coal out of our grid,” he said.

Tristan Edis, an analyst with the consultants Green Energy Markets, said the lesson for those watching on was pretty simple: the generous early subsidies worked. “It really was this fortuitous accident that happened,” he said. “The message from it is pretty clear: go hard and go big, or don’t bother.”

Link Reference: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/nov/01/how-generous-subsidies-helped-australia-to-become-a-leader-in-solar-power