Canada
The solar resource in Canada is generally very good
and compares favourably with other regions of the
world, due in part to its "clear-sky" climate. However,
with its abundant water power and natural gas resources,
the country does not place a high priority on the
development of solar energy.
Nevertheless Canada has in excess of 300 remote communities
that depend on diesel generators for their electricity.
PV systems can assist such remote locations and the
bulk of the 5.8 MWp installed capacity (end-1999)
is used for off-grid applications where PV is proven
to be price-competitive against grid-extension or
conventional stand-alone power systems.
The largest individual PV system user in Canada is
the Canadian Coast Guard with an estimated 7 000 navigational
buoys, beacons and lighthouses using photovoltaic
modules.
There are less than 40 grid-connected PV systems installed
in Canada with a capacity of only 267 kWp. Since the
cost of PV power is still 5-10 times higher than for
conventional power available on the grid, it is unattractive
for grid-connected applications at this time. Many
of the grid-connected systems in Canada were installed
as technology demonstration projects. The Canadian
PV industry has grown steadily over the past few years,
serving both domestic and export markets. In 1999,
there were more than 150 PV businesses active in Canada,
mostly system suppliers and installers.
The most cost-effective active solar energy technologies
are those used for low-temperature heating applications,
such as domestic water heating, pool heating and commercial/industrial
ventilation air pre-heating.
An estimated 12 000 residential solar hot-water systems
and 300 commercial/industrial solar hot-water systems
are currently in use and energy production from these
systems is estimated at around 100 TJ/year. Following
the collapse of oil and gas prices in the mid-1980’s
and the termination of off-oil government programmes,
sales of new systems have slowed down considerably.
Approximately 200 new systems are installed annually,
representing sales of less than C$ 1 million.
Country Notes
(SOLAR ENERGY)
Australia || Canada
|| China
|| France
|| Germany
|| India
|| Indonesia
|| Israel
|| Italy
|| Japan
|| Kenya
|| Korea
(Republic) || Mexico
|| Netherlands
|| Norway
|| South
Africa || Spain
|| Switzerland
|| Thailand
|| United
States Of America
