Maybe Santa should be delivering solar panels to B.C. residents instead of mountains of useless consumer junk. Solar is the fastest growing source of newly installed electricity-generating capacity in the world. B.C. lags behind, despite being sunnier than Germany, one of the world leaders.
The sun produces a mind-boggling amount of energy, as enough solar energy reaches the Earth in one hour to meet all of humanity’s energy needs for an entire year. Worldwide, the total number of solar panels generating electricity doubles every two and a half years.
Globally, installed solar capacity has grown from one gigawatt (one billion watts) in the year 2000, to almost 400 gigawatts at the end of 2017. At this rate, solar will be the No. 1 source of electricity in the world within two decades.
Why has the world finally entered the solar era? The biggest reason is economics. The price of solar panels has fallen by 99 per cent per watt since the 1970s. Like the speed and memory of computers, the efficiency of solar technology continues to improve as prices fall.
In sunny American states and many countries in Africa, the Middle East, Latin America, the Caribbean, south Asia, and the south Pacific, solar costs are competitive with coal and natural gas. And, of course, solar is one of the clean renewable energy sources that we must rapidly deploy to replace fossil fuels and avert the potentially catastrophic impacts of climate change.
B.C. has been slow to jump on the solar bandwagon despite a major competitive advantage. Our vast network of hydroelectric dams is an ideal complement to intermittent sources of energy such as solar and wind. Planners can optimize the electrical grid so that water is stored in the hydroelectric system when it is sunny or windy. In other words, our reservoirs could act like giant batteries, recharging when the sun shines and discharging when it is dark.
Solar has been slow to make inroads in B.C. for three main reasons. The first explanation is that B.C. enjoys very low prices for electricity. Prices here are roughly half the price paid in many other nations, making it harder for solar to compete.
The second reason, related to low electricity prices, is that we have built, and continue to build, energy-inefficient buildings. Compared to new construction in Europe and California, new buildings in Canada use 80 to 90 per cent more energy for heating and cooling. This high energy demand is difficult for rooftop solar to meet.
The third reason is the lack of supportive public policies. Unlike the U.S., Germany and Japan, Canada does not offer tax credits or subsidies for solar panels. Ontario’s Green Energy Act ushered in a policy of paying elevated prices to solar electricity producers and sparked a clean-energy boom. B.C. lacks a similar policy, and B.C. Hydro has been unenthusiastic about adding solar to its portfolio.
Despite these obstacles, interest in solar is high and rising in B.C. The governing NDP/Green coalition should address the glaring deficiencies in our building code and our public policies.
Citizens can demonstrate local leadership by rolling up their sleeves and taking action. Across southern Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands, from Sooke to Salt Spring, solar panels are being mounted in growing numbers, on schools, recycling depots, libraries, community halls and private buildings. These cutting-edge projects create work for local roofers and electricians, as well as upstream jobs manufacturing solar panels, aluminum racking and all kinds of electrical equipment. They prove that solar is practical and affordable.
Plans are underway for community solar farms, where individuals and businesses work together to form co-operatives and find suitable chunks of land to host a large number of solar panels. Individuals, families and businesses would purchase one or more panels, creating opportunities to participate for those without suitable roofs or enough money to purchase an entire system.
Imagine a future British Columbia where public policies and tax dollars supported solar, wind and energy efficiency instead of liquefied natural gas and the Site C dam. Billions of dollars spent on renewables and conservation would create more jobs, reduce climate pollution and make the people of this beautiful province proud to be genuine environmental leaders.
David R. Boyd is a member of the Pender Solar Initiative 2020, a volunteer group that works to plan, finance and install solar panels on Pender Island’s public buildings.
