Green energy and clean innovation have gained considerable momentum in recent years, and in many respects 2016 was a breakout year for Canada. The conversation around climate changed with the Liberals being amenable to taking action. Across the country (not everywhere but in most places), deployment of renewable energy continued, spurred mostly by provincial policy. The federal government also put some money behind initiatives to reduce emissions and stimulate investment in the clean energy economy.
But the Canadian clean technology landscape wasn't without its challenges.
Consensus on climate policy is still lacking. There is really only one holdout - Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall refused to sign on the Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change, mostly for ideological reasons. And of course, there were pipeline approvals that according to many run counter to the federal government's climate agenda.
Despite the difficulties on broader climate policy, there were technology and application developments that showed how innovation can help lead the country on cleaner and more energy efficient path. Canadian Green Tech reported on many of these developments and the companies selling these technologies.
Below are several of those articles, ranked in order of number of views.
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Benefits of renewables+energy storage on the grid and in apartment buildings
Large scale renewable energy in Ontario took a big hit this week when the province announced the suspension of its Large Renewable Procurement (LRP) Program. But the case for smaller systems particularly when they are combined with energy storage still makes a lot of sense.
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PowerStream and KEPCO have the MiDAS touch
Penetanguishene, a small community about 160 kms north of Toronto, now has its own large-scale microgird. The system, built by PowerStream Inc. and Korea Electric Power Corp. (KEPCO) can provide up to several hours of backup power to 400 residents and business owners in the town.
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Provinces have to do their part to reduce emissions in Canada
On October 2, Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau took a firm stand on climate change. His government will put a price on carbon emissions starting in 2018. The initial price will be $10 per tonne and will rise to $50 by 2022. It will apply to provinces that don’t meet this minimum threshold. Some provinces didn’t take it so well.
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New net metering rules in Ontario to come into force by July 1, 2021
The end of Ontario’s FIT Program appears to be in sight. The provincial government is proposing changes to current net metering rules that make the self-consumption program more palatable to home and business owners, while also facilitating the deployment of energy storage.
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New Flyer leading the charge for electric bus charging standards
Winnipeg-based New Flyer Industries Inc. is part of an international effort to define en-route and overhead charging standards for electric buses. The company is working with the likes of the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), Volvo and Siemens.
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New FIT prices get small hair cut, microFIT rates too, with one exception
For the first time, a FIT sized solar project in Ontario has a kilowatt hour rate in the teens. Large ground-mounted solar projects (greater than 10 kW, but less than 500 kW) will see rates decline from $0.209/kWh to $0.192/kWh, or about an 8% drop.
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Compelling return on investment for energy efficiency driving Thermal Energy growth
Many clean technologies require some sort of government support whether through direct subsidies or grants or regulations to create markets. That’s not always the case with energy efficiency. Ottawa’s Thermal Energy International Inc. is demonstrating that a compelling return on investment combined with strong market fundamentals are enough to win customers.
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Regina refinery to recycle entire wastewater stream
Federated Co-Operatives Ltd.’s refinery in Regina SK will become the first in North America to recycle all of its wastewater for steam production, which is used for heating, hydrogen production, to power equipment and for cooling towers. To do this, the company will install advanced water recycling technology from GE.
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Climate change problem requires radical action, argues Homer-Dixon
The time has come for radical action on climate change, Thomas Homer-Dixon, chair of global systems at the Centre for International Governance and Innovation at Balsillie School of International Affairs at the University of Waterloo, argued during a presentation on September 16.
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Materials research at UOIT may lead to innovative approach to fuel cells systems
New research from Dr. Brad Easton, an associate professor in the Faculty of Sciences at the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT), could help produce more durable and less costly hydrogen fuel cell systems.
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Electric vehicles, virtual power plants, DERs - all elements of the grid of the future
Electric utilities need to realize that rooftop solar, energy storage storage, smart appliances and electric vehicles are going to change the way they interact with customers. Just as significantly, these distributed energy resources (DERs) represent the double opportunity of enhancing the customer relationship and making the grid more flexible and resilient.
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North America can easily handle significantly higher amounts of wind energy generation
A new study from the Canadian Wind Energy Association (CanWEA) indicates that Canada and the US can accommodate upwards of 35% wind energy penetration while causing little headaches to the electricity grid.
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Updated: Energy storage ready for prime time in remote communities
Renewable energy combined with energy storage is a tipping point, according to Canadian Energy chief executive Craig Ballard. In an interview with Canadian Green Tech earlier this September, he explained that in addition to being technical viable, it presents positive economic value for remote communities looking to kick the diesel habit.
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More of Canadian Green Tech’s top 2016 articles
- Renewable energy gaining momentum in Canada’s Far North
- Wind energy must think systemically, says Hornung
- EERC to validate CO2 Solutions small footprint low cost RPB carbon capture process
- TD Bank joins RE100 initiative aims to power global operations from 100% renewable energy
- Eliminating carbon price differences through a federal price floor
- Making sense of Saskatchewan Premier’s view of carbon pricing
- Challenges of building more net zero energy homes in Canada remain large
- Two more Canadian deals in the works for Sunverge
- Residential energy storage gaining momentum in certain markets
- Renewable natural gas, a cost effective alternative to electrification