Solar energy is the radiant light and heat from the sun that reaches us on earth. It has been harnessed for a variety of uses since ancient times. On a small scale, solar energy can be used to keep your home warm during the winter and cool in summer. On a large scale, solar energy is used to produce renewable, clean, and sustainable electric power. Industries such as heating and air-conditioning (HVAC), steel production, aluminum production also make use of solar energy.
Large solar-powered renewable energy farms are built to harness the energy of the sun and produce clean electric power. Canada is one such country that uses solar energy to deliver clean power to thousands of homes and businesses.
The largest solar energy project in Canada with a capacity of 400 MW is a step closer after the Alberta Utilities Commission granted approval for its construction and operation. As Canada’s largest solar project gets approval for construction, Amazon plans to purchase 400 MW of power under a power purchase agreement.
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Travers Solar energy project is expected to be the largest solar energy project in Canada. Last week in an announcement, Greengate Power said the construction of the Travers Solar energy project would commence in 2020, with commercial operations scheduled for 2021.
The project is located in Vulcan County, Alberta and according to Greengate, the photovoltaic plant could supply electric power to over 100,000 homes. The process of directly converting light from the sun into electrical energy is referred to as photovoltaic.
“We are very pleased to have received approval for what we expect will be Canada’s largest solar energy project and one of the largest in the world,” – Greengate CEO Dan Balaban
Large-scale PV plants implemented across North America include the 550 MW Topaz Solar Farms project and the 586 MW Solar Star Projects plant, both of which are located in California. At 400 MW, the Travers Solar project would also be added to large-scale solar PV plants.
“We anticipate that Travers Solar will bring significant investment, employment and clean renewable energy to Alberta while strengthening the province’s position as a global energy and environmental leader,” Balaban added.
Solar PV capacity in Canada stood at 3,040 MW in the year 2018, with most of this renewable energy based in Ontario, according to Natural Resources Canada. At the moment, the country’s biggest renewable energy PV farms include the Sol-Luce Kingston facility and Grand Renewable Energy Park, both of which have a capacity of 100 MW. By contrast, Canada’s hydroelectric power capacity was 80,764 MW in the year 2017.
