Renewable Energy News    

 

 

 

Solar (Sun-generated) Power

 

Solar power uses photovoltaic modules to convert light to electricity.  Modules can be stationary (facing in one direction) or mechanized to follow the sun.

 

August 2015 – Comment:  The Ontario government has tasked arms-length energy administrator Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO – www.ieso.ca) to source 140 MW of solar power.  The competitive procurement process “Large Renewable Procurement” (LRP) is basically asking for concepts to be submitted by September 1, 2015 with IESO go ahead expected in December 2015.  This process has got the developers scrambling to come up with locations and indicators of acceptance from Ontario communities.

 

Does solar energy work for Ontario?  Large scale farms are relatively new so there is not a lot of information available.  Opponents often cite that there may be unknown dangers to solar power production and highlight the fact that Ontario is already overproducing power.  However, like any proposal there are many pros and cons:

 

PROS

-        Renewable and “free” energy source

-        Can utilize and provide an income from otherwise low-production land

-        Provides an income to the land-owner (~$500 / acre annually) (source)

-        Provides community benefit funding

-        Provides property tax contributions

-        20+ year lifespan

-        Easily dismantled with few impacts on land (dependent on installer)

-        Employment during construction phase benefiting local hospitality services, some local contractors and material suppliers

 

 

CONS

-        Where do solar modules and their batteries go to do?  What is the environmental footprint?

-        Most solar panels are manufactured in China with a less-than-stellar environmental record.

-        Solar panels require rare-earth minerals with toxic waste by-product, most of which are mined in China.  Some solar panels contain cadmium tolluride, cadmium is one of the top 6 deadliest and toxic materials known. There is limited research on the environmental and health effects of these chemicals to groundwater and in residential areas.

-        Who benefits from this electricity?  Ontario taxpayers are already subsidizing out-of-province energy buyers in the billions of dollars because we produce more than we need.

-        How expensive is this heavily-subsidized energy production to Ontario taxpayers?

-        What is the effect on birds, bees and other wild life?

-        Employment is temporary (only during the construction phase), and brings in expertise from outside the local area (unionized electricians, carpenters, etc.)

-        Variable output (weather dependent)

-        Variable input requires expensive top-of-the line infrastructure

-        Low output per module

-        Esthetics (trees and pastoral fields are replaced with substation, hydro poles and acres of solar modules)  “barbed wire surrounded industrial installations”

-        Potential property value decrease for neighbours

-        Not a good use of prime agricultural farmland (AO Farmland Development News)

-        Is farmland stripped of topsoil (and replaced with gravel)? 

-        Are aquifers protected?

-        Difficulty re: surface water drainage

-        “Limited Partnership” agreements mean that once a solar farm is constructed the parent company could be protected from legal problems such as negligence or malpractice of the partner.  This could leave the township and taxpayer responsible for decommission and clean up. 

-        The carbon footprint of industrial solar panels is at best 72 g CO2e/kwh? This is more than wind (11g), hydroelectric (10-30g), and nuclear (16g) combined? (taken from EDF En website).

-        With sometimes thousands of beams drilled to support the modules, what is the possibility of groundwater contamination? [check out Lombardy, Ontario news coverage]

-        For systems proposed near airports/aerodromes is glare and radar interference a problem? (Solar Industry Magazine)

 

 


 

News – Solar Power (most recent first)

  

Date

Source

Title

Comment

2018-03-15

The News-Gazette (USA)

Sidney resident offers cautionary tale on wind farms

Christine Walsh

AO Info – Renewables: Wind

2017-09-06

Peterborough Examiner

Bewdley-area solar farm opponents waited 7 months for meeting with Peterborough MPP Jeff Leal

Jason Bain

2916-06-23

Vox.com

Solar panels have gotten thinner than a human hair. Soon they’ll be everywhere.

David Roberts

2016-05-25

EcoWatch / Lorraine Chow

World’s Largest Solar Rooftop System Goes Online, Will Power 8,000 Homes

Lorraine Chow

2016-02-24

TrueActivist.com (USA)

Solar Energy Surpasses Natural Gas For First Time Ever And Breaks Records In 2015

John Vibes

2016-01-29

Treehugger.com

France to pave 1000km of roads with solar panels

Derek Markham

2016-01-13

TheGuardian.com

Nevada solar industry collapses after state lets power company raise fees

Daniel Hernandez

- USA

2015-10-12

Medical News Today

Solar power helping to purify water in remote communities

 

2015-10-02

The Verge

Elon Musk-backed SolarCity claims to have built industry's most efficient solar panel

Loren Grush

2015-08-26

Orangeville Citizen

Solar farm proponents given rough ride at Mono meeting

 

2015-08-20

EcoWatch / Cole Mellino

World’s First Solar Powered Airport Has Arrived

Cole Mellino

- India

2015-08-10

Lfpress.com

Province puts heat on Big Solar

John Milner

2015-08-04

CanadianManufacturing.com

Construction completed on Canada’s largest solar project

- St. Jacobs, Ontario

2015-08-03

EcoWatch / Cole Mellino

Solar-Powered Noise Barriers Quiet Traffic While Generating Electricity

Cole Mellino

2015-07-11

Hamilton Spectator

LTE: Be wary of solar farm proposal

Denny Allen

2015-07-07

Gizmodo (Japan)

Abandoned Golf courses Are Bine Transformed into Solar Farms

Alissa Walker

- Japan

2015-07-07

Sudbury Star

Councillors feel sidelined in solar planning

Mary Katherine Keown

2015-07-02

CKWS Television

County residents say no to new solar farms

- Prince Edward County

2015-06-05

QuinteNews

Big solar farm proposal for Tyendinaga Township

 

2015-05-27

Globe and Mail

The darker side of solar power

Konrad Yakabuski

2015-05-15

EcoWatch / Cole Mellino

World’s First Solar Road Already Generating More Power Than Expected

Cole Mellino

2015-05-14

Peterborough Examiner

Neighbours oppose solar farm at buffalo ranch

Joelle Kovach

2015-04-30

MyKawartha.com

Neighbours form group to fight proposed solar farm in Douro

Lance Anderson

www.protectddfarmland.ca

@protectDDfarmld

2015-03-01

EcoWatch / Cole Mellino

Charge Your Smart Phone With 3D-Printed Solar Tree

Cole Mellino

2015-02-23

Daily Mail (UK)

Solar farm sets 130 birds on FIRE: Extreme glow of power plant ignites creatures mid-air during tests

Sarah Griffiths

- Tonopah, Nevada, USA

-also Ivanhap Solar Electric Generating System

2014-12-28

Inhabitat.com

Rayton's new super-efficient, affordable solar panels could trump fossil fuels

Colin Payne

2014-12-03

Zee News (India)

Solar energy to turn sea water potable

- “Desolenator”

www.desolenator.com

 

2014-10-09

Bloomberg News

Solar’s $30 Billion Splurge Proves Too Much for Japan

Chisaki Watanabe

2014-10-06

ThinkProgress.org

Why Solar Power Is Taking Off At Airports Across The Country

Emily Atkin

2014-08-31

ExtremeTech

A fully transparent solar cell that could make every window and screen a power source

Sebastian Anthony

2014-08-27

Scientific American

Solar Farms Threaten Birds

John Upton, Climate Central

2014-08-18

Christian Science Monitor

Birds igniting: California solar power plant scorches birds in mid-air (+video)

Ellen Knickmeyer and John Locher, Associated Press

2014-06-18

Treehugger

Germany breaks 3 solar power records in 2 weeks

Zachary Shahan

2014-06-16

Motherboard

India’s Bold Plan to Cover 1,000 Miles of Canals With Solar Power Plants

Brian Merchant

2014-06-12

Inhabitant.com

Russian Physicists Launch Campaign to Rebuild Tesla’s Wardenclyffe Tower and Power the World

Beverley Mitchell

2014-05-18

Youtube / Solar Roadways

Solar FREAKIN’ Roadways

Fundraising via Indiegogo.com (raised over $1 million in less than one month)

29-May-14 Treehugger

2014-04-28

Ecowatch / Solar Roadways

How Solar Panels Could Transform Parking Lots and Roadways Around the World

Brandon Baker

www.solarroadways.com

 

2014-04-16

Bloomberg

New Wind, Solar Power Cheaper Than Nuclear Option, Study Shows

Stefan Nicola

2014-03-31

NorthernLife.ca

Co-operative wants $1-million solar farm in Sudbury

 

2014-03-06

Barrie Examiner

LTE:  Keep solar farms away from residential areas

Peter and Karen Galloway

2014-02-19

TheWire.com

The World’s Largest Solar Energy Plant Is Also a Massive Death Ray for Birds

Danielle Wiener-Bronner

2014-02-12

Wall Street Journal

The $2.2 Billion Bird-Scorching Solar Project

Cassandra Sweet

- (subscription required)

2014-01-02

EcoWatch / Brandon Baker

Ford to introduce first solar-powered car

Brandon Baker

2012-08-22

Environment 360

Solar Shingles Made from Common Metals Offer Cheaper Energy Option

AO Mining info

2012-08-13

NewsWise.com

New Solar Panels Made with More Common Metals Could Be Cheaper and More Sustainable

American Chemical Society (ACS)

2011-05-13

Recorder.ca

Rideau Lakes residents see eighth solar farm application in township

Nick Gardiner

2010-11-26

Recorder.ca

Solar farm casting shadow over Elmsley

Steve Pettibone

- ground water quality issue

2010-07-06

Simcoe.com / Barrie Advance

Farmer leads fight against solar energy sites

L Watt

2010-03-23

Mother Jones

Solar Panels: Tomorrow's Toxic Waste?

Josh Harkinson

2009-01-14

CleanTechnica.com

Danger: Solar Panels Can Be Hazardous to Your Health

Ariel Schwartz

 

 

Other Information:

 

OMAFRA “Non-Rooftop Solar Photovoltaic Projects on Agricultural Lands”

 

Les Mées Solar Farm – France (200 ha, 112,000 modules, 100MW) (visual)

 

 

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Disclaimer: This information has been compiled through private amateur research for the purpose of allowing the reader to make an informed and educated decision.  However, while the information is believed to be reliable, completeness and accuracy cannot be guaranteed.

 

 


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AO News - Solar