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)
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Date |
Source |
Title |
Comment |
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2018-03-15 |
The News-Gazette (USA) |
Christine Walsh |
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2017-09-06 |
Peterborough Examiner |
Bewdley-area solar farm opponents waited 7 months for meeting with Peterborough MPP Jeff Leal |
Jason Bain |
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2916-06-23 |
Vox.com |
Solar panels have gotten thinner than a human hair. Soon they’ll be everywhere. |
David Roberts |
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2016-05-25 |
EcoWatch / Lorraine Chow |
World’s Largest Solar Rooftop System Goes Online, Will Power 8,000 Homes |
Lorraine Chow |
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2016-02-24 |
TrueActivist.com (USA) |
Solar Energy Surpasses Natural Gas For First Time Ever And Breaks Records In 2015 |
John Vibes |
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2016-01-29 |
Treehugger.com |
Derek Markham |
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2016-01-13 |
TheGuardian.com |
Nevada solar industry collapses after state lets power company raise fees |
Daniel Hernandez - USA |
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2015-10-12 |
Medical News Today |
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2015-10-02 |
The Verge |
Elon Musk-backed SolarCity claims to have built industry's most efficient solar panel |
Loren Grush |
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2015-08-26 |
Orangeville Citizen |
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2015-08-20 |
EcoWatch / Cole Mellino |
Cole Mellino - India |
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2015-08-10 |
Lfpress.com |
John Milner |
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2015-08-04 |
CanadianManufacturing.com |
- St. Jacobs, Ontario |
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2015-08-03 |
EcoWatch / Cole Mellino |
Solar-Powered Noise Barriers Quiet Traffic While Generating Electricity |
Cole Mellino |
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2015-07-11 |
Hamilton Spectator |
Denny Allen |
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2015-07-07 |
Gizmodo (Japan) |
Abandoned Golf courses Are Bine Transformed into Solar Farms |
Alissa Walker - Japan |
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2015-07-07 |
Sudbury Star |
Mary Katherine Keown |
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2015-07-02 |
CKWS Television |
- Prince Edward County |
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2015-06-05 |
QuinteNews |
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2015-05-27 |
Globe and Mail |
Konrad Yakabuski |
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2015-05-15 |
EcoWatch / Cole Mellino |
World’s First Solar Road Already Generating More Power Than Expected |
Cole Mellino |
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2015-05-14 |
Peterborough Examiner |
Joelle Kovach |
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2015-04-30 |
MyKawartha.com |
Lance Anderson @protectDDfarmld |
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2015-03-01 |
EcoWatch / Cole Mellino |
Cole Mellino |
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2015-02-23 |
Daily Mail (UK) |
Sarah Griffiths - Tonopah, Nevada, USA -also Ivanhap Solar Electric Generating System |
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2014-12-28 |
Inhabitat.com |
Rayton's new super-efficient, affordable solar panels could trump fossil fuels |
Colin Payne |
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2014-12-03 |
Zee News (India) |
- “Desolenator”
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2014-10-09 |
Bloomberg News |
Chisaki Watanabe |
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2014-10-06 |
ThinkProgress.org |
Why Solar Power Is Taking Off At Airports Across The Country |
Emily Atkin |
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2014-08-31 |
ExtremeTech |
A fully transparent solar cell that could make every window and screen a power source |
Sebastian Anthony |
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2014-08-27 |
Scientific American |
John Upton, Climate Central |
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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 |
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2014-06-18 |
Treehugger |
Zachary Shahan |
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2014-06-16 |
Motherboard |
India’s Bold Plan to Cover 1,000 Miles of Canals With Solar Power Plants |
Brian Merchant |
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2014-06-12 |
Inhabitant.com |
Russian Physicists Launch Campaign to Rebuild Tesla’s Wardenclyffe Tower and Power the World |
Beverley Mitchell |
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2014-05-18 |
Youtube / Solar Roadways |
Fundraising via Indiegogo.com (raised over $1 million in less than one month) |
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2014-04-28 |
Ecowatch / Solar Roadways |
How Solar Panels Could Transform Parking Lots and Roadways Around the World |
Brandon Baker
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2014-04-16 |
Bloomberg |
New Wind, Solar Power Cheaper Than Nuclear Option, Study Shows |
Stefan Nicola |
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2014-03-31 |
NorthernLife.ca |
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2014-03-06 |
Barrie Examiner |
Peter and Karen Galloway |
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2014-02-19 |
TheWire.com |
The World’s Largest Solar Energy Plant Is Also a Massive Death Ray for Birds |
Danielle Wiener-Bronner |
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2014-02-12 |
Wall Street Journal |
Cassandra Sweet - (subscription required) |
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2014-01-02 |
EcoWatch / Brandon Baker |
Brandon Baker |
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2012-08-22 |
Environment 360 |
Solar Shingles Made from Common Metals Offer Cheaper Energy Option |
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2012-08-13 |
NewsWise.com |
New Solar Panels Made with More Common Metals Could Be Cheaper and More Sustainable |
American Chemical Society (ACS) |
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2011-05-13 |
Recorder.ca |
Rideau Lakes residents see eighth solar farm application in township |
Nick Gardiner |
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2010-11-26 |
Recorder.ca |
Steve Pettibone - ground water quality issue |
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2010-07-06 |
Simcoe.com / Barrie Advance |
L Watt |
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2010-03-23 |
Mother Jones |
Josh Harkinson |
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2009-01-14 |
CleanTechnica.com |
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)
Go to AWARE-Ontario Renewables News
Go to AWARE-Ontario Fossil Fuel Energy Alternatives
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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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