Solar Energy 101

Canada’s energy resource-base and human talent have proven to be one of our greatest competitive advantages and sources of economic strength in the past. While many of our significant traditional and renewable energy resources are centralized (e.g. petrochemicals, natural gas, coal and geothermal energy in Western Canada and marine energy at our coasts), solar energy is both ubiquitous and abundant in each and every Canadian community and solar energy enjoys more public support than any other source of energy.


About Solar Energy

Solar energy is the cleanest, most abundant, renewable energy source available. And Canada has an excellent solar resource shining across the nation. Today's technology allows us to capture this energy in several ways giving the public and commercial entities flexible ways to employ both the heat and light of the sun.

Active solar energy systems employ devices that convert the sun's heat or light to another form of energy we use. Passive solar refers to special siting, design or building materials that take advantage of the sun's position and availability to provide direct heating or lighting. Passive solar also considers the need for shading devices to protect buildings from excessive heat from the sun.                    

    

The Canadian Solar resource is world-class. Much of Canada has a superior solar resources to Germany  the global leader in solar technology, an indication of the phenomenal potential of our solar industry.

To learn more about the potential for solar energy in Canada, please click here:  link.

Solar Energy Technology:

There are two common types of technology that harness solar energy in Canada today: Solar Photovoltaics or PV (converting light to electricity) and Solar Thermal (heating and cooling water and air).

Click on the following links to learn more about how they work and visit the CanSIA Solar Shop for further information.