Alberta’s Solar Resources
When you think solar energy, you probably don’t imagine Alberta; in fact many of us will attribute solar energy usage and production to many of our southern neighbors such as California, Florida, Nevada, and other southern and Midwest states. Even the European Union and other ‘green’ nations are at the forefront of solar energy development and implementation.
But when we talk about solar energy as a resource, the fact of the matter is that it is accessible world-wide, not just in a few regions; while solar output can vary region-to-region depending on a multitude of factors, the fact of the matter is that solar output is a given energy source anywhere on the planet.
In places like California, solar is at the forefront of energy production; with a high solar output, it is no wonder that the state has over 700 plants generating 11 000 megawatts of solar power a year. While it only attributes to about 12% of the states power production, the investments in this renewable resource continue to grow.
So where does Alberta fit into all of this? With our latitude much further north, you would think solar output in our province would be much less; the fact of the matter is that our solar output is higher than most European countries that are pushing solar industries forward. According to energyhub.org, Alberta’s output ranges anywhere between 1200 to 1400 kWh/kW/yr. This means the average solar array on a residential building can eliminate your power bill through the summer!
Like any region, however, Alberta is not immune to cloudy days and lowered solar output; with shorter days for three months of the year, solar efficiency decreases immensely; regardless, investing in solar energy will result in lowered bills and increased cash flow into your pocket. And with relatively clear skies during spring and summer months, the idea that solar arrays can provide the average Albertan family with enough power to provide them a credit back during an annual billing period is easily catching on.
If you’re still unconvinced this summer, just look to the skies to see how bright the sun shines, or look to your neighbor to see how easy a solar can be installed.