Solar PV is often criticized for not being a consistent or reliable source of energy. The sun doesn’t always shine when we need it, and it can be difficult or impossible to accurately predict short-term performance because it is strongly influenced by the weather. However if one were to take a step back and evaluate over the long-term they may … Read More
Solar in a deregulated power market
Alberta has a market for the supply of wholesale electricity. Prices vary with supply and demand. All other provinces but Ontario have a utility that is responsible for generating as well as delivering electricity and maintaining its infrastructure. In Alberta these tasks are the business of private generators (e.g. TransAlta, Enmax Energy) and wires owners (e.g Altalink, Fortis, Enmax Power), and there is an independent … Read More
Beyond South: lower installed costs with east-west facing solar panels
In the northern hemisphere the sun travels from east to west in a southernly direction and so aligning solar panels towards south allows them to capture the most amount of sunlight over the course of a day and year than any other direction. However because east-west facing solar panels are pointing in two different directions they provide a unique feature that allows … Read More