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Why Canada is leading the world in floating solar panels A closer look at the landmark US climate bill Invasive reptiles and amphibians have cost global economy billions, study finds
Too expensive, too cold: Why Canada is leading the world in floating solar panels
(Jack Taylor/AFP via Getty Images) According to Ibrahim Dincer, the Port of Toronto is missing out on an emerging renewable energy source: floating solar panels. The professor of mechanical engineering at Ontario Tech University recently proposed a zero emissions alternative to the City of Toronto’s aging fleet of ferries that would see new electric boats draw power from a large floating solar panel near the shore of Lake Ontario. Since Toronto only has four ferries in its fleet, even all-electric replacements could not meet the city’s goal of net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040. But Dincher said the point is to provide a demonstration ” landmark”. “The numbers may seem small,” he said. “But this study clearly shows that this system is feasible.” The floating solar projects are designed to cover the surface of the water, supporting row upon row of reflective blue panels on a floating base. But as Canada’s lukewarm response to floating PV shows, an interesting and feasible technology does not guarantee widespread adoption. Floating solar can count for a small percentage of global solar energy capacity, but countries are starting to invest in large facilities. “It’s growing exponentially — very quickly,” said Manish Kumar, a professor at Himachel Pradesh University in India who studies the field. Kumar estimated that floating solar could capture about a quarter of the total solar installation within the decade, jumping from about two percent today. Japan he was the first to embrace technology in 2017, and the heaviest users are still the most populous Asian countries (like Thailand, pictured above) where land is at a premium. Without the same pressing need to conserve land, Canada was slower to act. According to a spokesperson for Natural Resources Canada, the country’s large size and “abundance of water bodies” means it has significant potential. To date, however, the technology is largely non-existent in Canada. Natural Resources Canada is not currently funding a single floating solar project. The agency provided three main reasons for this: high cost compared to ground-based solar power; limited hours of sunlight in northern latitudes; and concerns about ice cover in northern hydropower reservoirs—the locations where the technology is most often deployed. Kumar said at least one of those concerns is unfounded. Ice, he said, shouldn’t negatively affect the technology’s performance — and cooler temperatures might even improve performance. Researchers have explored the idea of installing panels abandoned mine tailings tanks, the ocean and reservoirs created by hydroelectric dams. Most are in reservoirs, said Rafael Almeida, a professor of environmental science at the University of Texas. “Floating solar looks at already modified systems and then puts … new infrastructure on top of them,” he said, “thus avoiding the conversion of physical systems.” Almeida added that blocking sunlight from penetrating the water raises some environmental concerns, but the projects usually enjoy broad public support because the reservoirs are already constructed structures. A long list of benefits can also improve the public image of the technology. Efficient land use is a key feature, saving developers the cost of urban settlement and preserving rural land for agriculture. Without floating solar, Almeida said, the United States would require a land-based solar farm the size of West Virginia to reach net zero by mid-century. “We need more energy. We need clean energy,” he said. “But space is a limitation.” Covering the surface of a body of water helps conserve water by preventing evaporation. In return, the water provides a cooling effect and helps improve the performance of the panels. Finally, reservoir installations can discover existing hydroelectric infrastructure, gaining easy access to the network. Natural Resources Canada said “a significant number” of its hydroelectric plants have reservoirs and funding through the federal Smart Renewables and Electrification Pathways Program is available for future projects that meet its requirements. Meanwhile, Dincer’s vision for floating solar power in Toronto Harbor remains an idea waiting to happen. “It’s really important to make changes,” he said. “Changes are necessary in this day and age to bring environmentally sound and sustainable solutions.” — Benjamin Andrews
Reader comments
Valerie Epp: “I just read the article you wrote about clean beauty products. You mentioned Beautycounter as a company lobbying the US government to improve rules on clean products. I actually use Beautycounter products for the simple reason that this company pushes clean products. You obviously don’t know that this company is also lobbying the Canadian government. In addition, Beautycounter discontinued the powder eyeshadow because the ingredient required as a preservative was discovered to be an ingredient that did not comply with the company’s philosophy. It’s expensive but it’s also an amazing product.” Jessica Berman: “I am the CEO of Cocoon Apothecary, a pure beauty company that has been making natural skin care products since 2003. “You have to understand what clean beauty is. It’s an environmental movement, not something that Health Canada, Sephora, or dermatologists specialize in. They’re just bystanders. It’s an environmental movement that seeks to rid the industry of problematic petrochemicals, not not only to divest petroleum products (the raw material of the majority of chemical cosmetics) but also to remove ingredients that pollute our ecosystems and bodies.Pollution in our ecosystems includes microbeads of plastic found in water samples and sunscreen bleaching reefs Pollution in our bodies includes parabens, phthalates, galaxolide and tonalide (which are also found in the umbilical cords of newborns). “The clean beauty industry is raising the bar for sustainable and zero packaging in one of the most wasteful industries in the world.”
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CBC News recently launched a dedicated climate page, which you can find here here. Also, check out our radio and podcast. As people across Canada struggle with the heat and humidity, hear how a neighborhood group in Vancouver is working to protect members of their community and make sure they can survive future heat waves. What the heck now airs on Sundays at 11am. ET, at 11:30 a.m. in Newfoundland and Labrador. Subscribe to your favorite podcast app or listen on demand at CBC Listen.
The big picture: The new US climate bill
Given the polarization in US politics and the slim Democratic majority in the Senate – where most legislation requires a tie from Vice President Kamala Harris – the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), with a strong focus on climate action , is a huge achievement. (There are still some red tape: the Democratic-majority House of Representatives must approve it before President Joe Biden signs it.) As with most legislative bodies, there are wins — and there are compromises. While the bill includes measures to lower prescription drug costs and increase tax collection from large corporations, it is notable for being the largest investment in climate action in US history — about US$370 billion. Many of them are occupied by tax credits and rebates it aims to increase the uptake of electric vehicles, renewables and heat pumps, and invest in energy efficiency — all part of the wider effort to move the country away from fossil fuels. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (pictured below) and other Democratic lawmakers say these initiatives would cut U.S. emissions by 40 percent from 2005 levels. Some longtime environmental activists met the bill’s passage with literally tearswhile others soberly pointed out some problematic aspects, including the possibility of more oil and gas drilling. There are other initiatives to reduce emissions below the surfaceincluding money for the domestic production of high-resolution, low-enriched uranium (HALEU), necessary for nuclear reactors, and money and tax credits for sustainable aviation fuel. Canadian politicians and businesses are watching the proceedings with great interest and have lobbied hard for Canadian-made (and, by definition, Mexican-made) vehicles. to be included in the $7,500 consumer tax credit for battery electric vehicles, plug-in hybrids and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. (Drew Anger/Getty Images)
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Invasive reptiles and amphibians have cost global economy billions, study finds
(CBC) Invasive reptiles and amphibians have cost the global economy more than US$17 billion between 1986 and 2020, according to a recent study. The analysis, published recently in the journal Scientific Reportssays that the transfer of “alien species” to new areas is increasing at an unprecedented rate due to the globalization of human activity, and that this can lead to the invasion of some species, the extinction of natives, damage to ecosystems and major economic impacts. It is “almost impossible” to list all the ways invasive species can affect an economy, said Ismael Soto, the study’s lead author and a doctoral student at the University of Bohemia in Plzeň, Czech Republic. For example, he said, this financial cost can go as far as the actual…
