Natural Resources Canada
Symbol of the Government of Canada

Office of Energy Efficiency Links

 

Office of Energy Efficiency

Menu

Improving Energy Performance in Canada – Report to Parliament Under the Energy Efficiency Act For the Fiscal Year 2009-2010

PDF Version | Table of Contents | Next Page

Chapter 5 Renewable Energy

Renewable Energy Use

In 2008, renewable sources accounted for more than 62 percent of Canadian installed electricity capacity (see Table 5-1). Most of the renewable energy used in Canada comes from either hydroelectricity or thermal energy from biomass, such as wood-waste sources (see Table 5-2).

TABLE 5-1
Electricity Generation Capacity from Renewable Sources (includes Hydroelectricity)
Year Renewable
electricity
generation
capacity
(megawatts)
Total capacity
(percent)
Percent
change
1990 59 557 58.0 -
1991 61 116 58.0 3.0
1992 62 895 58.0 2.9
1993 63 114 56.0 0.3
1994 63 175 56.0 0.1
1995 66 542 57.0 5.3
1996 67 101 59.0 0.8
1997 68 202 61.0 1.6
1998 68 340 62.0 0.2
1999 68 614 61.8 0.4
2000 69 031 62.0 0.6
2001 68 845 61.2 -0.3
2002 71 032 61.8 3.2
2003 72 275 61.8 1.7
2004 72 947 60.4 0.9
2005 74 368 61.2 1.9
2006 75 812 61.3 1.9
2007 76 890 61.8 1.4
2008 78 371 62.4 1.9

Source: Statistics Canada, Electric Power Generating Stations (Cat. No. 57-206-XIB).

TABLE 5-2
Renewable Energy Technologies Used in Canada
Electricity – Commercial Mechanical Power
Hydroelectric dams Wind water pumps
Tidal barrages  
In-stream current devices Thermal Energy
Biomass
(e.g. wood waste)
Biomass (e.g. roundwood,
pellets, wood chips)
Biogas (e.g. methane from
landfill sites)
Ground-source heat pumps
(i.e. earth energy)
Wind turbines Solar air-heating systems
Photovoltaic systems Solar hot water systems
Electricity – In development Transportation
Wave systems Biodiesel
Tidal systems Ethanol from biomass

Hydroelectricity

Hydroelectricity is a renewable form of electricity generated from a system or technology that uses a mechanical method to capture and convert the potential energy of water.

Hydro is the main source of electricity in Canada, accounting for 60.4 percent of the electricity generated in 2008. Canada’s hydro supply is dominated by large-scale projects that were developed by electric utilities. Of the 74 436 megawatts (MW) of installed hydro capacity, 3452 MW come from small hydro sites (capacity less than 50 MW), representing 2.7 percent of Canada’s total installed electricity capacity. Significant potential remains for additional large and small run-of-river hydroelectric development in most provinces and territories.

Biomass

Biomass provides a renewable source of energy derived from the conversion of matter from living organisms or metabolic by-products. Canada has an abundant supply of many types of biomass, which is important for the production of energy, biofuels, materials and chemicals. The two largest sources of biomass supply in Canada are forestry and agricultural operations.

Biomass supply typically takes the following forms:

  • forestry – mill or pulp-and-paper residues, black liquor from the pulping process, forest residue, forest management thinnings and short-rotation crops

  • agriculture – agricultural crops, crop residue, processing residues, algae and aquatic biomass

  • other organic waste – animal waste, such as manure from feed lots, municipal solid waste and industrial wastes

Approximately 4.3 percent of Canada’s total energy supply comes from bioenergy, second only to hydro power (which generates 11.8 percent of Canada’s energy). Most of the bioenergy produced is in the form of industrial process heat, electricity and residential space heating.

The pulp and paper and forestry industries are Canada’s major producers and users of bioenergy. In 2008, 607 MW of biomass generating capacity came from spent pulping liquor used in the pulp and paper industry. This amount represents approximately 40 percent of the total biomass generating capacity, while 50 percent of the capacity (765 MW) came from wood refuse used in the forestry industry.

Heat and electricity produced by industry, electricity generated by independent power producers and residential wood heat are considered commonplace in Canada’s energy mix. For example, approximately 3 million Canadian households use wood for home heating. Roundwood is typically used but alternatives include wood chips and pellets. Wood for home heating is usually burned in stand-alone wood stoves, wood furnaces with hot water or forced-air systems, fireplaces with advanced combustion inserts, high-efficiency fireplaces or high-thermal-mass masonry heaters.

Use of biogas and landfill gas (methane-rich gases that are derived from manure, animal processing wastes, other agricultural residues and municipal waste) for energy production is just emerging.

In 2008, the biomass installed capacity was 1516 MW, of which 9.5 percent was from landfill gas plants (109 MW) and municipal solid waste plants (35 MW). Approximately 200 million litres (L) of fuel ethanol are produced annually in Canada from cereal grain and corn. Biodiesel is also produced in small quantities, but production is increasing. Canada has the potential to increase its bioenergy production in a sustainable manner.

Earth Energy

As a result of the sun heating the surface of the planet, and because of the insulating qualities of the earth itself, the temperature 1 or 2 metres below the surface remains fairly constant – between 5°C and 10°C. This temperature is warmer than that of the air during the winter and cooler than that of the air in the summer.

Geothermal energy can be used as a heat source or sink for heating or cooling applications, such as ground-source heat pumps (GSHPs). GSHPs are electrical systems that use the relatively constant temperature of the ground to provide heating, cooling and hot water for homes and commercial buildings.

For this reason, a GSHP is known as an earth energy system (EES). During winter, EES installations remove heat from the earth using a liquid, typically an antifreeze solution or water that circulates within an underground loop. The EES then upgrades the heat with a conventional heat pump and transfers it to indoor space or the water-heating system. During summer, the system reverses this process to operate as an air conditioner. EES installations supply less than 1 percent of the market for space and water heating and cooling in Canada.

As of December 31, 2009, in Canada there were approximately 46 000 installed GSHPs with 555 megawatts of thermal energy (MWth) of installed capacity producing an estimated 760 gigawatt-hours equivalent annually. In 2008, 15 000 GSHP units were installed in Canada. This compares with 9100 units installed in 2007 and 4217 units installed in 2006.

Wind Energy

Wind turbines convert the kinetic energy of wind into electrical or mechanical energy. Canada’s land mass and coastal waters combine to provide a wind resource with potential estimated at more than 100 000 MW.

As of December 31, 2009, 3319 MW of wind power had been installed in Canada. This makes Canada the 13th country that has reached the 1000-MW milestone and the country with the 12th-largest installed wind energy capacity.

The best year in terms of wind power installations was 2009, with 950 MW of new wind power generating capacity installed across the country, representing a 40 percent increase from the 2008 level (2369 MW) (see Figure 5.1). Proposals to build Canada’s first offshore wind farms on submerged lands near British Columbia and in Lake Ontario are proceeding through the permitting stage. Federal and provincial policies continue to spur growth in the Canadian wind industry.

FIGURE 5-1 Canadian Wind Power Cumulative Capacity, 1993 to 2009.

Wind energy also provides mechanical power. Several thousand wind-powered water pumps are used throughout Canada, mostly in the Prairie provinces. As well, Canadians use small, residential-sized wind turbines to power cottages and remote houses.

Solar Energy

Three main technologies use energy from the sun:

  • passive solar technologies – buildings are designed and located to maximize their reception of solar energy

  • active solar thermal systems – solar radiation is converted into thermal energy for heating air or water in residential, commercial and industrial applications

  • solar electric (photovoltaic [PV]) systems – solar radiation is used to produce electricity

The Canadian active solar thermal installed capacity in 2008 was 720 000 square metres (), or approximately 500 MWth. The domestic market increase has averaged 13 percent annually since 1998. In 2008, the solar thermal collector market in Canada was 139 159 , more than twice the installations in 2007 (60 900 ), with revenues up 44 percent from the 2007 level. This is likely due to increased domestic sales of glazed and evacuated tube collectors and reduced sales of unglazed air heating collectors in this period.

Canada’s PV power installed capacity reached 94.57 MW in 2009, compared with 32.72 MW in 2008. The grid-connected market accounts for 87 percent of the market in 2009, compared with only 33 percent in 2008. This significant growth was spurred primarily by two programs from the Government of Ontario: a renewable energy standard offer program launched in 2006 and the new feed-in tariff program launched in 2009. Out of the approximately 82 MW of grid-connected installed capacity in 2009, small, residential and building integrated solar PV systems represented 11 percent, while three large ground-mounted utility-scale solar PV farms alone represented 76 percent.

Ocean Renewable Energy

Ocean renewable energy refers to the use of ocean waves, current and tides to generate electricity. Devices that capture ocean or tidal currents can also be deployed in rivers and streams.

Since 1984, Canada has had the only commercial tidal energy facility in North America — the 20-MW plant in Annapolis, Nova Scotia. However, like wave and current devices, the next generation of tidal power generators is in an early stage of development, and as yet no commercial facilities have been proposed.

Canada is well poised to become a leader in global technology development and deployment. Canadian technology developers are planning and testing devices, and several demonstration projects are underway.

Pulp and Paper Green Transformation Program

Objective

The Pulp and Paper Green Transformation Program (PPGTP) was created to fund green capital projects at Canadian pulp and paper mills, leading to improved environmental and commercial sustainability of the sector.

Description

The $1-billion PPGTP was launched in June 2009. It supports innovation and environmentally friendly investments in Canada’s pulp and paper industry in such areas as energy efficiency and renewable energy production. In October 2009, credits were allocated to 24 companies, based on black liquor production ($0.16/L) at 38 pulp and paper mills. Companies have until March 31, 2012, to invest their credits at any of their Canadian pulp and paper mills in approved green capital projects that lead to measurable environmental benefits.

Key 2009-2010 Achievements

  • Signed 10 contribution agreements with seven companies for close to $200 million, with approximately $49 million provided for 2009–2010.

  • These agreements support the creation of approximately 60 MW of renewable electrical capacity.

For more information:
www.cfs.nrcan.gc.ca/subsite/pulp-paper-green-transformation

Natural Resources Canada carries out two initiatives to increase the use of renewable energy in Canada: ecoENERGY for Renewable Power and ecoENERGY for Renewable Heat. The two programs are outlined below.

ecoENERGY For Renewable Power

Objective

To encourage the production of 14.3 terawatt hours of electricity from low-impact renewable energy sources (about 4000 MW of new capacity), such as wind, hydro, biomass, solar PV and ocean energy, between April 1, 2007, and March 31, 2011.

Description

The ecoENERGY for Renewable Power program provides an incentive of one cent per kilowatt hour to an eligible low-impact renewable energy project for up to 10 years. Eligible recipients include businesses, institutions/organizations, independent power producers, public and private utilities, and co-operatives that install qualifying renewable power systems. Qualifying projects must have a total rated capacity of 1 MW or greater.

Key 2009-2010 Achievements

  • As of March 31, 2010, 100 contribution agreements had been signed with proponents, representing about $1.4 billion in federal funding over 10 years and 4400 MW of renewable power capacity.

  • After all 100 projects are commissioned, the expected greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reductions from full-year operations are expected to be about 6 megatonnes per year.

For more information:
ecoaction.gc.ca/ecorp

ecoENERGY For Renewable Heat

Objective

To increase the use of renewable energy technologies, develop thermal energy industry capacity and contribute to the reduction of harmful emissions. This four-year program was launched April 1, 2007.

Description

The ecoENERGY for Renewable Heat program supports renewable thermal technologies used for space heating and cooling and water heating, through a mix of deployment incentives, residential pilot projects and industry capacity-development funding:

  • deployment incentive – providing a financial contribution to encourage the deployment of solar thermal units in the industrial, commercial and institutional sectors

  • residential pilot projects – providing financial contributions to test, through collaborative ventures, various approaches to the large-scale deployment of solar water-heating units in the residential sector

  • industry capacity-development – providing financial contributions to develop technology standards and certification processes for solar thermal technologies, human resources skills and tools and to provide public information for renewable thermal energy technologies

Key 2009-2010 Achievements

  • Installed 297 solar thermal systems in the industrial, commercial and institutional sectors.

  • Signed contribution agreements with 11 partners (utilities, developers and buyers’ groups) to run pilot projects that will test large-scale methods to deploy solar-heated water in the residential sector. Under the pilot projects, up to 2000 solar water-heating systems will be installed in Canadian homes by 2011.

  • Established a partnership with one provincial government, bringing the number of arrangements with provincial governments for complementary programs to three.

  • Entered into partnerships with two renewable energy industry associations and two other groups to improve training and certification of solar and geoexchange industry professionals.

  • Signed nine contribution agreements with companies for the certification of packaged solar domestic water-heating systems.

  • The estimated GHG reductions from systems installed under the program during 2007–2008, 2008–2009 and 2009–2010 are 3.3, 5.1 and 8.0 kilotonnes (kt), respectively. The cumulative annual GHG reductions from the program from these installations are 16.4 kt.

For more information:
ecoaction.gc.ca/heat

Previous Page | Table of Contents | Next Page