Renewable Energy in Canada 2013

Transcription

1 CIEEDAC Renewable Energy in Canada 2013 Prepared for: Natural Resources Canada Prepared by: John Nyboer Noel Melton Suzanne Goldberg of the Canadian Industrial Energy End use Data and Analysis Centre Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC March, 2014 Sponsors of CIEEDAC: Environment Canada, Natural Resources Canada, Aluminium Association of Canada, ATCO Gas, Automobile Parts Manufacturing Association, Brewers Association of Canada, Canadian Fertilizer Institute, Canadian Foundry Association, Canadian Fuels Association, Canadian Gas Association, Canadian Lime Institute, Canadian Steel Producers Association., Cement Association of Canada, Chemistry Industry Association of Canada, Construction Association of Canada, Forest Products Association of Canada, Mining Association of Canada, Pacific Institute for Climate Studies, Energy and Materials Research Group at SFU.

2 Executive Summary This report provides an overview of the many different sources of renewable energy, and the amount of useful energy derived from these sources in Canada. Historically, data on renewable energy were obtained through a survey conducted by CIEEDAC. The goal of this survey was to build and maintain a comprehensive database of renewable energy facilities in Canada. This year, funding was made available to gather data from publicly available sources, primarily from the various associations focused on renewable energy. Thus, while efforts were made to identify new renewable energy facilities across the country, the information in the present database and the results presented in this report should be considered preliminary and subject to revision. Key findings discussed in this report are listed below: The database presently contains information on over 1,300 individual renewable energy facilities in Canada. Additionally, aggregate entries representing tens of thousands of small capacity systems too numerous to track individually such as solar photovoltaic arrays have been added to the database. The database can be accessed online at Total renewable energy capacity from identified facilities in Canada was approximately 99 GW in Renewable sources of energy are converted into three main forms of energy: o Electricity, which accounts for the largest share of renewable capacity, o Thermal energy for industrial applications as well as space and water heating for buildings, and o Liquid fuels, such as ethanol and biodiesel. About 72% of Canada s known renewable energy capacity is from large (greater than 50 MW) hydroelectric dams. Other renewable capacity includes biomass (15%), wind (8%), small hydroelectric (4%) and solar photovoltaic (1%). We estimate that renewable energy currently accounts for 11% of Canada's primary energy production and 67% of its electricity generation in These estimates depend on assumptions about the capacity factor of different types of renewable energy, which are somewhat uncertain. Renewable energy constitutes about two thirds of Canada s total installed electrical capacity. Renewable sources account for more than 90% of the installed electric capacity in British Columbia, Manitoba, Newfoundland & Labrador and Québec. Québec alone accounts for almost half of Canadian renewable electricity capacity due to its large hydroelectric resources. CIEEDAC ii March, 2014

3 Although large hydroelectric plants account for the majority of renewable capacity in Canada, other types of renewable supply are growing in significance: o Since 2000, the installation of wind turbines contributed to over half of the increase in Canadian renewable energy capacity. Wind now accounts for 7.9 GW of electrical capacity (9% of total renewable capacity) in Canada. o Nearly 1 GW of solar photovoltaic capacity has been added in recent years, the majority of which has occurred in Ontario. o In addition to providing thermal energy for industrial applications, biomass is increasingly being used to provide thermal energy for community heating as well as liquid fuels for transport. Over 375 biomass facilities were added to the database in this year's update. Certain renewable energy sources, notably distributed earth energy (heat pump) and solar thermal (solar water heaters) are under represented in the database. CIEEDAC is taking steps to identify appropriate data sources and methods for incorporating these renewable energy sources into the database. This year's update to the database and the analysis described in this report are brief by necessity. Several opportunities exist to expand and refine the database and analysis in the future: o Include facilities not presently in the database as mentioned above. o Ensure the database is adequately maintained, updated and validated on a regular basis. o Integrate the renewable energy survey and database with those administered by CIEEDAC for cogeneration and district energy. o Expand the scope of the analysis of renewable energy (for example, explore the economic costs and benefits associated with renewable energy and expand the regional reporting). CIEEDAC iii March, 2014

4 Acknowledgments CIEEDAC wishes to thank Natural Resources Canada, especially the Industry Programs Division of the Office of Energy Efficiency, and Environment Canada who support the work of CIEEDAC though their sponsorship and financial contributions. CIEEDAC also wishes to thank its many supporters whose funds were also used to gather the data provided in this report. CIEEDAC particularly wishes to thank the various Renewable Energy Associations who provided data and other support in the completion of this report. This includes: Alberta Innovates BC Sustainable Energy Association BC Bioenergy Network Canadian Bioenergy Association Canadian GeoExchange Coalition Canadian Renewable Energy Alliance Canadian Solar Industries Association Canadian Wind Energy Association Clean Energy Canada GeoExchange BC Marine Renewables Canada CanmetENERGY, Natural Resources Canada This project was undertaken with the financial support of the Government of Canada. Ce projet été realisé avec l appui financier du Gouvernement du Canada. CIEEDAC iv March, 2014

5 Table of Contents Executive Summary... ii Acknowledgments... iv Table of Contents... v 1 Introduction Objectives Methodology for Estimating Renewable Energy Capacity and Production Description of Renewable Energy Sources Hydroelectricity Wind Combustible Renewables and Waste Solar Earth Tidal Other Capacity and Capacity Factors Renewable Energy Production in Canada Capacity Annual Generation of Energy Capacity Factors Characteristics of Electricity Generators Characteristics of Thermal Energy Generators Characteristics of Liquid Fuel Suppliers Provincial Details Total Capacity Electric Capacity Conclusion Appendix A: Capacity by Province and Resource Type CIEEDAC v March, 2014

6 1 Introduction In 2011, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change produced a special report on Renewable Energy and defined renewable energy as:...any form of energy from solar, geophysical or biological sources that is replenished by natural processes at a rate that equals or exceeds its rate of use. Renewable energy is obtained from the continuing or repetitive flows of energy occurring in the natural environment and includes low carbon technologies such as solar energy, hydropower, wind, tide and waves and ocean thermal energy, as well as renewable fuels such as biomass. 1 Typically, one captures energy as it flows through natural processes. The sun is the primary source of most of the energy available on earth, with the exception of nuclear power, whether it is harnessed directly (e.g. solar thermal heating) or stored for long periods of time in organic matter buried in the earth (e.g. fossil fuels). By our definition, then, the former is renewable while the latter is not even though the source is ultimately the same. 1.1 Objectives This report provides an overview of the state of renewable energy in Canada. Historically, data on renewable energy were obtained through a survey conducted by CIEEDAC. The goal of this survey was to build and maintain a comprehensive database of renewable energy facilities in Canada. Because funding such an analysis and subsequent report has always been problematic, updates on the data and report have been sporadic. Most recently, funding was made available to gather data on the various forms of renewable energy from publicly available sources, primarily from the various associations focused on renewable energy. The results and trends presented in this report are intended as a resource for those who are involved in the renewable energy industry in Canada. In subsequent sections of this report we: describe our data collection methodology (Section 2); define the various energy forms investigated in this report, and describe some of the many techniques and technologies used to capture renewable energy (Section 3); present results from our analysis of national renewable energy data (Section 4); discuss regional trends from the data analysis (Section 5); and summarize key findings of the analysis (Section 6). 1 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). 2011: Special Report on Renewable Energy Sources and Climate Change Mitigation [O. Edenhofer, R. Pichs Madruga, Y. Sokona, K. Seyboth, P. Matschoss, S. Kadner, T. Zwickel, P. Eickemeier, G. Hansen, S. Schlömer, C. von Stechow (eds)], Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom and New York, NY, USA. CIEEDAC 1 March, 2014

7 2 Methodology for Estimating Renewable Energy Capacity and Production This database of renewable energy facilities aims to bring together information on all renewable energy operations in Canada. Collecting data on all systems presents a challenge, due to the relatively small capacity and high number of certain types of renewable renewable energy systems, such as solar photovoltaics and earth energy systems. Nevertheless, information on small capacity systems has been gathered wherever possible. Currently, there are over 1,300 individual Canadian renewable energy facilities contained in the CIEEDAC Renewable Energy Database. Aggregate entries representing very small capacity systems that are too numerous to track and number in the tens of thousands, such as solar photovoltaics, are also accounted for in the database. The database can be accessed online at The original data were collected from a number of sources, including the following: Renewable energy associations such as the Canadian Wind Energy Association and the Canadian Bioenergy Association. Renewable energy publications from government and institutional sources. Statistics Canada's (STC) report, Electric Power Generating Stations: 2009 catalogue number XIB. This provided the bulk of the initial data on specific sites. 2 Communications with and materials from power plant owners and developers. Provincial electric utilities and regulators. In previous database updates, we conducted surveys to collect data directly from power plant owners and developers. We used no survey for this database update but, instead, relied on alternative information sources for the data. Most of the data were provided by representatives of various renewable energy associations. The data were compared to existing CIEEDAC data and updated. Facilities not yet in the databases were added with as much information as was available. When distributed, CIEEDAC s renewable energy survey requests the following information from each renewable energy facility: renewable resource type (e.g., wind, hydro, biomass), capacity (both electrical and thermal, if applicable), number of generating or operating units, capacity utilization, average annual electricity and / or thermal heat generation, start year, year of capacity upgrades, grid connection, green certification status, conversion technology, to whom they sell, installation and operating costs, employment, government incentives used, and responses to questions on policies related to the construction and operation of renewable energy facilities in Canada. 2 This report has been terminated and the data, while still collected, are not publicly available. CIEEDAC is negotiating with STC regarding these data. Some STC data are available through CANSIM Table CIEEDAC 2 March, 2014

8 The reliability of the information in the renewable energy database is assessed through comparison with other data sources from STC and renewable energy associations, direct contact with the facility and information from websites and annual reports. In many cases, since the data came directly from these agencies, no other assessment could take place. Capacity data are usually relatively easy to obtain. Most of these data are publicly available. While CIEEDAC does not claim to have captured all facilities, review of capacity data from the various associations and STC indicate a relatively complete data set. 3 Obtaining production data, however, is more challenging. Many respondents do not wish to release their production data, even under assurances of confidentiality. Therefore, we calculate a common resource specific capacity factor for all facilities for which we have production data, and then apply this factor to the remaining facilities. Note: The information presented in this report should be considered preliminary and is subject to revision. While efforts were undertaken to identify as many new renewable energy facilities across the country as possible, not all facilities are included in the database. Certain renewable energy sources in particular, earth energy, solar thermal and liquids facilities are under represented. CIEEDAC is taking steps to identify appropriate data sources and methods for incorporating these renewable energy sources into the database. Additionally, the process of validating existing facility information takes time as system owners and operators respond to data requests. 3 In fact, our analysis suggests that Statistics Canada may need to review its data sources to ensure that certain renewable forms of energy production such as solar photovoltaics are fully captured in its statistics. CIEEDAC 3 March, 2014

9 3 Description of Renewable Energy Sources There are many methods used to convert naturally regenerating resources into useful secondary energy such as electricity, thermal energy, or chemical energy (e.g., biofuels). Renewable energy technologies are found at a variety of scales, from single household applications to large scale hydro facilities. The following are descriptions of renewable sources of energy. 3.1 Hydroelectricity Hydroelectric facilities convert the potential and kinetic energy of water into electricity by allowing it to move from a stream or a reservoir through a turbine and generator at a lower elevation. The water upstream of the facility may be free flowing (e.g., run ofriver hydro), or stored behind a dam in a reservoir (e.g., storage hydro). Large hydroelectric facilities are defined as facilities that have a nameplate capacity of more than 50 MW. Small hydro facilities are defined as facilities that have a nameplate capacity of less than 50 MW. 3.2 Wind Wind energy is derived from the kinetic energy of the wind as it passes over the blades of a rotor. This rotor rotates along a central axis, turning a turbine to generate electricity. Placement of these turbines can be on shore or off shore. 3.3 Combustible Renewables and Waste Combustible Renewables and Waste (CRW) include several categories of combustible organic waste from which, energy is derived in different ways. Biomass Biomass energy is derived from the combustion of non fossil, organic matter to produce heat (thermal energy), electricity, or both. The primary user of biomass energy in Canada is the wood, pulp, and paper products industry. Biogas Biogas is gas comprised principally of methane and carbon dioxide produced by the anaerobic degradation of biomass. Biogas is commonly generated from organic waste products at sewage treatment plants and solid waste landfills, as well as in agricultural operations with specially designed digesters. Biogas can be combusted to produce both electricity and heat. Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) The renewable portion of MSW consists of combustible organic matter such as paper, cardboard, natural rubber products, leather, natural textiles, wood, brush, grass clippings and kitchen waste. Of the millions of tonnes of MSW produced per year in Canada, only a small percentage is incinerated to produce heat or electricity. Liquid biofuels Biofuels are produced through the transformation of biomass into a liquid fuel. For example, biodiesel can be produced from the conversion of CIEEDAC 4 March, 2014

10 organic oils and fats. Ethanol, which is the dominant biofuel in Canada, is a liquid alcohol produced from the fermentation of biomass. Biofuels are primarily used as transportation fuel. 3.4 Solar Solar energy includes three categories of energy that generate electricity or heat. Solar Thermal Solar thermal energy involves the direct heating of air and water. Solar heating can be passive or active. A passive solar heating system is created through special building design or placement of appropriate building components to make use of the available sunlight. An active solar heating system involves a specific technology that collects solar energy and improves on the possibilities for storage or distribution of the energy. Solar Photovoltaic Solar photovoltaic (PV) cells generate electricity through the application of direct sunlight onto a semiconductor. Solar Thermal Electric Using mirrors or lenses, solar energy can be concentrated to heat a carrying medium that can be used, typically via steam generation and a turbine, to generate electricity. Parabolic troughs or dish shaped mirrors are commonly used to concentrate the sunlight and temperatures can range up to 400 o C. The heat can be converted into steam and generate electricity directly or can be stored as pressurized steam, or by molten salts for later use (e.g., generation at night or on overcast days). At present, there are no solar thermal electric plants in Canada. 3.5 Earth An earth energy system uses a heat pump and the temperature differential under the earth s surface to provide heating or cooling. While this process requires some energy, the energy output of an earth energy system is typically three to four times that of the input energy. This type of energy can be considered a form of solar energy stored near the earth's surface (and may be considered distinct from geothermal energy; see below) or can tap into geothermal heat sources. 3.6 Tidal Ocean tides are generated by the rotation of the earth within the gravitational fields of the moon and sun. Tidal water flows can be used to turn turbines and generate electricity using tidal streams (i.e., free flow of water due to tidal shifts) or tidal barrages where a dam holds back the water to allow for generation when tides have reversed. CIEEDAC 5 March, 2014

11 3.7 Other Other energy sources include: Geothermal Using steam generated from heat in the earth s crust for heat or electricity. This energy is derived from energy (nuclear sources from radionuclide decay) below the earth s crust. Wave and other ocean forms of energy Kinetic energy of ocean waves and currents can be converted to electricity. Other types of ocean energy include ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC), where oceanic temperature gradients are used to generate energy, or salinity gradients, where osmotic pressure is used to create a water column differential that can generate energy. Hydrogen fuels and fuel cell systems Hydrogen fuel is only renewable when the hydrogen is produced using renewable energy. To the best of our knowledge, none of these facilities exist in Canada. 3.8 Capacity and Capacity Factors The capacity factor of a power plant is the ratio of the actual output over a period of time to its output if it had operated at full nameplate capacity the entire time. For example, if a power plant operates at full capacity for 12 hours a day everyday of the year, its capacity factor would be 50%. Comparing capacity factors amongst generation resources is not always meaningful since some are intermittent, producing power whenever a variable energy resource is available (e.g. wind, solar and small hydro), while others are dispatchable, generating power as needed (e.g. geothermal, biomass, biogas and large hydro). In the context of this report, it is important to know average capacity factors by resource type in order to estimate the total energy generated from renewable sources (Section 4.2 and 4.3 discuss capacity factors in more detail). CIEEDAC 6 March, 2014

12 4 Renewable Energy Production in Canada 4.1 Capacity Table 1 indicates that total renewable energy capacity in Canada was approximately 99 GW in ,5 Renewable energy capacity includes electric capacity (86.8 GW or 88% of renewable energy in Canada), thermal capacity (10.8 GW or 11%), and liquid fuel capacity (1.5 GW or 0.3%). The 86.8 GW of installed renewable electric capacity represents approximately 67% of total Canadian electric capacity. 6 Table 4 in section 5 offers a provincial comparison of renewable electric capacity to total installed capacity. Table 1: Total Renewable Energy Capacity by Resource Type Renewable Resource Type Capacity (kw) Electric Thermal Liquid Fuel Total Large Hydroelectric 71,794, ,794,067 Small Hydroelectric 3,657, ,657,698 Wind 7,899, ,899,916 Biomass 2,416,123 10,598,769 1,408,808 14,423,700 Biogas 81, , , ,655 Solar Photovoltaic 931, ,258 Other 64,300 49, ,458 Total 86,844,510 10,759,568 1,527,673 99,131,751 Source: CIEEDAC Renewable Energy database Resource Capacity Figure 1 shows that about 72% of Canada s renewable energy capacity is considered large hydroelectric. The remaining 28% includes biomass (15%), wind (8%), small hydroelectric (4%) and solar photovoltaic (1%). 4 As we noted above, capacity is typically expressed as power output, the amount of energy the technology can deliver when fully engaged. It is measured in Watts (i.e., the ability to deliver 1 Joule / second) or factor multiples of that value (kw, MW, GW, etc.). 5 While we use 2013 as our base year, due to the inclusion of all renewable facilities currently operational, it should be noted that some sources (e.g., STC for large hydro) represent earlier years. 6 Statistics Canada, 2011, Table Installed generating capacity, by class of electricity producer, annually. CIEEDAC 7 March, 2014

13 Figure 1: Total Renewable Energy Capacity by Resource Type Large Hydroelectric 72% Other Renewable 28% Wind 8% Small Hydroelectric 4% Biomass 15% Solar Photovoltaics 1% Source: CIEEDAC Renewable Energy database Year of Installation Figure 2 illustrates the total quantity of new energy capacity added in Canada by decade, broken down by renewable resource type. 7 From 1950 to 1980, the capacity of large hydroelectric facilities increased dramatically. The largest amount of generation capacity was added in the 1970s. Up to the 1980s, the installation of renewable energy capacity was dominated by hydroelectric and biomass facilities. However, since 2000, other forms of renewable energy have become much more prevalent. From 2000 to 2013, the installation of wind turbines made up over half of the increase in Canadian renewable energy capacity. In fact, virtually all of Canada's 7.9 GW of wind capacity has been installed since The "Other" category was largely absent prior to Since 2000, nearly 1 GW of other renewable energy capacity has been installed, including solar photovoltaic and biogas. 7 This composite chart includes only one entry for each facility based on the original year of operation, even though at least 25% of the facilities have had capacity upgrades over the years. While erroneously allocating upgraded capacity to the start year, it provides a useful overview of installation activity. CIEEDAC 8 March, 2014

14 Figure 2: New Renewable Energy Capacity by Project Start Year (GW) 25 Renewable Energy Capacity (GW) Other Wind Hydroelectric Biomass s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s Source: CIEEDAC Renewable Energy Database 4.2 Annual Generation of Energy Table 2 shows our estimate of annual energy generation from renewable energy sources in Canada based on the average capacity utilization of facilities in the database. We estimate that renewable energy generation accounts for approximately 11% of total Canadian primary energy production. 8 Over three quarters (76%) of the renewable energy produced in Canada is from hydroelectric dams. Biomass is the next largest source of energy at 18%, followed by wind, which provides 4% of Canada s renewable energy. Table 2: Annual Generation (GWh)* of all Energy Sources by Resource Type Renewable Resource Generation (GWh) Type Electric Thermal Liquid Total % of Total Large Hydroelectric 373, ,103 73% Small Hydroelectric 19, ,307 4% Wind 22, ,915 4% Biomass 15,622 68,529 9,109 93,260 18% Biogas ,998 0% Solar Photovoltaic 1, ,253 0% Other % Total 432,976 69,245 9, , % Source: CIEEDAC Renewable Energy Database * While we typically associate GWh with electricity, all forms of energy can be measured using this metric (1 GWh= 3,600 GJ). 8 Statistics Canada, 2012, Table Supply and demand of primary and secondary energy. CIEEDAC 9 March, 2014

15 4.3 Capacity Factors CIEEDAC used the capacity and annual generation provided for a sample of facilities to calculate an average capacity factor for each resource type. 9 The capacity factor, listed in Table 3, is the amount of energy that a facility produces over a certain period of time, one year in this case, divided by the amount of energy that it could have produced at nominal power over that same period. Biogas and biomass have the highest estimated capacity factor of renewable energy in Canada whereas solar photovoltaic and tidal have the lowest. Table 3: Capacity Utilization by Resource Type Renewable Resource Type Capacity Factor Biogas 73% Biomass 74% Municipal Solid Waste 58% Solar Photovoltaic 15% Tidal 17% Wind 33% Large Hydroelectric 59% Small Hydroelectric 60% Source: CIEEDAC Renewable Energy database Overall, the capacity factors correspond well to other sources of information, such as Statistics Canada. However, the capacity factor of any individual facility may vary substantially from the averages listed above and that capacity factors are more variable for some types of renewable sources. For example, a solar photovoltaic array's performance is dependent on a number of factors and will vary depending on the region in which it is installed. 4.4 Characteristics of Electricity Generators 4.5 Canada currently has an installed electrical capacity of about 130 energy sources therefore constitute about 67% (86.8 GW) of Canada s electrical capacity. Characteristics of Thermal Energy Generators Thermal energy totals 10.8 GW of energy capacity in Canada. Wood provides virtually all thermal capacity (98%). The remainder of the thermal capacity is fuelled by burning sewage gas, landfill gas, and municipal solid waste, as well as by utilizing earth or solar heat. Figure 3 shows the breakdown of Canadian renewable electric capacity by resource type. 9 Some resource types are excluded due to preserve confidentiality or due to inadequate data. 10 Statistics Canada, 2011, Table Installed generating capacity, by class of electricity producer, annually. CIEEDAC 10 March, 2014

16 4.6 Characteristics of Thermal Energy Generators Thermal energy totals 10.8 GW of energy capacity in Canada. Wood provides virtually all thermal capacity (98%). The remainder of the thermal capacity is fuelled by burning sewage gas, landfill gas, and municipal solid waste, as well as by utilizing earth or solar heat. Figure 3: Renewable Electrical Capacity (kw) by Resource Type Small Hydroelectric 4% Wind 9% Biomass 3% Solar Photovoltaics 1% Large Hydroelectric 83% Source: CIEEDAC Renewable Energy Database Wood and wood waste have been used by pulp and paper and wood product companies in Canada for over 100 years. More recently, biomass has been used in district energy and community heating operations. Many thermal energy producers also cogenerate their own electricity and are thus also captured in CIEEDAC s review of cogeneration facilities in Canada Characteristics of Liquid Fuel Suppliers Liquid renewable fuels include ethanol and biodiesel, which are primarily blended with conventional gasoline and diesel for transportation. Refined petroleum fuel producers in Canada are required to have an average renewable content of at least 5% in gasoline and 2% in diesel. 12 These regulations came into effect at the federal level in 2010 for gasoline and 2011 for diesel. Various provincial governments have enacted or proposed additional requirements as well. Stimulated by these measures and other factors, a number of new ethanol and biodiesel production facilities have recently been constructed in Canada and many more are 11 CIEEDAC, 2013, A Review of Existing Cogeneration Facilities in Canada. 12 Renewable Fuels Regulations, SOR/ CIEEDAC 11 March, 2014

17 planned. As of September 2013, the Canadian Renewable Fuels Association identified 34 facilities across the country as demonstration, operational, under construction and planned. 13 CIEEDAC's renewable energy database is being adapted to accommodate this rapidly growing renewable energy resource. As such, the inventory of facilities and energy production estimates of liquid fuels should be treated as preliminary. 13 Canadian Renewable Fuels Association, 2013, Plant Locations, CIEEDAC 12 March, 2014

18 5 Provincial Details 5.1 Total Capacity Figure 4 illustrates total renewable energy capacity (including electricity generation, thermal generation, and liquid fuel production) by province. Québec has more renewable energy capacity than any other province and accounts for 43% of total renewable capacity in Canada. British Columbia is second with 20%. Large hydroelectric facilities are the biggest contributor to renewable energy capacity: Québec is the largest producer of hydroelectricity followed by British Columbia and Ontario. Figure 4: Renewable Energy Capacity by Province GW Other Large Hydro AB BC MB NB NF NT NS NU ON PE QC SK YT Source: CIEEDAC Renewable Energy Database Figure 5 shows renewable energy capacity by province, but excludes large hydroelectric resources. Ontario has the greatest capacity overall, and is a leader in solar photovoltaic capacity; we estimate that Ontario has 99% of the country's solar photovoltaic capacity (925 out of 931 MW). Ontario also leads in wind capacity (2.6 GW), but is closely followed by Québec (2.4 GW). British Columbia has the greatest amount of biomass capacity. CIEEDAC 13 March, 2014

19 Figure 5: Renewable Energy Capacity by Province, Excluding Large Hydroelectric GW Solar PV Biomass Wind Small Hydro AB BC MB NB NF NT NS NU ON PE QC SK YT Source: CIEEDAC Renewable Energy Database 5.2 Electric Capacity Table 4 illustrates the percentage of total provincial and territorial installed electrical capacity that is provided by renewable energy. Renewable sources account for more than 90% of the installed electric capacity in British Columbia, Manitoba, Newfoundland & Labrador and Québec. Québec accounts for almost half of Canada s renewable electricity capacity. Table 4: Provincial Electrical Supply from Renewable Sources, kw Province/Territory Electric Capacity Renewables Total Installed (all sources) Total Renewable Capacity % of Renewable Total Provincial Electric Capacity Alberta 2,354,273 12,622, % 18.7% British Columbia 14,464,933 15,136, % 95.6% Manitoba 5,473,325 5,659, % 96.7% New Brunswick 1,245,781 3,950, % 31.5% Newfoundland & Labrador 7,034,685 7,419, % 94.8% Nova Scotia 850,800 2,683, % 31.7% Northwest Territories 73, , % 40.5% Nunavut , % 0.5% Ontario 12,473,827 36,160, % 34.5% Prince Edward Island 179, , % 63.8% Québec 41,491,855 41,510, % 100.0% Saskatchewan 1,116,834 4,204, % 26.6% Yukon 84, , % 65.9% Total 86,844, ,991, % 66.8% Source: CIEEDAC Renewable Energy Database, Statistics Canada (2011) CIEEDAC 14 March, 2014

20 6 Conclusion Renewable energy was estimated to comprise 11% of Canada s primary energy production and 67% of its electricity in The installed renewable energy capacity of 99 GW is dominated by hydroelectricity, accounting for 76% of the total, with biomass, wind, solar, tidal and earth sources making up the remainder. CIEEDAC's Renewable Energy Database has been updated to represent over 1,300 individual renewable energy facilities in Canada. It also includes aggregate entries representing tens of thousands of very small capacity systems that are too numerous to track individually, such as solar photovoltaic arrays. Many questions remain about the extent and nature of renewable energy production in Canada. In this regard, a number of opportunities exist to expand and refine the database and analysis. First, certain renewable energy sources are under represented in the database, notably earth energy, solar thermal and liquids facilities. CIEEDAC is taking steps to identify appropriate data sources and methods for incorporating these facilities into the database. Second, the usefulness of the database is determined by its quality. Validating existing facility information, including updating system capacity and output, is an important component of maintaining a useful database. Therefore, future work should ensure that the database is properly maintained and updated on a regular basis. Third, CIEEDAC plans to integrate the renewable energy survey and database with those for cogeneration and district energy. For example, there are district energy facilities that cogenerate using renewable energy; these would be listed three times in various datasets were integration not undertaken. The first step, already underway, is to set the general context for the display of the data when one wishes to search CIEEDAC s online databases on renewable energy, cogeneration and district energy. In any case, integration will provide an improved contextual framework on the role of renewable energy and permit a better understanding of the interrelationships between renewable energy, district energy and cogeneration. Finally, the analysis of the database in this report was, by necessity, brief. CIEEDAC can conduct a more detailed analysis by improving the inventory in a number of areas: exploring the economic costs and benefits associated with renewable energy; expanding the extent of regional reporting; and reviewing facility operating characteristics (e.g. capacity factors) in more depth. CIEEDAC 15 March, 2014

21 Appendix A: Capacity by Province and Resource Type Table A1: Renewable Energy Capacity by Province and Resource Type (kw) Province Large Hydroelectric Small Hydroelectric Wind Biomass Biogas Solar Photovoltaics Tidal Other Total % of Total Renewables Alberta 632, ,550 1,119,515 1,741,074 7,024 2, ,757, % British Columbia 12,210, , ,700 5,693, ,045 2, ,770 19,463, % Manitoba 5,181,400 10, , , ,915 5,860, % New Brunswick 850,500 81, , ,653 1, ,929, % Newfoundland 6,712, ,545 54, , ,154, % Northwest Territories 0 64,470 9,250 11, , % Nova Scotia 230, , , ,034 3, ,000 2,231 1,061, % Nunavut % Ontario 7,126,280 1,111,876 2,662,017 3,160, , , ,939 15,147, % Prince Edward Island ,560 16, , , % Québec 38,019, ,240 2,398,300 1,667,562 66, ,585 42,847, % Saskatchewan 831,400 22, , , , ,741 1,543, % Yukon 0 83, , , % Total Resource 71,794,067 3,657,698 7,899,916 14,423, , ,258 20,000 93,458 99,131, % % of Total Energy 72.4% 3.7% 8.0% 14.6% 0.3% 0.9% 0.0% 0.1% 100.0% CIEEDAC 16 March, 2014