The Canadian Renewable Energy Association (CanREA) concluded its inaugural Operations Summit, the largest event in Canada fully dedicated to the operations of wind, solar and energy-storage sites. 

More than 250 industry movers and shakers attended over the two days, January 26 and 27, 2021. A deep dive into the innovative and practical work happening on the ground to deliver on Canada's 2050 climate commitments, it was also a unique occasion for leading experts from around the world to assemble virtually and gain cutting-edge information on operating sites in Canada.

"Operations professionals are the people who project developers come to when they want to know if a dream concept is both possible and practical," said Phil McKay, CanREA's Senior Director, Operations. "This is the conference that answers the question: what is possible? And not just right now, but five to ten years from now: what is coming down the pipeline for the engineering marvel that is our industry?"

Speakers shared a look back at 2020 while focusing on the path ahead, sharing unique stories of how they navigated this challenging year and presenting important insights on the most significant operations and maintenance (O&M) trends developing in Canada.

"Over the next five years, we will see massive innovation in the O&M space in Canada. It will be unlike anything we've seen before," said Robert Hornung, CanREA's President and CEO. "Our members are already pushing the boundaries of what technology can do, but as wind, solar and storage come together to accelerate a decarbonized grid, we will seize the opportunity to bring it to the next level."

All the while, CanREA will be there to ensure Canada represents the apex of best practices, standards and innovations for health and safety, workforce development, grid integration, supply chain logistics, data management, decommissioning, climate responsibility and more, not just in North America but to the global standard.

For instance, CanREA is already collaborating with the Canadian government to develop sophisticated security practices, some of which were explored in the session on "Critical Infrastructure Protection," in which Natural Resources Canada's Assistant Deputy Minister for the Low Carbon Energy Sector, Mollie Johnson, addressed specific threats and opportunities affecting the security of Canada's electricity-system infrastructure, and outlined how Canada is responding to them. 

Conference highlights also included "A Conversation About Emerging Clean Tech Innovation," in which Tyler Hamilton (Director, Ecosystem Development, MaRS Discovery District) and Tom Rand (Co-Founder & Managing Partner, ArcTern Ventures) shared insights on climate action and what inspires them to champion new ideas.

"Continuous improvement in the operations and maintenance of renewable energy assets is vital to the long-term success of this industry," said Paul van der Weg, Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy's Managing Director, Canada. "As a proud supporter of the CanREA Operations Summit, we appreciate the opportunity to showcase our commitment to driving innovation with solutions that extend the lifetime of our customers' renewable-energy projects. The Summit is a great way to engage with industry partners and share best practices to the benefit of all Canadians."

A special thank you to Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy Ltd. for supporting the event as a Presenting Partner, as well as toGoldwind Americas as the event's Program Stream Partner, and to Hwy H₂O as the Event Partner.

CanREA thanks all presenters, attendees, exhibitors and sponsors for making the Operations Summit a success. In addition to attending a full roster of virtual presentations, attendees were also able to connect with one another in various networking sessions supported by the event's Networking Sponsor, Electricity Human Resources Canada.

Canadian Renewable Energy Association | renewablesassociation.ca