Page 18 - North American Clean Energy March April 2018 Issue

solar power
Global Rise of Solar Power
Giving Canadian mines a place in the sun
by Bryan Cox
BRITISH COLUMBIA IS POISED TO CONTINUE TO HELP
lead the world in its transition to a lower carbon future. With reserves of some of the highest quality metals and minerals required for this transition, BC has the opportunity to be at the forefront of this global movement. BC is unique - it has a geology that houses many of the metals required to build clean energy infrastructure, including copper, silver, molybdenum, steelmaking coal and others; these all combine to make BC a very important jurisdiction in this evolution.
We also have an a ordable clean energy grid, and a pool of world- class talent in technology, green innovations, environmental science, engineering, and more. We have a robust, world-leading regulatory framework that British Columbians and Canadians can be proud of. We have been change-leaders in our engagement with First Nations and communities, ensuring that the bene ts of resource development are shared. British Columbia is, by all measures, well positioned to lead the world towards a cleaner and more inclusive future.
e accelerated growth in global demand for clean energy technologies in recent years has sparked worldwide interest in the Canadian mining industry. One practical example is the important role of our mining inputs in photovoltaic solar sources, or PV Solar Panels.
e idea of solar power has become synonymous with clean energy for a good reason; it’s a prime example of a technology that’s growing in popularity alongside its capability. PV panels are quickly being adopted worldwide, with countries like India and the US doubling their solar capacity since 2015. In 2016, China increased its capacity to
30 gigawatts—for reference, according to Clean Energy Canada (CEC), that’s enough solar panels to cover nearly three soccer elds every hour. at same year, India built the world’s largest solar project: 2.5 million PV panels created in 8 months, for a grand total of $900 million, generating 648 megawatts. at’s enough power for 150,000 homes. With this evidence of global advancement in PV capacity, the growth of the solar industry is naturally generating interest in countries that produce the raw materials required for PV solar panels. With the resources to manufacture them, this places Canada in the spotlight.
British Columbia is renowned for mining, and also home to some of
the world’s most progressive mining companies. For these companies, the growth in clean energy technologies presents a wealth of possibilities, with solar technology emerging as a golden opportunity. BC has the potential to lead the way as a crucial supplier of natural resources for constructing global solar power. As of 2017, there were over 3 million jobs in the solar technology industry globally, and that number is only expanding. CEC reports that, in 2016, the solar industry set a new record with “73 gigawatts (GW) of new capacity coming online. For context, that’s more than half the capacity of Canada’s entire electricity grid.” In addition to this, costs associated with solar dropped by 58 percent between 2010 and 2015, suggesting
that it has become a more a ordable technology to adopt and advance.
Of the 19 metal and mineral materials required to make PV solar panels, Canadian mines produce 14, including eight of which are considered “critical”. e “critical materials” designation means that these products are
• LowProfileConstruction
• LargeO setAdjustment
• UniqueCuttingSwingArmPreventsDamage • HeavyDuty
SUPERB HORTICULTURE
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