Photovoltaic Technology Status and Prospects - Canadian Annual Report 2008
Ayoub, J. and Dignard-bailey, L.
2009 CETC Number 2009-023 / 2009-10-21
Ayoub, J. and Dignard-bailey, L., (2009), "Photovoltaic Technology Status and Prospects - Canadian Annual Report 2008", CETC Number 2009-023 / 2009-10-21.
Abstract:
Natural Resources Canada's (NRCan) CanmetENERGY is the Canadian leader in clean energy research and technology development. With over 450 scientists, engineers and technicians and more than 100 years of experience, they are Canada's knowledge centre for scientific expertise on clean energy technologies. CanmetENERGY supports NRCan's priorities to promote the sustainable and economic development of Canada's natural resources, while improving the quality of life of Canadians. CanmetENERGY manages the science and technology programs and services, supports the development of energy policy, codes and regulations, acts as a window to federal financing and works with our partners to develop more energy efficient and cleaner technologies. The federal RD & D in photovoltaic technology is led by the CanmetENERGY research centre located in Varennes, Quebec.
The Canadian Solar Buildings Research Network (SBRN) continues to be in the centre of Canada's R&D into solar buildings by innovating solar energy production and efficiency of its use in commercial, institutional and residential buildings in Canada. The SBRN pools the R&D resources of eleven universities and federal departments to develop the future generation of experts knowledgeable in solar buildings research. In 2008, the SBRN and NRCan collaborated on a high profile demonstration of a combined solar heat and power generating system that was installed on the fa?ade of a new building at Concordia University in downtown Montreal. The RD and D efforts of the SBRN are providing in-depth analyses to Canadian stakeholders on the optimization of low and net-zero energy homes for Canadian climatic conditions, and are supporting innovation in the construction industry in order to accelerate the adoption of low and net-zero energy solar homes.
In 2008, the Government of Canada invited builder and developer teams in British Columbia, the Atlantic Region and the North to design and build or renovate eco-friendly homes as part of the second phase of Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) Equilibrium Housing Sustainable Demonstration initiative . The goal of CMHC's Equilibrium initiative is to demonstrate the integrated design process as a new approach to housing in Canada. It supports the building of sustainable healthy houses that are also affordable and energy- and resource-efficient. Equilibrium housing is designed to lower homeowner's energy bills by reducing energy consumption and by delivering electricity back to the grid. The initial phase approved the selection of twelve Canadian homebuilder teams. Federal PV experts as well as the efforts they undertake continue to provide technical and financial support to some of the demonstration house in this initiative.
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