Loblaw says its $10-million, 7.5-megawatt roof solar task - anticipated to be finished in 2026 - at its distribution centre in East Gwillimbury, Ont., will be the country's largest.Supplied/ Loblaw Cos.

Ltd. Large-scale rooftop solar tasks have yet to get extensive traction with Canadian developers.

Financing can be complicated and it can take some time for developers to acquire returns on their financial investments, however brand-new solar jobs are still being announced, says Victoria Papp, senior director of technique and innovation at BOMA Canada, a group representing Canadian structure owners and managers.

" Solar uptake in business realty is still far from being an extensive practice throughout the market, but it's absolutely increasing," Ms. Papp states. "It can be challenging to retrofit structures that were never designed with solar panels in mind."

This month, the Canadian Renewable Energy Association stated it's tracked more than $31-billion in financial investment in renewable energy - such as solar and wind power sources - across the country. A recently released report also discovered Canada's solar, wind and energy storage sectors have actually grown by 46 percent over the past 5 years, with 10,000 megawatts of brand-new capability anticipated to be connected by 2030.

As a contrast, almost 6,500 megawatts of solar energy - enough to power as numerous as two-million homes - was generated in Canada in 2022, according to the federal government.

Scaling solar throughout Canada

While national financial investment figures highlight solar's growing function in Canada's energy mix, some companies are taking the lead in scaling up tasks of their own.

In late July, Loblaw Cos. Ltd. revealed it's constructing what it states will be Canada's largest roof solar system setup at its brand-new circulation centre in East Gwillimbury, Ont., north of Toronto.

The $10-million, 7.5-megawatt task, expected to be finished in 2026, will cover the structure's roofing system with nearly 435,000 square feet of solar panels - about the size of seven football fields. It's expected to create 8.5-million kilowatt-hours a year, about a quarter of the needs of Loblaw's automated distribution centre.

" The building itself is extremely energy-intensive due to the automation and refrigeration systems within," says Tom Marson, Loblaw's vice-president of building innovation and energy. "The photovoltaic panel system will help us balance out energy use in the structure."

Great Circle Solar Management Corp. will be the contractor, owner and operator of the task and offer the power to Loblaw under a long-lasting arrangement. The job is the biggest of nearly 60 roof solar efforts in which the two business have actually partnered in the previous ten years.

" Power from the photovoltaic panel system on the roof is fed directly into the electrical rooms of the center and used to directly power the site's operations in East Gwillimbury," says Clarke Herring, Great Circle Solar's CEO.

Meeting business climate targets

Commercial distribution centres are not the only kinds of residential or commercial properties setting up large-scale solar tasks. In Waterloo, Ont., Conestoga College established a 1.3-megawatt solar photovoltaic system at its Kitchener-Doon campus. The system, which went live in 2023, produces about 1.6-million kwh of renewable, clean energy a year, enough to power a minimum of 40,000 homes.

The system, which spreads out more than 3,000 solar panels over the roofs of a number of structures, helps Conestoga satisfy 15 percent of its annual electrical power needs and offset peak need from the standard grid by 57 percent.

" We're dedicated at Conestoga to supporting Canada's tidy development and climate-change goals for a more sustainable future," states Tim Schill, the college's vice-president of centers and capital advancement. "This job is a significant action forward in helping in reducing [greenhouse gas] emissions and promoting sustainable stewardship of our environment and resources."

Ontario's Conestoga College has set up a 1.3-megawatt solar photovoltaic system at its Kitchener-Doon campus that generates about 1.6-million kilowatt hours of renewable, tidy energy a year.Supplied/ Conestoga College

Loblaw says among the factors for installing photovoltaic panels at its circulation centre is to help fulfill the business's net-zero emissions decrease targets.

" We're intending to accomplish net zero for our Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions by 2040," Mr. Marson says. Scope 1 emissions are produced directly from sources owned or managed by a company, while Scope 2 emissions account for those produced from the generation of bought electricity that's consumed by the company or company.

" Procuring and consuming sustainable energy on residential or commercial properties where high quantities of energy is consumed is a vital action for us," Mr. Marson states, including it's especially essential for Loblaw, given that the company engages with consumers daily.

" We run countless stores all across the country, which suggests we are deeply woven into the fabric of the neighborhoods we serve," he says. "Countless everyday consumers and our 220,000 associates and employees anticipate us to lead."

According to Mr. Marson, Loblaw initially set carbon decrease targets for its business shops in 2016, and it satisfied those years ahead of schedule. "We reset our standard in 2020, and added franchise stores and Shoppers Drug Mart locations. Since then, we've lowered our carbon footprint 16 percent and continue to make considerable progress."

Finding the best financing

Mr. Schill states constructing little and medium-sized solar projects, such as Conestoga's, can be challenging due to the fact that of difficulties securing funding, in addition to moving regulations and incentive programs.

" Until just recently, it was simpler to get beneficial government-backed funding if you had a $100-million task," he says. The relocation by Prime Minister Mark Carney to ditch the unpopular federal carbon tax was a problem because the tax had actually made using natural gas more pricey and solar energy more attractive, he adds.

Mr. Schill is encouraged by current relocations such as the new $100-million partnership in between the Canada Infrastructure Bank and Scotiabank, which aims to assist owners retrofit small and mid-sized industrial buildings.

Ali Hoss, head of sustainability and ESG at Colliers Canada, says the country can take advantage of relocations in the United States to stop solar-power rewards.

" Investors in the U.S. need to now price-in high political threat," he states. "Canada, by contrast, has broad, multi-party assistance for sustainability. This predictability is a critical advantage for attracting the long-term, patient capital needed genuine estate and infrastructure tasks like solar."

Great Circle Solar's Mr. Herring agrees. "Going solar provides an essential long-lasting fiscal hedge versus uncertain future electrical power expenses."

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