As Ontario eyes Crown land for renewable energy, parking lots seen as having 'untapped potential'

Ontario recently announced it would be looking to the north for new energy projects, specifically mentioning incentives to "unlock" Crown lands for renewable energy involving wind, solar and biomass.

This comes as the Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) says demand is increasing faster than previously anticipated and is set to grow by 75 per cent leading up to 2050.

Ontario's plan to meet that demand relies heavily on electricity from nuclear and hydroelectric sources, but solar and wind are expected to play a role as well.

Currently, about one per cent of Ontario's electricity supply comes from solar power, according to the IESO.

That could change in years to come as industrial, commercial and residential consumers participate in the grid via technologies like solar photovoltaic panels.

The case for solar panels in parking lots

Atul Sharma, a renewable energy consultant for Algoma Energy Solutions in Sault Ste. Marie, saidparking lots would be preferable to Crown land for solar energy projects.

"There's a lot of spaceand no shade around," he said.

"We can also tilt the panels southwards with no obstacles."

He added the angling of the panel to maximize sunlight tends to be a challenge when installing them on fixed residential roofs.

According to Sharma, panels on carports in parking lots also help provide shade for cars during heat wavesand are sufficiently tilted to avoid snow accumulation.

He saidone of the reasons this isn't widespread practice is the initial cost of building a carport over a parking lot to install the panels.

"It's a big initial investment," he said.

"First we have to build the structure, and that comes with a lot of labour costs. Then we have to cover the whole parking lot.

"But it is worth it because it would produce enough power to supply the shopping malls and the Walmarts," he said.

Sharma saidthere's a loss of electricity when power is transferred from one place to another, and it would be more efficient to have solar panels closer to buildings, as opposed to out on Crown land.

Jos Etcheverry is anassociate professor at York University and thedirector of the International Renewable Energy Academy. He was part of the team buildingone of Canada's first solar photovoltaicparking lots using local materials and labour.

"Two of the things that are needed for these projectsare made right here in Ontario," he said, pointing to province's steelindustry, solar panel companies, and nascentbattery manufacturing capacities.

He says these local solar models would provide the power needed to electrify buses, cars, bicycles, scooters and wheelchairs.

"These could all charge locally in the parking lots that would be full of solar photovoltaics," he said.

Etcheverrysays solar is a cheap source of energy, and argues Ontario's turn to nuclear energy and natural gas is a political decision, not a scientific one.

Similar calls in other jurisdictions

The Ontario Clean Air Alliance recently called on the Doug Ford government to put solar panels on Toronto's parking lots.

It calculated the move could generate enough energy to phase out the electricity produced by natural gas at the Portlands Energy Centre. It did not, however, calculate how much this would cost.

"This would be a voluntary program," said Jack Gibbons, chair of the Ontario Clean Air Alliance.

"We're advocating for [Ontario] to pay parking lot owners who are willing to provide solar electricity to the grid."

He addedthis would be "good for everyone in Ontario except for gas companies."

"There's a lot of untapped potential in parking lots."

In France, a recently passed law requires all outdoor car parks with more than 80 spaces to install solar panels over at least half of the area covered during the next five years.

The French government estimates the measure could generate 11 gigawatts of power, or enough to supply up to eight million homes.

Businesses and municipalities are expected to pay for these projects through grants and loans. Failing to install solar panels would lead to fines between 20,000 eurosand 40,000 euros,or up to about $60,000 Cdn,depending on the size of the parking lot in question.