One path towards a just energy transition for Canada includes creating opportunities for communities to use renewable energy.

Thinking a little deeper about building a concentrating solar power generation plant in Canada leads to several questions that we would need to answer.

  • Where is the best sun exposure (highest annual insolation)? (Let's look at Saskatchewan)
  • What paths would we expect destructive storms to take which would damage our facility?
  • What land use classifications would best support building our facility?
  • How far would we want to position our generating plant from the collector array and storage tank?
  • What communities would benefit the most from operating our facility?
  • Who might be interested in collaborating to operate our facility?
  • What kind of relationship structure best suits our facility and its stakeholders?

  • What kind of cooling system would we be able to use where we build our facility?
  • Where are the migratory bird corridors through the best region for sun exposure?
  • What amount of bat activity might we expect and where in the best region for sun exposure?

Referring to Project Drawdown, using concentrated solar power has a potential to help us draw down atmospheric carbon worldwide as one of the more reliable forms of renewable energy.

  • avoid emitting 10.9 gigatons of carbon dioxide between 2017 and 2050 (that's 10 900 000 000 000 kg)
  • cost the world $ 1 200 000 000 000 USD to build multiple facilities (1.2 trillion dollars, $ 1.2x10^12)
  • save the world $ 413 900 000 000 USD between 2017 and 2050 (prevented costs, 413.9 billion dollars, $ 413.9x10^9)
  • save the world $ 1 200 000 000 000 USD over the full life cycle of the equipment

Previously: Concentrating Solar in Canada

Next: Where is the best sun exposure in Saskatchewan?