Community Solar Power Generation
Status: Needs Improving
Solar photovoltaic (PV) panels generate energy directly from sunlight. Producing energy this way reduces pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, and reliance on fossil fuels.
The City's Low Emissions Community Plan includes a target to increase community solar generation capacity to 50 MW by 2030, and to 250 MW by 2050 (includes both residential and commercial applications).
The City's 2022-2025 Strategic Plan includes the following key action within the Environmental Sustainability priority area:
- Develop initiatives to increase the use of renewable energy or low emissions energy sources and promote opportunities for property owners to generate their own electricity from renewable sources.
Relevant actions from the Low Emissions Community Plan include:
Where are we now?
Households, businesses, and co-operatives in Saskatoon are moving quickly to install solar panels. Solar generation capacity in our city was over 20 times higher in 2023 than in 2014. The graph below shows total generation capacity (in both the Saskatoon Light & Power and SaskPower service areas of the city). Installed solar generation capacity was approximately 5,700 kilowatts at the end of 2023, which is enough to power over 800 homes for a year! However, this total only represents 11% of the LEC Plan's community target to install 50 MW of solar capacity by 2030.
Data Table
| 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Solar power capacity (kilowatts dc) |
18 | 60 | 123 | 201 | 285 | 412 | 663 | 991 | 1430 | 2465 | 3253 | 3635 | 4548 | 5697 |
What Are We Doing?
Net Metering
Saskatoon Light & Power’s Net Metering Program is designed for residential and commercial customers who wish to generate their own electricity and “bank” excess electricity for credit on future power bills.
Solar Orientation in New Neighbourhoods
Many new developments in our city are being designed and oriented to increase the potential for active and passive solar heat and energy generation.
Small Power Producer Program
Saskatoon Light & Power’s Small Power Producers Program enables residents or businesses to generate some of their own electricity and earn money by delivering excess electricity back into the grid. Customers can connect up to 100 kilowatts of clean-energy capacity.
Solar Power Demonstration Site
Saskatoon Light & Power partnered with the Saskatchewan Environmental Society Solar Co-operative — the first power generation co-operative in the province — and Saskatchewan Polytechnic to create a solar photovoltaic (PV) demonstration site. Located at the City's Landfill Gas Power Generation Facility, the demonstration site consists of four ground-mount arrays, with a total of 92 solar panels and 30.7 kilowatts of generation capacity.
What Can You Do?
Generate solar power for your own home. If you want to install solar panels, Saskatoon Light & Power’s net metering program will enable you to generate your own electricity, send any excess to the electrical grid, and receive a credit toward future electricity bills. Check out the City's Home Energy Loan Program and the Government of Canada's Greener Homes Grant to help finance your home energy efficiency project.
Generate solar power for our community. The Small Power Producers Program is designed for those who want to produce and sell renewable energy.
Invest in community solar projects like the recent CNH Industrial 1,000-panel project with SES Solar Co-op; watch their website or sign-up for the mailing list to hear about new opportunities.
Did you know?
Saskatoon is one of the sunniest places in Canada, receiving an average of 2,264 hours of bright sunshine annually! Source: Saskatchewan Research Council, 2021