Happy New Year!
Did you know that southern Alberta is one of the sunniest locations in Canada, and therefore it has the highest solar potential? Is solar energy something you have considered for your home or in the community? In the spirit of new year’s resolutions, the Green Initiatives Committee thought it might be a great way to start 2022 with a little fresh knowledge! So here are five quick facts you might have not known about solar energy:
1. The Earth receives enough sunlight in one hour to power the electricity needs of every human being for one year! If that sounds like A LOT of renewable clean energy to you – you would be right. At the moment we are not capable of harnessing all that energy just yet but it means there is a huge potential for thousands of years to come.
2. Solar panels can lower your energy bill and boost the value of your home. Every dollar invested in solar for your home can return up to $20 in added home value and energy savings! To learn more about your home’s solar energy potential, check out this tool from the City of Calgary. https://maps.calgary.ca/SolarPotential/
3. While the pandemic had negative impacts on many industries around the world, the solar industry actually had record-breaking growth in 2020. With there being a shift towards renewable energy sources this growth is expected to continue.
4. Solar panels (surprisingly!) do not need direct sunlight to work! Because of the way solar panels get electricity from the light of the sun, not the heat, they can operate on cloudy winter days as well as those clear summer skies. Of course, the amount of energy produced will depend on direct or indirect sunlight.
5. The idea of solar energy has been around as early as the 15th century! It might sound like a newer concept with its growing popularity but predictions and thoughts about it have been around for centuries. In fact, the first solar cell was developed in the 19th century. It is exciting to think how far we have come with solar energy potential and how far we have yet to go!
We hope you learned a few new things about solar energy. If this topic has piqued your interest, stay tuned to our Facebook page for more resources and great information. Also don’t forget you can always pop into a Green Initiatives meeting to discuss solar energy potential for our community!
If you want to get involved and be a part of making Mount Pleasant a greener community, we would love to have you join the committee. Please email green@mpca.ca for more information or if you have any questions. As well please check out our Mount Pleasant Green Initiative Group on Facebook! You can find us on the Mount Pleasant Community Association page.
We hope you have a wonderful start to the new year,
The MPCA Green Initiatives Committee
