Vancouver
Integrates Photovoltaics
The most western
province of Canada, British Columbia, has benefited
for years from an inexpensive supply of hydroelectric
power generation. However, due to the environmental
disruption of large-scale hydro electricity, much of
the new electricity demand is expected to be met with
combined cycle natural gas-fired generation. In order
to meet future electricity demand and maintain low
green house gas emissions, the potential of renewable
energy sources and their integration into the existing
electricity supply network must be explored.
In response to
the need for renewable sources of electricity and to
the rapid growth of the Canadian photovoltaic
industry, The Technology Centre at the British
Columbia Institute of Technology launched the
Photovoltaic Energy Applied Research Lab (PEARL) in
1998. Recognizing that Building Integrated
Photovoltaic (BIPV) systems reduce the cost of solar
electricity by combining energy production with other
functions of the building envelope, PEARL embarked on
several BIPV demonstration projects.
Representative Projects
