What solar energy is and how Canadians use it
Solar energy is the light and heat that reach Earth from the sun, and a home can use it in three main ways: photovoltaic panels that make electricity, thermal collectors that heat water or air, and building design that lets sunlight warm rooms directly. Each route suits a different job.
What are the main ways to use solar energy at home?
- Solar electricity (photovoltaic, or PV). Panels convert light into electricity for lights, appliances and, with a heat pump, space heating. This is what most people mean by solar panels.
- Solar heat (thermal). Collectors absorb sunlight into a fluid or air stream that heats water or rooms. They are simpler than PV and convert a larger share of sunlight into useful energy, but they only make heat.
- Passive solar. Windows, building shape and thermal mass collect and keep winter sun without any machinery. The passive solar design guide covers this.
The comparison of solar thermal and solar PV helps decide between the first two.
How much solar energy does Canada get?
Less than a desert and more than most people expect. Sunlight is measured in kilowatt-hours per square metre per day, often described as peak sun hours. Southern Prairie cities, including much of Alberta, have some of the best conditions in the country, while coastal and northern areas get less. Summer is far stronger than winter everywhere. Our guide on peak sun hours in Canada explains how to read the numbers, and Alberta sunshine hours by city gives a regional look.
Government resource maps from Natural Resources Canada show photovoltaic potential across the country, and a qualified installer will model your particular roof.
How does solar electricity reach your appliances?
On a typical home system, the sequence is short. Panels generate direct current, an inverter converts it into the alternating current your house uses, and the electricity flows to whatever is on. If the panels make more than the house needs, the surplus goes to the grid, and your utility may credit it under a net metering or similar arrangement. When the sun is down you take power from the grid as usual. Credit rules differ by province and utility, and they change, so ask your utility for current terms. For Alberta see Alberta net metering explained.
The full chain from panel to meter is described in solar panels for homes in Canada. If you want a system that works without the grid at all, off-grid solar in Canada covers the differences.
What are the strengths and limits of solar energy?
Solar produces no emissions while operating, has few moving parts and can lock in part of your energy cost for decades. The limits are practical. Output follows the sun, so it peaks in the afternoon and in summer, which is the opposite of the winter evening peak in heating demand. Roofs can be shaded, face the wrong way, or be too small. Panels cost money upfront.
The timing mismatch is why storage matters. Batteries store electricity for hours, while thermal storage can carry heat for months. See energy storage types for homes and the explanation of seasonal thermal energy storage.
Where does Drake Landing fit in?
Drake Landing Solar Community in Okotoks, Alberta, is a working example of solar heat rather than solar electricity. It placed 800 flat-plate collectors on the garage roofs of 52 homes and stored the summer heat in 144 boreholes for use in winter. Monitoring reported that solar supplied 97% of space heating by 2012 and 100% in the 2015-16 heating season. The how it works page describes the whole cycle, and what thermal energy storage is explains why storage was the key.
Quick answers
What is solar energy in simple terms?
It is energy from sunlight. At home, it can be captured as electricity with PV panels, as heat with thermal collectors, or as passive warmth through building design.
What is the difference between solar PV and solar thermal?
PV panels make electricity, while thermal collectors make heat for water or space heating. Thermal collectors usually capture a bigger share of sunlight but make only heat.
Does Canada get enough sun for solar energy?
Yes. Many regions have good solar resources, especially in the Prairies, though winter output is much lower than summer output.
Can solar energy heat a house?
Yes, through passive design, thermal collectors or PV paired with a heat pump. Drake Landing used collectors and seasonal heat storage to heat 52 homes.