The Solar Apprentice

Canada has announced five priority electricity intertie projects — a major step forward for Canada’s grid. 🙌

Now the focus must shift to delivery: provinces/territories + federal government need to align on funding, regulation, and collaboration.

Modern, connected Canadian grids = lower costs + stronger economy + shifting dependence away from the United States.

Our full response ➡️ https://www.pembina.org/media-release/announcement-five-priority-intertie-projects-latest-major-step-forward-building

"Solar power isn’t just growing - it’s exploding. In 2025, global solar generation jumped 30%, adding more electricity in a single year than the entire annual demand of the United Kingdom. But the real story isn’t just scale. It’s where that growth is happening.

A significant share of new solar is now off-grid or behind the meter - on rooftops, in factories, and even on apartment balconies. In China, roughly half of new solar installations fall into this distributed category, signaling a major shift in how energy systems are evolving.

In this interview, Ember Energy analyst Nic Fulgham explains:
- Why solar is defying expectations with sustained exponential growth
- How it compares to wind, hydro, and nuclear power
- Why countries are turning to solar for energy security amid global crises
- The rise of distributed energy - from industrial rooftops to “balcony solar”
- What this means for the future of centralized vs decentralized power systems

As fossil fuel volatility reshapes global markets, solar’s flexibility, modularity, and falling costs are turning it into the dominant force in the energy transition.

This isn’t just a clean energy story. It’s a structural transformation of how the world produces and consumes power."

Energi Media Solar Boom Goes Off-Grid, Reshapes Global Energy

Red Deer Polytechnic is thrilled to receive a $1.24 million federal applied research grant to support the creation of a 125kW agrivoltaics demonstration unit. The substantial funding is provided by Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) through their Energy Innovation Program.
This initiative means RDP will grow its contributions to advancing Alberta’s leadership in energy innovation and sustainable agriculture while also supporting energy independence and food autonomy for rural and Indigenous populations.
RDP’s Energy Innovation Centre will explore the dual use of land and solar photovoltaic technology for active crop cultivation to maximize land efficiency and act as a balance between energy generation and food production. Located on the south part of RDP’s main campus, the outdoor site will feature bi-facial solar panels and advanced tracking systems designed to optimize energy generation while maintaining agricultural productivity, even in cold climates!
Quick Facts:
✔ In 5 years, RDP aims to train 1,000 individuals—including RDP students, industry partners and community members—through hands-on learning opportunities, field trips and the development of a new micro-credential in agrivoltaics.
✔Through open-source, real-time data collection with RDP’s Data Sharing Alliance (DSA) platform, sensors will analyze energy production, soil moisture, and crop health. This information will provide farmers and policymakers with actionable insights.
✔ Nextpower will provide their NX Horizon smart solar tracker.
✔ CBI Solar will supply a high-quality solar component to make this dual-use system a reality.
✔ Sunchild and Montana First Nations will participate as collaborators.

Read the full news release here: https://rdpolytech.ca/news/rdp-receives-124m-federal-grant-cold-climate-agrivoltaics

Red Deer Polytechnic (RDP) continues to advance Alberta’s leadership in energy innovation following a $1,245,000 announcement today from Natural Resources Canada (NRCan).

This federal applied research grant will support the creation of a 125kW agrivoltaics demonstration unit.

RDP’s Energy Innovation Centre will explore the dual use of land and solar photovoltaic technology for active crop cultivation to maximize land efficiency and act as a balance between energy generation and food production. Located on the south part of RDP’s main campus, the outdoor site will feature bi-facial solar panels and advanced tracking systems designed to optimize energy generation while maintaining agricultural productivity, even in cold climates!

Quick Facts:

✔ In 5 years, RDP aims to train 1,000 individuals—including RDP students, industry partners and community members—through hands-on learning opportunities, field trips and the development of a new micro-credential in agrivoltaics.

✔Through open-source, real-time data collection with RDP’s Data Sharing Alliance (DSA) platform, sensors will analyze energy production, soil moisture, and crop health. This information will provide farmers and policymakers with actionable insights.

✔ Nextpower will provide their NX Horizon smart solar tracker.

✔ CBI Solar will supply a high-quality solar component to make this dual-use system a reality.

✔ Sunchild and Montana First Nations will participate as collaborators to help support the energy independence and food autonomy for rural and Indigenous populations.

Read the full news release here: rdpolytech.ca/news/rdp-receives-124m-federal-grant-cold-climate-agrivoltaics

"In this era of trade wars and geopolitical rupture, Canada has a unique opportunity to build its industrial base by attracting low-carbon investment away from the United States.

That’s the message of “A Canadian Advantage,” a new report released today by Clean Prosperity and the Transition Accelerator."

How Canada can outcompete the U.S. for low-carbon investment New research shows which policies can sharpen Canadian competitiveness.

Unstoppable

SkyFire Diversifies Markets As Utility Scale Renewables Tank in Alberta SkyFire Energy, one of Alberta's oldest solar companies, just acquired Hakai Energy Solutions, diversifying their markets into Coastal British Columbia. The ...

Solar Alberta is seeking 4 community leaders to join our Board of Directors for a minimum of 3 years.

People without a solar-industry affiliation who are passionate about solar are particularly encouraged to apply. We require Board Members without conflicts of interest to help with our Ethics Committee and provide industry oversight.

This year, we are also in need of applicants from Edmonton and Northern Alberta areas because 10/12 current Board members are from the Calgary area.

Applicants with legal, management and/or HR knowledge are also specifically desired at this time.

For more information and to apply: https://buff.ly/6du8I5d

Applications will be accepted until Sun, March 1, 2026 at 11:55PM

Community renewable energy involves governance, participation, and local impact.

We’re pleased to support a University of Alberta research project exploring these questions AND ... invite members of Alberta co-operatives to support this student-led academic work.

https://lnkd.in/gnfNEB-A

⏳ One week left to apply! We’re still accepting applications for our four-month 2026 summer internship opportunities:

🚗 Transportation Policy
🗣️ Communications
🤝 Strategic Partnerships
💻 Human Resources

These hybrid roles offer students hands-on experience building practical skills while contributing to meaningful work at an org advancing Canada’s clean energy transition.

Applications close February 1, 2026 👇

https://www.pembina.org/careers

Wind, solar and batteries provide such cheap energy that the growth of was named 2025 Breakthrough of the Year by Science Magazine. This underscores just how out of step the U.S. lurch toward fossil fuels is.

Have a look at how much the cost of power has dropped for wind and solar power and how it now compares to coal and gas 👇

High-penetration renewable energy microgrids | Pembina Institute Bringing renewable energy to a remote community requires careful consideration of several technical factors. One of the most critical decisions is determining the right size for your project, which will roughly determine how much diesel reduction your community will see. The amount of renewable ener...