By: Nick Clark
BREAKING NEWS | Calgary, Alberta | April 1, 2020 – A massive solar energy spill today has energy experts on edge. Experts are saying this unprecedented spill is even more of a significant news story than the recent Canadian Pacific Railway oil tanker derailment in Saskatchewan, which introduced roughly 1.5 million litres of oil to the environment.
The excess solar energy now in Alberta has caught wildlife officials off guard, one even stating that he witnessed “bullfrogs searching frantically for a pond or mud to help them deal with the extensive heat”.
Nature conservationists have resorted to applying a newly designed, biodegradable sunscreen to colonial nesting water birds and local prairie ducks to reduce the risk of sun spots and dehydration.
A stakeholder consultation report is due by the end of the day with an estimation of what effect this spill may have on Alberta’s economy.
Climate change, abandoned oil wells, depressed oil prices, and the bear stock market, are all doom and gloom warning flags, but there are a few relatively bright lights in the market. Consumers who invested in rooftop solar have helped defuse the full impact of this morning’s solar spill, and are profiting at the same time.
Micro-generators have always been a forward-thinking group in Alberta. Their investments in solar systems mean lower utility bills, and the ability to sell excess electricity they capture back to the grid for Albertans to utilize.
Investors who put money in Canadian Solar Inc. (CSIQ) are profiting and bucking the trends as the stock value in the investment world implodes.
“Why do I encourage others to invest in Canadian Solar?” said Nick Clark, founder of Green Alberta Energy’s Solar Club. “I did, because putting a solar system on the roof of your home means protecting the environment from future solar spills and saving money on your utility bill at the same time. It’s the logical thing to do.”
Politicians in Alberta have previously been warned that Solar Spills are increasingly inevitable, and solar experts are not surprised today’s events took place. This will happen again tomorrow and all summer long.
“Even though there are over 5,000 solar catchment micro-generation plants built on homeowners’ rooftops in Alberta, this number is dwarfed by the excess solar energy we saw spill into the environment today,” said Gordon Howell of Howell Mayhew Engineering. “We need four to five times as many installations at a minimum to help prevent future spills from occurring.”
It is simple for Albertans to hop on the solar energy bandwagon and unique programs now exist that will help them get even more out of their investment.
“We created the Solar Club because we believed that micro-generators in Alberta should get paid a reasonable amount for the solar electricity they generate,” said Madeline Low, co founder of Green Alberta Energy. “We just added higher rates to our solar club program as of April 1 to hopefully encourage more Albertans to do their part in aiding with the spill.”
A number of local Energy Marketers in Alberta have joined Green Alberta Energy in its quest to mitigate the effects of the recent spill, and help to prevent them from occurring the future.
“Buy local, promote green, and help the province avoid future solar energy spills by becoming a Solar PV Micro-Generator and join the Solar Club,” said Clark. “During 2020, members of the club will be given renewable energy offsets equal to 50% of the electricity they buy from the grid as a free gift.”
The offer is available from your local utility provider.
