Toronto Solar City Assessment Partnership
Unsure of the real-world performance of solar energy systems, the City of Toronto's Toronto Atmospheric Fund decided to evaluate 16 projects completed on municipal properties. The projects included solar-powered water heating at community pools and a solar wall to pre-heat air at a community centre. Four large solar photovoltaic arrays sending electricity to the provincial grid were also studied.
Independent experts visited all 16 sites and gathered data on energy production, annual costs, maintenance challenges and payback periods.
A list of best practices for solar energy projects was developed and shared with industry, municipal staff and the public at six information sessions. The detailed reports on each project are shared on the web.
Results
Environmental | Economic | Social |
---|---|---|
|
|
|
Challenges
- Technical problems with solar-heated pool systems and solar-powered indoor heat systems
- Rodent damage to domestic solar-heated water systems
- Improperly installed monitoring equipment
Lessons learned
- Solar energy systems work best if the on-site operator is trained by the system installer.
- Solar energy projects should provide for ongoing monitoring.
- Inform local councillors and communities of municipal solar energy initiatives.
Partners and Collaborators
- Toronto Atmospheric Fund
- Toronto and Region Conservation Authority
- City of Toronto Energy and Waste Management Office
- FCM's Green Municipal Fund
Project Contact
Tim Van Seters
Manager, Sustainable Technologies Evaluation Program
Toronto and Region Conservation Authority
T. 289-268-3902
Want to explore all GMF-funded projects? Check out the Projects Database for a complete overview of funded projects and get inspired by municipalities of all sizes, across Canada.