In Canada, Photovoltaic (PV) technology has become a favoured form of renewable energy technology due to a number of social and economic factors, including the need to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, deregulation, and the restructuring of electric power generating companies. The rapid growth in the deployment of photovoltaics in recent years indicates that the technology is quickly gaining ground in Canada.

The photovoltaic energy research group’s primary mandate is to help develop and deploy photovoltaic energy technologies in Canada. To this end, two strategic approaches are being taken. The first is to accelerate the deployment of this technology in Canada, while the second aims at exploiting the technology’s potential, both nationally and internationally.

CETC-Varennes promotes and facilitates the use of photovoltaic systems in buildings, by carrying out research and demonstration projects, serving on international standards committees and developing information and training tools.

Some of the following hyperlinks are to sites of organizations or other entities that are not subject to the Official Languages Act. The material found there is therefore in the language (s) used by the sites in question.

• R&D; on various aspects of photovoltaic systems;
• Monitoring the activities of the Canadian PV industry; for more details, see the annual report (PDF, 694 KB);
• R&D; on net-zero energy solar homes;
• Developing photovoltaic and solar resource maps for Canada;
• Participating in the Canadian Solar Buildings Research Network;
• Establishing standards and codes for the certification and installation of PV systems and their components;
• Establishing national guidelines for the connection of small, distributed power sources to the public power system; for more information on the task force’s activities, visit the MicroPower Connect Website;
• Monitoring potential avenues for PV technology in Canadian buildings; for more information, see the report entitled Photovoltaics for buildings: Opportunities for Canada (PDF, 6 MB);
• Promotion of the use of PV, wind, and micro-hydro technologies in federal facilities (PDF, 172 KB);
• Representing Canada in the International Energy Agency Photovoltaic Power Systems Programme;
• Disseminating information to the Canadian PV industry (see our list of publications);
• Partnering with the solar power industry through the development of TEAM projects;
• Participation at a professional development course of the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada - Sustainable Building: Making the Case for Building Integrated Photovoltaics.

CETC-Varennes also actively contributes its expertise to innovative partnerships with the main players in the field. Most research projects are carried out on a cost-sharing basis with industry, universities, research groups, quasi-public agencies and other departments or governments.

CETC–Varennes is responsible for the scientific aspects of work on photovoltaic energy for Natural Resources Canada. For general information on solar energy technologies and applications, as well as on how solar panels work, consult the RETScreen International Website and the Canadian Renewable Energy Network (CanREN) Website.