Commercial Properties still Turn To Rooftop Solar

MartaHoutm · 2025-11-02 09:07:46

Loblaw states its $10-million, 7.5-megawatt roof solar task - expected to be finished in 2026 - at its distribution centre in East Gwillimbury, Ont., will be the nation's largest.Supplied/ Loblaw Cos.

Ltd. Large-scale roof solar tasks have yet to get extensive traction with Canadian developers.
63d1a435eaa9f70379d8ee34_AUSTIN%20ALAMO%20HEIGHTS_Modern%20Farmhouse_Black%20NIGHT%2001.webp

Financing can be complicated and it can take time for developers to gain returns on their financial investments, but new solar tasks are still being announced, says Victoria Papp, senior director of method and development at BOMA Canada, a group representing Canadian building owners and managers.

" Solar uptake in business property is still far from being a prevalent practice throughout the industry, but it's definitely increasing," Ms. Papp states. "It can be challenging to retrofit structures that were never developed with photovoltaic panels in mind."

This month, the Canadian Renewable resource Association stated it's tracked more than $31-billion in financial investment in renewable resource - such as solar and wind power sources - throughout the nation. A recently released report likewise discovered Canada's solar, wind and energy storage sectors have grown by 46 percent over the previous five years, with 10,000 megawatts of brand-new capacity anticipated to be connected by 2030.

As a contrast, nearly 6,500 megawatts of solar energy - enough to power as lots of as two-million homes - was produced in Canada in 2022, according to the federal government.

Scaling solar throughout Canada

While nationwide investment figures highlight solar's growing function in Canada's energy mix, some business are taking the lead in scaling up tasks of their own.

In late July, Loblaw Cos. Ltd. announced it's building what it states will be Canada's biggest roof planetary system installation at its new distribution centre in East Gwillimbury, Ont., north of Toronto.

The $10-million, 7.5-megawatt project, expected to be finished in 2026, will cover the structure's roofing with almost 435,000 square feet of photovoltaic panels - about the size of 7 football fields. It's expected to produce 8.5-million kilowatt-hours a year, about a quarter of the needs of Loblaw's automatic distribution centre.

" The building itself is really energy-intensive due to the automation and refrigeration systems within," states Tom Marson, Loblaw's vice-president of building technology and energy. "The photovoltaic panel system will assist us balance out energy use in the structure."

Great Circle Solar Management Corp. will be the home builder, owner and operator of the task and sell the power to Loblaw under a long-term agreement. The task is the biggest of nearly 60 roof solar initiatives in which the 2 companies have partnered in the previous ten years.

" Power from the solar panel system on the roofing system is fed straight into the electrical spaces of the center and utilized to straight power the site's operations in East Gwillimbury," says Clarke Herring, Great Circle Solar's CEO.

Meeting business environment targets

Commercial circulation centres are not the only kinds of residential or commercial properties setting up large-scale solar jobs. In Waterloo, Ont., Conestoga College established a 1.3-megawatt solar photovoltaic system at its Kitchener-Doon campus. The system, which went reside in 2023, creates about 1.6-million kwh of eco-friendly, clean energy a year, enough to power at least 40,000 homes.

The system, which spreads more than 3,000 solar panels over the roofings of several buildings, assists Conestoga satisfy 15 percent of its annual electrical power requirements and offset peak need from the standard grid by 57 percent.

" We're dedicated at Conestoga to supporting Canada's tidy development and climate-change goals for a more sustainable future," states Tim Schill, the college's vice-president of centers and capital advancement. "This task is a considerable advance in helping in reducing [greenhouse gas] emissions and promoting sustainable stewardship of our environment and resources."

Ontario's Conestoga College has actually established a 1.3-megawatt solar photovoltaic system at its Kitchener-Doon school that creates about 1.6-million kilowatt hours of eco-friendly, clean energy a year.Supplied/ Conestoga College

Loblaw states among the factors for setting up solar panels at its distribution centre is to assist satisfy the company's net-zero emissions decrease targets.

" We're intending to accomplish net absolutely no for our Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions by 2040," Mr. Marson states. Scope 1 emissions are produced directly from sources owned or controlled by a business, while Scope 2 emissions account for those produced from the generation of bought electrical energy that's consumed by the business or company.

" Procuring and consuming eco-friendly energy on residential or commercial properties where high amounts of energy is taken in is a crucial step for us," Mr. Marson says, including it's especially important for Loblaw, because the business connects with customers daily.

" We run thousands of shops all throughout the country, which indicates we are deeply woven into the material of the neighborhoods we serve," he says. "Millions of everyday consumers and our 220,000 associates and workers expect us to lead."

According to Mr. Marson, Loblaw originally set carbon reduction targets for its business shops in 2016, and it fulfilled those years ahead of schedule. "We reset our baseline in 2020, and included franchise shops and Shoppers Drug Mart areas. Ever since, we've reduced our carbon footprint 16 per cent and continue to make significant progress."

Finding the right financing

Mr. Schill states building little and medium-sized solar tasks, such as Conestoga's, can be tough since of problems securing financing, along with shifting regulations and incentive programs.

" Until recently, it was much easier to get favourable government-backed funding if you had a $100-million project," he states. The relocation by Prime Minister Mark Carney to ditch the unpopular federal carbon tax was a problem due to the fact that the tax had used natural gas more expensive and solar power more appealing, he adds.

Mr. Schill is encouraged by recent relocations such as the brand-new $100-million collaboration between the Canada Infrastructure Bank and Scotiabank, which intends to help owners retrofit little and mid-sized commercial structures.

Ali Hoss, head of sustainability and ESG at Colliers Canada, says the nation can take advantage of moves in the United States to discontinue solar-power incentives.

" Investors in the U.S. must now price-in high political danger," he states. "Canada, by contrast, has broad, multi-party assistance for sustainability. This predictability is a critical advantage for attracting the long-term, patient capital required genuine estate and infrastructure jobs like solar."

Great Circle Solar's Mr. Herring agrees. "Going solar offers an important long-lasting fiscal hedge versus unpredictable future electrical energy expenses."

Report an editorial mistake

Report a technical concern

Editorial standard procedure

Follow associated authors and topics

Loblaw Companies Limited

Ontario.

Renewable resource.

Sustainable Development.

Authors and subjects you follow will be contributed to your individual news feed in Following.

Interact with The Globe

Terms & Conditions.

Community Guidelines.

Privacy Policy.

Disclaimer.

Subscribe.
Digital + Home Delivery.

Digital Access.

Globe2Go.

The New York Times.

Globe Email Newsletters.

Gift Subscription.

Advertise with Us.

Group Subscriptions.

Globe Campus.

DataStore.

Globe Event Centre.

Leadership Institute.

Address and Phone Number.

Standards Editor.

Staff.

SecureDrop.

Submit a short article.

Account Settings.

Technical Support & FAQs.

Subscriptions.

Member Benefits.

Privacy Settings.

Company Information.

Work at The Globe.

Accessibility.

Editorial Standard Procedure.

Sustainability.

Licensing & Permissions.

Election Advertising Registry.

Modern Slavery Report.

Subscribe

Digital + Home Delivery.