Industry Insight
Renewable Energy and Solar Energy: A Bright Solution for a Dark Time
Climate change calls for local action. See how communities are turning to renewable energy and how solar helps Ontario homeowners do their part.
Climate change calls for local action. See how communities are turning to renewable energy and how solar helps Ontario homeowners do their part.
Climate change is being discussed across Canada, from rural farm fields to the institutions that run the country. Advances in technology over past decades have given humanity the potential to prosper, yet in many ways progress has come with costs. Scientific assessments warn that biodiversity is declining quickly, and that the pressure on ecosystems is growing. So where do we go from here, and what can ordinary people do about it?
Climate change does not discriminate by age, race or gender, and many experts describe it as one of the greatest challenges humanity has faced. Researchers also warn that developing nations and low-income communities are likely to be hit hardest by its effects, because they often have fewer resources to adapt. Many of the places most at risk have already dealt with serious environmental disasters.
Communities are responding. Coastal cities have begun building sea walls and restoring mangroves to protect against storm surges. Different places face different threats, and local solutions matter.
Climate change makes us think carefully about every part of daily life, including transportation, agriculture, infrastructure, consumption and how we govern. No single lens is enough, which is why climate planners increasingly talk about solutions that work across sectors: electricity, food, agriculture and land use, industry, transportation, buildings, and natural and engineered carbon sinks.
Organizations around the world are tackling the challenge together, and some are in our own backyard. Drawdown Toronto, a local initiative inspired by the Project Drawdown framework, reminds us that climate change cannot be solved only from the top down. It has to be worked on from the bottom up too. In the words of Drawdown founder Paul Hawken, climate solutions are local and global.
One of the most direct places to start is with the buildings we live in. Buildings use energy for heating, cooling, hot water and lighting, and where that energy comes from matters. As interest in energy efficiency has grown, so has demand for solar energy in Ontario.
A rooftop solar system turns sunlight into electricity through the photovoltaic effect, with no moving parts and no emissions while it runs. In Ontario, net metering allows surplus power to be sent to the grid in exchange for credits, which can be used later when your panels are not producing as much. The amount a system can offset depends on its size, your roof and how much electricity you use.
Terawatt Solar designs and installs solar for homes across the GTA and Ontario. Our ESA-licensed crews are employees, not subcontractors, and every project starts with a free site assessment so you can see what a system would look like on your own roof. Learn more about our residential solar services, browse real GTA installations, or get in touch to talk with our team. For official guidance on climate action in Canada, visit the Government of Canada's climate change pages.
Many GTA roofs can host a system. Orientation, shading, roof condition and your electrical panel all matter, which is why we start with a free site assessment.
Official sources such as Environment and Climate Change Canada provide current information. Local groups such as Drawdown Toronto also share community-level ideas.
