Decarbonizing Canada’s energy supply and exports with solar PV and e-fuels

Implementation of large-scale photovoltaic (PV) and e-fuels in Canada could help mitigate GHG emissions while also producing enough energy to meet demand. This study examines the potential of PV electricity to meet Canada’s energy demand at three levels: replacement of GHG-emitting electricity, replacement of GHG-emitting secondary energy use, and replacement of fossil fuel exports. Secondary energy is replaced with direct electrification and e-fuels created using solar electricity. Energy exports are in the form of e-fuels, produced using solar energy. The amount of land and increased electricity generation needed is calculated. If Canada were to simply decarbonize its grid, an equivalent of only 7.3% of the land currently used in oil and gas production in Alberta would be needed for PV panels. To replace both electricity and GHG-emitting secondary energy uses, Canada would need a 4.7- to 7.7-fold increase in its current clean electricity generation. To completely decarbonize all domestic energy, and maintain current levels of energy exports, Canada would need to increase its current clean electrical generation by 13.4 to 16.5 times. PV panels would cover less than 1.6% of Canada’s land mass. •Solar power and e-fuels are a pathway to decarbonizing Canada’s energy supply.•E-fuels can be created using photovoltaic electricity, replacing fossil fuels.•Electricity production and land requirements for PV power are analyzed.•The cycle efficiency of e-fuels leads to an increased need for electricity.•Transition to solar/e-fuel requires a 13x increase in electricity production.