Glass and Photovoltaics in Toronto Canada

Canada has pledged to make all new buildings net-zero ready by 2030. Certainly these buildings will be much more energy-efficient and save significant amounts of carbon emissions. But the “zero” in net-zero assumes a building is producing some form of energy to run its internal systems, and solar energy is an excellent option to achieve this.

Vitro Architectural Glass is supplying First Solar with additional US capacity. In October 2023, it announced an expansion of its contract with First Solar and a plan to invest in a plant in Pennsylvania, as well as in adapting existing PV glass facilities.

Besides influencing First Solar and its growing glass supply chain, policies such as the US Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) are also spurring crystalline silicon manufacturing investment. This has triggered Canadian Premium Sand (CPS), a new entrant from Canada, to announce a solar panel glass project.

This technology is coming none too soon, at least in Ontario. As reported in early 2022 by TNT Power (an Ontario power generation, distribution and automation company) “the Leamington-Kingsville area is experiencing unprecedented growth due to the expansion of the greenhouse industry.

As PV module capacity increases, glass suppliers are investing in new solar glass production capacity. New facilities are popping up in North America, with unique features to ensure competitiveness, such as using recycled material.

Andries Wantenaar, from market intelligence company Rethink Technology Research, said that "demand for solar glass is looking robust." “We're excited about the potential for domestic solar manufacturing growth to provide jobs and R&D development in the US,” Solarcycle Chief Operating Officer (COO) Rob Vinje told pv magazine.