Solar energy in Canada is attracting the attention of many people. You will be informed about what solar energy is and how it works, the environmental impacts of solar energy, why you should care about it, and what you and others can do to help promote it. You will have a better understanding of solar energy and why you should switch. Overview The amount of solar energy you consume depends on where you live, how you live, transportation and climate. Canada has an abundance of renewable resources, including solar energy. The province with the highest development of solar resources is British Columbia. Quebec, southern Ontario and the prairies are where you'll find the most solar power. The amount of solar energy present anywhere in Canada will depend on the season, latitude, weather conditions and time of day. For example, in the territories it is more difficult to produce solar energy due to the latitude. Less sunlight reaches the territories than other places in Canada such as Ontario. Many sparsely populated areas use solar energy because they are far from power lines. Now that you know a little about solar energy in Canada, I can explain what solar energy is. Solar energy is the energy taken from light reaching the Earth's surface from the sun. There are four different types of solar energy: active solar systems, passive solar systems, photovoltaic cells and concentrated energy systems. An active solar system is a system that captures solar energy by mechanical means. Common active solar systems are often found in buildings or homes. Some examples are roof collectors and water heating. Low intensity and high variability have limited the use of active solar energy in Canada. A passage......middle of paper......nadiangeographic.ca/Scanlan, L. (2001, May/June) Solar Energy: Power Switch. Canadian Geographic Retrieved from http://www.canadiangeographic.ca/Solar Power in Canada (2002-2014) Retrieved from http://www.centreforenergy.com/AboutEnergy/Solar/Overview.asp?page=1Sun Shower (nd) Retrieved from http://www.canadiangeographic.ca/atlas/themes.aspx?id=weather&sub=weather_power_solarpower&lang=En Table 358-0214 (nd) Retrieved from http://www5.statcan.gc.ca/cansim/pick- choisir?lang= ita&p2=33&id=3580214Vancouver Sun. (2006) Solar energy development harvests energy around the world. Vancouver Sun. Retrieved from http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/features/energy/story.html?id=fad2f435-0b49-4ea1-bcd3-b297d981bcb1Wearing, J. (2012, June) Research: Solar Panels for All Seasons. Canadian Geographic. Retrieved from http://www.canadiangeographic.ca/