When I was a kid, solar panels powered calculators, and that was
about it. Renewable energy was a hobby, not a career path, let
alone an industry. There was the odd off-grid system, but
besides these, a few calculators, and some aerospace
applications, solar power was a dream. In fact, according to
Steven Aftergood of the Federation of American Scientists (FAS),
as far back as 1971, solar systems “were subject to review and
possible restriction” by the US patent office if they were more
than 20% efficient. The potential power of solar was so great it
was an official secret. Fast forward to today. There are
backpacks that, in only a few hours, can charge laptop computers
many times more powerful than the processors that the lunar
modules used to take man to the moon. Photovoltaic (PV) panels
adorn parking meters and road signs, and solar farms glisten in
fields and on rooftops across the province. Solar technology has
come a long way. In Ontario, which has a solar industry powered
by a feed-in tariff (FIT) pro