Harnessing renewable resources in southern Alberta: a Homer Pro and GIS approach to energy and agriculture
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Date
2025
Authors
Aftab, Mohammad Adnan
University of Lethbridge. Faculty of Arts and Science
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Publisher
Lethbridge, Alta. : University of Lethbridge, Dept. of Geography and Environment
Abstract
With robust and innovative federal policies and initiatives, Canada has rapidly shifted its focus from conventional fuels to renewable energy resources, aiming to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and achieve a sustainable energy future. The Pan-Canadian policy 2030 on Clean Growth and Climate Change laid out by the Canadian Government presented a comprehensive framework to reduce carbon emissions by 30%. This policy comprises detailed measures to promote clean energy projects and build resilience to the impact of climate change by adopting renewable energy resources across the country. Alberta, the country's largest energy producer, plays a vital role in policy adoption to promote clean and environmentally friendly renewable technologies. Alberta’s Electric System Operation statistics show that the province boasted over 6 GW of Wind and 1.5 GW of Solar photovoltaic capacity in 2023. Alberta’s 2016 initiative, “Renewable Energy Program 2030,” aimed at achieving 30% of the province’s energy from renewable energy resources. These goals are driven by Alberta’s abundant renewable energy resources and a decreasing trend in PV and WT technology costs.This research redefines the integration of hybrid renewable energy systems by introducing an innovative tri-brid photovoltaic-wind turbine-battery energy storage system (PV-WT-BESS) model, strategically designed for remote communities in Alberta. Unlike Conventional approaches, this research pioneers a techno- economical, geospatial and agricultural synergy by leveraging HOMER Pro for energy optimization, Geographic Information System (GIS) based strategic land use assessment and FAO’sCROPWAT for precision irrigation planning. The first objective of the research was to conduct a detailed techno-economic analysis by considering hybrid renewable energy resources in the country, especially in remote communities that mainly rely on conventional resources such as fossil fuels, etc. Furthermore, the research was extended towards finding out the strategic land use and resource assessment process to efficiently optimize the integration of renewables such as solar and wind energy into the major sectors contributing to the economy. Agriculture is considered one of the main pillars of Canada’s economy, generating 7% of the GDP and creating substantial employment opportunities. Hence, efficient utilization of the land for renewable installation is crucial to keep the land used for agricultural purposes at its maximum. Agriculture output efficiency mainly relies on the irrigation of land. Different rivers, such as the Bow, Oldman, South Saskatchewan Rivers, etc. supply the irrigation water to fulfil the crop water requirements. However, extensive water use reduces water reservoirs, which could significantly affect the hydel energy generation in coming years, i.e., 60% of the total energy generated throughout the country.Keeping in view the sustainable development goal (SDG 7), i.e., Affordable and Clean Energy, the presented research work leverages Homer Pro energy modelling, Geographic Information System (GIS) techniques, and FAO’s CROPWAT software to optimize renewable energy resources for energy generation and irrigation purposes tailored for Alberta, mainly focusing on communities such as Gleichen and irrigation districts of Lethbridge and St. Mary River. This study has been conducted to achieve the most optimized hybrid renewables combination with the lowest cost of energy (LCOE) and reduced greenhouse gas emission (GHG) compared to conventional fuel-based electricity.In the first part of the study, a tri-brid system was modelled for the Siksika Nation in Gleichen, Alberta, due to its proximity to high renewables availability. The proposed hybrid system comprises grid-tied PV-WT-BESS to compensate for the community load demand. The techno-economic analysis revealed that LCOE for the proposed system is $0.075 CAD/kWh compared to conventional energy costing $0.127 CAD/kWh. These results authenticate the cost-effectiveness and environment-friendly nature of hybrid renewables. In the second part of the research work, the scope was extended to Lethbridge Northern Irrigation District (LNID) and St. Mary River Irrigation District (SMRID) for strategic land use and resource assessment processes to integrate renewables such as PV and WT systems into these areas. GIS techniques were used to determine the impact of various factors, such as land use, elevation, soil morphology, water bodies, road and electric networks, etc., on the suitability of different sites. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Fuzzy Overlay Analysis were used to identify the most suitable sites. The study outcomes can prove valuable for policymakers, planners, and stakeholders in driving the region toward sustainability.In the concluding part of the research study, the importance of cost-effective and efficient irrigation has been emphasized, considering that agriculture contributes 2.8% to Alberta's economy. Due to the closure of the issuance of new water licenses for Oldman River in the area mainly used for irrigation, groundwater pumping has becomethe complementary source for irrigation purposes to fulfill the crop water requirements. The study explored the utilization of PV and WT systems to supply the required energy for the groundwater pumping mechanism. CROPWAT was used for the calculation of crop water requirements of an agricultural farm for one complete season. This requirement was further converted into energy needs. Homer Pro was used to design the most optimized hybrid renewable system to fulfill the energy needs of agriculture farms and compensate for the water requirement for a complete season.
The valuable findings from the above studies signify the importance and practicality of integrating renewables into the regional economy. This research highlights renewable energy's role in boosting economic growth and mitigating environmental impacts in the region by providing the roadmap for energy independence and ensuring sustainability.
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Keywords
renewable energy , solar energy , wind energy , land suitability analysis , GIS , LCOE , techno economic analysis , Southern Alberta , sustainable irrigation , LNID , SMRID , net zero electricity , CROPWAT , HOMER Pro