Stardust Solar Poised to Drive Growth in Renewable Energy

With demand for jobs in the renewable energy sector increasing, Burnaby, B.C.-based Stardust Solar's recent acquisition of Nova Scotia-based Canadian Solar Institute positions the company as the nation's key provider of training for the industry.

A recent report by the International Energy Agency projected that wind and solar capacity will exceed coal and gas within five years, and many experts predict that the growth in renewable energy employment will play a big role in the post-Covid global economic recovery.

The acquisition builds on Stardust's comprehensive growth strategy, says CEO Mark Tadros. Already considered Canada's top renewable energy trainer, the company now becomes the undisputed go-to player in the industry by acquiring its leading competitor. Further, Stardust gains new operational capacity in the Maritimes, including Nova Scotia, which offers the best solar incentives across the country

The company also brings on invaluable expertise and experience in the form of Canadian Solar Institute owner Mario Borsato, who will remain with Stardust to help with training in Eastern Canada. He'll also be responsible for updating the company's training curriculum to account for the most recent technological advancements.

Tadros is extremely pleased to be working with such a long-time industry icon.

"Mario is renowned across Canada as one of the leading installers and instructors," he says.

Borsato says that burning coal to generate electricity is a waste given the technologies we currently have.

"We have to use the resources that we have in a renewable and sustainable way and solar and wind is going to do that for us," he explains.

Over the next five years, wind and solar capacity is expected to double, creating a huge need for certified renewable energy installers. Accredited by both the Canadian Standards Association and the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners, Stardust is much-better equipped to help meet this demand by adding the assets of the Canadian Solar Institute. 

As Canada attempts to match global efforts to reduce carbon emissions, sources of clean and renewable energy will become more important. Natural Resources Canada states that about half the nation's residential electricity requirements could be achieved through the installation of solar panels on the roofs of residential structures. 

Helping this become a reality was behind the formation of Stardust, and Tadros' rationale for launching the company was rooted in altruistic motives.

"It's all about our future generations, the future of our society and the health of our planet," he explains.

Stardust Solar's growth has been rapid since its humble beginnings as photo voltaic installers in the somewhat early days of the industry in 2016. After gaining enough field experience, the company branched out in 2017 and began offering certified training in renewable energies such as solar panels, solar hot water, wind turbines and electrical vehicle chargers.

Tadros says that when the pandemic made in-person training impossible last year, Stardust started offering marketing, accounting and administrative assistance to installation businesses. This ultimately led to the next stage in the company's growth with the Stardust Solar Franchise model launching in January 2021.

Having already received over 200 requests for franchises nationwide, "it's just blown up," he says.

Along the away, Stardust has caught the attention of the public, winning the 2021 Vancouver Consumer Choice Award as the Best Solar Energy Company.

While the accolades are rewarding, despite the increased demand for renewable energy in Canada, there's still much work to be done as the country lags behind other nations, specifically in Europe, where Germany has surged to the forefront. 

Tadros believes what's required to really drive the Canadian sector forward is buy-in from the federal government in the form of incentive programs. While several municipalities have taken leadership positions in encouraging renewable energy, he says it's going to take adoption by the feds for solar technology to become mainstream.

Borsato says that the biggest challenge is educating the consumer. "The technology's there, it's proven."

However, he suggests that people either have unrealistic expectations of solar (believing they can put one or two panels on the roof and they can disconnect from the grid), or they don't even realize it is possible with a large enough array of panels to virtually eliminate your utility bills or even live off the grid completely.

Other factors driving growth include: 

• Solar electric system technology continues to improve while undergoing significant price reductions in recent years;
• Based on the price of oil and gas increasing as resources become more scarce, utility rates are projected to keep rising, with Borsato suggesting they will double in five years; 
• Storage capacity has been one of the issues limiting solar adoption, but Borsato says this area is being addressed and is the fastest growing segment of the industry -- he's expecting big results within a couple of years;
• Global capacity continues to increase with 500,000 sector jobs being added in 2019, bringing the number of people employed in the industry to 11.5 million according to a 2020 report by the International Renewable Energy Agency; and 
• As we seek to lower carbon emissions, solar will gain in popularity given that it's among the lowest producers of emissions of any electrical production type.

"I think the demand is going to be undeniable and what you're seeing is the global movement of renewable energies pushing Canada to adopt it," Tadros predicts.

He is quick to point out that the transition to renewable energy is not an overnight process. He envisions this switch taking a generation or two as "we wean ourselves off old energy and move towards renewables." In the short-term, renewable energy should be considered as a means to subsidize the power grid, but long-term it will become the dominant source. 

Ultimately, the opportunity to produce clean energy with very little waste is vital as we move forward, Tadros says.

"Staying trapped in what we've done in the past won't work for future generations, and there's just an easier, better way for us to do it; my belief is that renewable energies will be the path forward."

Stardust Solar | https://stardustsolar.com