Blog article: A Decade of Progress on City-Owned Buildings and Facilities

Published on September 26, 2024
A Decade of Progress on City-Owned Buildings and Facilities

Article text

Sami El Sabri is a recent graduate from the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences, specializing in public health and computational cognitive science. With strong skills in data-driven insights and statistical analysis, Sami is eager to advance public health research. This paper was prepared for Professor Rohan Alexander’s Methods of Data Analysis (STA302) course at the University of Toronto, applying analytical techniques to real-world urban issues.

This post explores the trends in renewable energy installations on City-owned buildings and facilities in Toronto over the past decade. Using data from the City of Toronto’s Open Data Portal, this analysis examines whether the city is on track to meet its commitment to an energy transition. This data is easily accessible at this link and has been analyzed using R and its various statistical analysis packages, along with QGIS for producing map visualizations.

Renewable energy is vital for the environmental health of a city like Toronto. Adopting renewable energy sources reduces greenhouse gas emissions, improves air quality, and fosters a more sustainable urban environment (Perea-Moreno et al., 2018). These environmental benefits are essential for the physical and social well-being of urban populations in the long term. Additionally, the equitable distribution of renewable energy installations ensures that all communities within the city can reap the benefits of cleaner energy sources, which can lead to improved economic opportunities and quality of life for residents (Robinson, 2020). The change must start somewhere, and when local governments take a top-down initiative, they can shift the culture and mobilize public support for renewable energy (van Staden, 2017).

The findings of this analysis highlight a significant increase in renewable energy installations both in quantity and quality, particularly in 2017 and 2018, reflecting the city’s intensified efforts towards its carbon neutrality goals. The data also reveals a diversification in the types of installations and a strategic expansion beyond the downtown core.

Data Source

For this study, I used a dataset from the City of Toronto’s Open Data Portal, specifically focusing on renewable energy installations on city-owned buildings and facilities. The dataset, titled “Renewable Energy Installations,” was last updated on April 22, 2022, and includes data from 2010 to 2019 collected by the Facilities Management Division. It details various types of renewable energy systems installed, such as photovoltaic panels, solar pool heating, and geothermal systems. It also shows if an installation fell under the FIT (Feed-In Tariff) or microFIT programs, which incentivize the use of renewable energy by guaranteeing long-term financing and contracts for both large and small installations, as well as energy storage solutions and Net Metering (NM) installations.

Key Findings

One of the most interesting findings from the data is the variation in the size and type of renewable energy installations over the years.

Figure 1: Size of new City-Owned Renewable Energy Installations in Toronto between 2010 and 2019 with fitted regression line.

Figure 1 illustrates the sizes of new installations over time, showing significant variation, particularly in 2016 and 2018. Due to this inconsistency, a simple trend line cannot reliably predict an overall increase in installation size over the years. When we look closer at the data, we see that the size of installations is closely related to the type of installation. For instance, in 2017, most new installations were smaller MicroFIT systems, which resulted in smaller average sizes for that year (see Figure 2). In contrast, 2018 had more large FIT installations, leading to larger average sizes. This variation highlights how the city is balancing both small-scale and large-scale renewable energy systems to diversify its energy portfolio.

Figure 2: Count of new City-Owned Renewable Energy Installations in Toronto by type of installation between 2010 and 2019

Figure 3 maps the geographical distribution of renewable energy installations across Toronto. Installations are evenly spread throughout the city, with strategic efforts to expand into peripheral areas. Interestingly, most of the city’s larger installations are in these areas, such as North York and Scarborough (Figure 4). As of 2019, there were still notable areas with low installation densities such as Toronto-Danforth, Etobicoke Centre, Scarborough-Rouge Park, and Don Valley City Wards. However, this expansion over time demonstrates a deliberate strategy to ensure equitable access to renewable energy across the city, reflecting a commitment to inclusive and widespread sustainability efforts.

Figure 3: Geographical Distribution of City-Owned Renewable Energy Installations in Toronto between 2010 and 2019

Figure 4: Geographical Distribution of City-Owned Renewable Energy Installations in Toronto by size

Discussion

While this dataset and analysis provide valuable insights into the Toronto City Government’s dedicated efforts to expand and diversify the city’s renewable energy infrastructure, it’s important to acknowledge the limitations. Since the dataset primarily focuses on city divisions and excludes data from other city agencies or public-private partnerships involved in renewable energy initiatives, the analysis may overlook significant installations managed by other entities. However, the approach taken in this analysis can be applied easily to similar datasets, such as considering installation types when interpreting size trends.


Moreover, the data only covers installations up until 2019, leaving out more than five years of potential progress. Toronto’s efforts are part of a broader commitment to addressing climate change, aligning with Canada’s $964 million investment in renewable energy projects under the Paris Agreement. As the largest city in Canada, Toronto stands at the forefront of sustainable urban development with initiatives like SolarTO and the Conservation Authority’s Renewable Energy Program. The city’s Net Zero Carbon Plan aims to achieve net zero emissions in city buildings by 2040. While this goal and current action are commendable, the city must continue or even intensify its efforts to ensure it meets its ambitious targets and sets an example for other cities worldwide. This analysis contributes to a better understanding of Toronto’s commitment to renewable energy, paving the way for informed discussions on the city’s progress and future endeavours in combating climate change.

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