Green Energy Rules Make Ontario A North American Leader

New regulations introduced today will create thousands of jobs in the new green economy under Ontario's Green Energy Act.
Ontario's new regulations provide a stable investment environment where companies know what the rules are -- giving them the confidence to invest in Ontario, hire workers, and produce and sell renewable energy.

• A Feed-In-Tariff program, which allows individuals and companies to sell renewable energy -- like solar, wind, water, biomass, biogas and landfill gas -- into the grid at set rates.

• Domestic content requirements, which would ensure at least 25 per cent of wind projects and 50 per cent of solar projects be produced in Ontario -- requirements for solar will increase by January 1, 2011 and wind will increase by January 1, 2012.

• A streamlined approvals process and a service guarantee to bring developers greater certainty.

• Regulations for setting wind turbines certain distances from houses, roadways and property lines.

• A new Ontario Renewable Energy Facilitation Office -- a one-stop shop to help renewable energy projects get off the ground faster.

More than 50,000 direct and indirect jobs will be created under the Act. Investments in new renewable energy projects already in place or under construction in Ontario since 2003 exceed $4 billion.

Feed-In Tariff Program Two-Year Review

Ontario is launching its scheduled review of the Feed-In Tariff (FIT) Program. This will examine program rules and pricing to ensure the program remains successful and sustainable. The FIT Program, which launched in 2009, is the most comprehensive program of its kind in North America.
The province’s Green Energy Act and FIT program was launched in 2009 to:

• Make it easier and more efficient to bring renewable energy projects of all sizes online.
• Stimulate the economy and create jobs, making Ontario a clean energy leader.
• Help replace dirty coal-fired plants with cleaner sources of renewable energy, cleaning up the air, protecting the health of Ontarians and reducing the province’s environmental footprint.

Since the launch of the Green Energy Act and FIT program, the province has:

• Offered contracts for approximately 2,500 medium and large FIT Projects and over 11,000 microFIT projects have connected or are expected to connect soon. This represents enough electricity to power almost 1.2 million homes.
• Created more than 20,000 jobs and is on track to create 50,000 jobs by the end of 2012.
• Moved forward towards its goal of replacing coal fired generation by the end of 2014. Compared to 2003, Ontario has reduced its use of coal-fired power by 90%. In October 2010, the province closed four coal-fired power units, four years ahead of schedule.In total, Ontario has shut down eight of 19 coal units; the remaining units will close by the end of 2014.

For more information on the FIT Review process, please see the press release below and at the following link: http://www.energy.gov.on.ca/en/fit-and-microfit-program/2-year-fit-review/

Green energy sector cheers Ontario election result

(Reuters) - Ontario's renewable energy industry breathed a sigh of relief on Friday and manufacturers looked forward to a surge in demand after voters in the province returned the Liberal Party to power, albeit without a majority.

Shares in renewable energy companies rose on expectations of an end to an industry slowdown caused by months of uncertainty over the future of the Liberal-sponsored green energy plan and its generous feed-in tariff (FIT) scheme for renewable power developers.

The opposition Progressive Conservative Party, which had been well ahead in the polls for much of the campaign, had threatened to abolish the FIT program, which pays well above-market rates to developers of green power. They argued it was causing electricity prices to rocket.

"It is a good day today. Customers were holding back with orders ahead of the outcome of the election... Now that there is relief, people will continue with their plans," said Paco Caudet, general manager of Siliken Canada, a unit of Spanish solar panel manufacturer Siliken.

Shares of Sustainable Energy Technologies, a manufacturer of solar inverters, jumped 11 percent on the TSX Venture Exchange. Solar panel technology maker Day4 Energy Inc rose nearly 7 percent.
The victory by the Ontario Liberals in Thursday's election was their third in a row, but they fell one seat short of a majority, meaning they will need support from opposition legislators to pass bills.

Although the possible fragility of a minority government could have some impact on the renewables industry, "people are comfortable that the fundamentals are in place," Robert Hornung, president of the Canadian Wind Energy Association, said in an interview.

Ontario has attracted more than C$20 billion ($19.5 billion) in renewable investment commitments since it launched its FIT program two years ago. The largest single commitment is a C$7 billion investment by South Korea's Samsung C&T, which the Conservatives threatened to scrap.

Thursday's election outcome "allows us just to continue forward on the time frame that we hoped rather than guessing at what is coming down the pike," said Mike Garland, chief executive of Pattern Energy, which is developing four wind projects in Ontario with Samsung.

($1=$1.03 Canadian)

Ontario regulator gives utility more time to assess solar-power proposals

Ontario’s energy regulator has granted the province’s largest utility more time to deal with a backlog of solar-power proposals despite concerns from the fledgling industry that further delays could threaten green jobs and cripple investments.
In a ruling issued on Tuesday, the Ontario Energy Board agreed to give Hydro One a limited six-month exemption from meeting deadlines for assessing and connecting some small renewable-energy projects.
But the provincially owned utility faces numerous conditions, including monthly monitoring and an order to develop a comprehensive plan for dealing with the steady surge of solar applications. Hydro One declined to comment until it has reviewed the ruling.
The energy regulator’s decision stems from a two-day hearing in August that pitted the utility giant against the province’s young solar sector. The industry was born two years ago from the Liberal government’s desire to turn Ontario into a green-energy leader.
Solar and wind power producers have been guaranteed long-term, above-market payments for their energy. However, bureaucratic delays and grid-connection obstacles have stalled thousands of projects.
The Liberals, which won a minority government in last week’s election, will have to address these challenges as it also faces stronger opposition in the legislature. The Conservatives say green-power incentives are too costly and should be scrapped.

Canadian Solar Supplies 15 MW to Build the UK's 3 Largest PV Solar Power Plants

London, UK - Canadian Solar, one of the world's largest solar companies, today announced that 22,000 of its high quality and high performance solar modules were used by its partner and EPC project supplier, Isolux Corsan, to build the UK's three largest photovoltaic solar power plants. Under the euro 40 million project, three new 5 MW solar power plants were built in Langford, Churchtown and Manor based in Cornwall, for a total of 15 MW installed capacity.

According to a September report from energy consultancy AEA, Cornwall generates the most solar photovoltaic power in the UK. Dr. Shawn Qu, Chairman and CEO of Canadian Solar, commented, "We are proud that Canadian Solar was selected for this showcase project. Isolux Corsan is a great partner and we are very pleased to be working together and hope to expand our relationship further in the future. Customers and partners continue to seek Canadian Solar due to our experience in the project area, backed by our impressive module performance, quality and value. Solar panels continue to be the most popular of the renewable energy sources in the UK and we are really encouraged by the growth we are seeing in our UK business. The impressive scale of this milestone UK solar project is proof of Isolux Corsan's excellence and we look forward to continuing to work with customers, such as Isolux Corsan, to promote the expansion of solar power in the UK."

"It has been a major challenge for Isolux Corsan to build these three plants, 15 MW of power plants, in just 10 weeks. On top of that, we had the difficulties of operating in a country for the first time. The project met all the deadlines thanks to the excellent coordination between all the departments from within our organization and also the involvement of external suppliers. Canadian Solar has understood the way we work perfectly and they have adapted to it as if they were just another member of the team. I would like to take this opportunity to thank them for their close cooperation all along the line," states Jesus Rubio, head of the Isolux Corsan Photovoltaic Solar Team.

How Photovoltaics Work?

You've probably seen calculators with solar cells -- devices that never need batteries and in some cases, don't even have an off button. As long as there's enough light, they seem to work forever. You may also have seen larger solar panels, perhaps on emergency road signs, call boxes, buoys and even in parking lots to power the lights.
Although these larger panels aren't as common as solar-powered calculators, they're out there and not that hard to spot if you know where to look. In fact, photovoltaics -- which were once used almost exclusively in space, powering satellites' electrical systems as far back as 1958 -- are being used more and more in less exotic ways. The technology continues to pop up in new devices all the time, from sunglasses to electric vehicle charging stations.
The hope for a "solar revolution" has been floating around for decades -- the idea that one day we'll all use free electricity fro­m the sun. This is a seductive promise, because on a bright, sunny day, the sun's rays give off approximately 1,000 watts of energy per square meter of the planet's surface. If we could collect all of that energy, we could easily power our homes and offices for free.

Solar photovoltaic panels installed on Vaughan, Ontario school rooftop

Ontario schools are finding new ways to help supplement their budgets, including the use of roof-mounted solar panels designed to take advantage of Ontario’s Clean Energy Act and Feed-In Tariff program for renewable power. A recent project involves the installation of a photovoltaic system on top of the York Region District School Board’s new Nellie McClung Public School in Vaughan.

 

 

Ontario schools are finding new ways to help supplement their budgets, including the use of roof-mounted solar panels designed to take advantage of Ontario’s Clean Energy Act and Feed-In Tariff program for renewable power. A recent project involves the installation of a photovoltaic system on top of the York Region District School Board’s new Nellie McClung Public School in Vaughan. 

Enermodal Engineering provided the electrical design and managed the implementation of the 338-module system. Evergreen Power Ltd. was the supplier and installer of the photovoltaic equipment, under sub-contract to TORCOM Construction Inc., a specialist in school construction and renovation. The general contractor has completed more than 45 school projects in the GTA over its 25-year-history.

“This is our first school project designed specifically for rooftop photovoltaic panels,” says Artin Chitilian, president of TORCOM Construction. “Once the system is operational, it will represent a great financial return for the school board.” 

The solar panels were installed on top of the two-storey building in June with support from the Ontario Ministry of Education’s Renewable Energy Funding for Schools Initiative. Once connected to the power grid, the panels will produce 85 MWh of power per year, with an annual payback of about $61,000 per year to the school board in a 20-year fixed rate contract with the Ontario Power Authority. 

The school will use some of the electricity it generates and students will incorporate performance and environmental data from the system into their class curriculum when the school opens in September.

“The roof was prepared with special steel racking and then the photovoltaic units were lifted into place using cranes,” says Chitilian. The framing was designed by YDY Engineering, using a system that eliminates the need for ballasting by tying the module racking directly into the building’s structure. 

“The only major difference on the roof itself is that we used more expensive white aggregate to help reflect the rays of the sun,” says Chitilian. 

It’s the second such project for TORCOM. The first was a retrofit project in York Region’s Sutton Public School in Sutton. 

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“They decided to add the solar panels after the fact,” says Chitilian. “Since the school roof wasn’t designed to carry the weight of the panels, we had to reinforce the roof structure with added beams and supports to make provision for the panels. But the added construction costs will be offset by the sale of the power.”

Chitilian says he hopes such educational projects are part of a wave of the future.

“As long as the funding and encouragement are there, I think the school boards will continue to pursue clean power in new and retrofit construction,” he says.

Suntech Solar Panel Now Available for Ontario FIT Program

SAN FRANCISCO, July 27, 2011 /PRNewswire-Asia/ -- Suntech Power Holdings Co., Ltd (NYSE: STP), the world's largest producer of solar panels, is now offering solar panels that satisfy local content requirements for solar projects in Ontario, Canada. Using 100% Ontario-refined silicon, Suntech's qualifying 225Wp and 275Wp solar panels will help local partners receive approval under Ontario's microFIT and FIT Programs.

As of January 1, 2011, the Ontario microFIT and FIT Programs require solar projects to utilize 60% domestic content. Suntech's high-quality solar panels can now contribute 10% and 11% compliance to the microFIT and FIT Programs respectively, thus enabling solar project developers to achieve the required 60% threshold. Solar project developers can now apply to receive approval for their domestic content plans using Suntech solar panels.

"With Suntech 225Wp and 275Wp solar panels, we have a world-class option for delivering solar projects in Ontario," said Eric Kalmbach, Chief Operating Officer of NorthGrid Solar Inc. "Ontario FIT compliance enables us to continue providing the high level of excellence we demand from our suppliers. Competition is healthy for the solar industry in Ontario and globally. It leads to better quality and, most importantly, helps to drive down the cost of solar electricity, which ultimately encourages even further investment."

Suntech's qualifying solar panels utilize 100% Ontario-refined silicon produced by Calisolar Inc., a privately held, vertically integrated manufacturer of solar silicon, wafers and cells.

"Readily available, high-quality solar silicon is critical to the solar value chain and growth of the solar industry," commented Calisolar CEO Sandra Beach Lin. "Suntech has been working with us for three years and continues to invest resources and effort to make our operations in Ontario world class. This is a great opportunity for our two companies to help meet Ontario's renewable energy goals while creating 75 high-quality jobs in Ontario."

Ontario saves $327 million in 7-year green energy deal

Energy Minister Brad Duguid speaks with CTV News, Tuesday, April 19, 2011.

TORONTO — Ontario's Liberal government has renegotiated a $7-billion green energy deal with Korean giant Samsung to save $327 million, but the opposition parties condemned it Wednesday as a secret, untendered contract given to a foreign multinational.
Samsung asked for and was given the same one-year extension to get its wind and solar projects online that other renewable energy companies received because of problems getting environmental approvals and agreements with local First Nations.
The province was originally supposed to pay Samsung a $437-million incentive over 20 years, on top of the going rates for wind and solar power, in exchange for building four new manufacturing plants in Ontario.
The province negotiated the incentive down to a maximum of $110 million, and got Samsung to speed up development of three of the four manufacturing plants, which will build components for renewable energy projects, said Energy Minister Brad Duguid.
"We're getting them much sooner, between one and four years sooner than under the original agreement," said Duguid. "It makes a deal that had been good for Ontario even better."
The Progressive Conservatives have vowed to tear up the Samsung deal if they win the Oct. 6 election, saying it will drive up the price of electricity and is not creating the jobs the Liberals promised.
The real benefit, the "gold mine" for Samsung, came when the Liberals guaranteed the Korean firm about 10 per cent of the capacity on Ontario's crowded electricity grid, said Opposition critic Jim Wilson.
"Our problem is they've given a foreign company, in a secret uncompetitive process, 2,500 megawatts of installed capacity, a portion of the grid that's larger than (the power from) Niagara Falls," said Wilson. "Ontario families are tired of secret deals, they're tired of skyrocketing hydro prices and they're tired of Dalton McGuinty's energy experiments."
The NDP said the Liberals must have been terrible negotiators on the original deal with Samsung if they could find more than $300 million of wriggle room one year into the agreement.
"How good are the Liberals at negotiating when they are able to reduce this incentive by three-quarters and still keep the company interested," said NDP energy critic Peter Tabuns. "They obviously didn't do the negotiating the should have right off the top."
The government will continue to point out the benefits of its green energy plans and the risks posed by Progressive Conservative Leader Tim Hudak in opposing them, said Duguid.
"Investments and financing require stable environments, and I think Tim Hudak has done everything he can to try to mess up our green energy economy with his irresponsible plan to gut our clean energy program and the thousands of jobs we're creating," he said.
The Liberals predict the Samsung deal will create about 16,000 green energy jobs in Ontario, although so far only 600 full-time positions have been created.
The NDP said the vast majority of the jobs the Liberals are talking about would be temporary construction jobs. Even the Liberals noted the four Samsung manufacturing plants would employ only about 900 people and create another 500 related jobs.
Samsung issued a statement late Wednesday saying it has already invested more than $100 million in Ontario and announced the location of three of its four manufacturing plants, in Windsor, Tillsonburg and Toronto.
"Today's announcement brings us one step closer to creating the world's largest cluster of wind and solar power, putting Ontario on the global renewable energy map," the company said in a release.
The Liberals say the Samsung deal will add only 36 cents a year to the average consumer's hydro bill, but the opposition parties argue the real impact will be much higher than that, and note Samsung stands to make billions of dollars over the life of the agreement.
The New Democrats, meanwhile, promised nearly $1 billion over four years to provide rebates for home retrofit programs to curb electricity use and move Ontario away from its reliance on nuclear power. The plan would be paid for with savings from putting planned nuclear refurbishments at Darlington on hold, which the Liberals warned would leave Ontario dangerously short of power.
"There is a lot riding on this election, and when Ontario families see what's at stake and what the opposition leaders are putting at risk, they're going to agree we're on the right track," said Duguid.

First Cheque from Hydro

Capital Solar Power installed 3.25kW Roof-Mounted PV System on Queens Mary Street, Ottawa, on April 2011.  Yesterday, she got her first cheque from Hydro.  Hurray!  When It's Sunny You Make Money!

New Solar power projects approved in Ontario

The OPA recently approved 510 new green energy projects, most of which involve solar power.

Alternative energy advocates are applauding a recent decision by the Ontario Power Authority to approve hundreds of new green energy projects.
The OPA said Wednesday that 510 projects have been approved in 120 communities across the province. Most of the new projects will be solar installations.
Peter Glover, director of marketing for Ottawa Solar Power, said the news is a “huge bonus” to the solar industry.
“It’s opening up the renewable energy technology industry dramatically in Ontario,” Glover said. “What's been a very slow progression of interests and installations is suddenly ballooning.”
The power produced by the new projects will be sold into the grid under the province’s feed-in-tariff program, which pays green energy producers a premium rate for the power they produce.
The program is part of the province’s Green Energy Act, which gained royal assent in May 2009. The province announced the program's regulations in September, and started accepting applications from aspiring power producers in October.
The new projects are the first “larger power generators” to win contracts through the program, the OPA said.
The approved projects range from 10 kilowatts to 500 kilowatts and have a total generating capacity of 112 megawatts — enough energy to power more than 13,000 homes , the OPA said.

'New source of income'

“These projects will create a new source of income while providing new clean and green electricity in Ontario — particularly on hot, sunny summer days when demand soars,” Brad Duguid, the energy and infrastructure minister, said in a statement.
David Eisenbud, a spokesman for the Canadian Solar Industries Association, said he thinks the new projects will give the solar industry a boost and help create jobs in the province.
Among the projects approved was a plan from Loblaw Companies Limited. The OPA approved the grocery retailer's application to put rooftop solar installations on 136 of its stores.
The company plans to start with four trial projects at stores in Orleans, Ajax, Toronto and Whitby.
The OPA is responsible for ensuring the province has enough electricity to meet its needs.

Solar power interest grows in Ontario

Feed-in tariff program pays households for power

 

Soaring energy prices have prompted growing interest in solar power in Ontario, thanks to a provincial government incentive program for homeowners who generate electricity.
Oil prices have climbed by about 33 per cent in just two months, with crude closing above $112 US a barrel, as traders worry about turmoil in the Mideast.
And electricity prices are on the rise, too. Consumers in Ontario will pay more starting next month. Nova Scotia has just announced a nine per cent increase in power rates.
That's prompted interest in the Ontario government's feed-in tariff program, which allows producers of solar power to sell their electricity to a utility. It pays them eight times the usual price for electricity.
Two homeowners taking advantage of the program are Annabel and Peter Reinis, who have installed solar panels on their home in the west end of Toronto at a cost of more than $20,000.
"Ontario Power Generation will pay us 80 cents a kilowatt for the power we put into their system and we still pay the regular bill that we always pay, Peter Reinis told Mike Hornbrook of CBC News. "So it's like a little business on our roof."
That business will pay them from $1,500 to $1,800 a year, and they don't have to do anything but cash the cheques that arrive from the power company.
Last year, Ontario added 200 megawatts of solar power. That's the second highest amount in North America after California.

Solar Manufacturer To Create 300 Jobs In Toronto

McGuinty Government Builds Clean Energy Economy As Province Continues To Turn The Corner

Ontario's shift toward clean, renewable energy is attracting more jobs and investment to the Toronto-area.
Eclipsall Energy Corp. is opening a manufacturing facility in Toronto to make solar panels for Ontario's growing clean energy sector, with plans to expand across the North American market in 2012. The plant is expected to create 100 new jobs by the end of this summer, and an additional 200 jobs by early 2012. The solar panels produced at the plant are expected to generate enough electricity each year to power about 25,000 homes.
Ontario is replacing dirty, coal-fired plants with cleaner sources of renewable energy like water, wind, solar and bio-energy. It's part of the McGuinty government's plan to keep costs down for families today, while building a clean, modern and reliable electricity system for tomorrow.

Ontario's Green Energy Act will create 50,000 clean energy jobs by the end of 2012. Over 13,000 jobs have already been created as a result of Ontario's plan.

Solar perception needs to change

It is a little known fact that Ontario boasts some of the largest solar fields in the world. All across the province solar panels dot the rural landscape and urban rooftops.

It is all in an effort to create more green energy in Ontario. The current goal in Ontario is for solar power to provide up to two per cent of the province's energy supply by 2018, said John Wilkinson, Perth-Wellington MPP and Minister of the Environment at an informal CanSia Community Solar Day hosted by Gaffney Electrical in Mitchell on June 25.
"As a province we are buying into solar energy and production, now we want to get the manufacturing here," he said, adding, "The problem we have right now is that solar – the components of it – is expensive because it is built overseas.
"We need to bring the manufacturing here and in Ontario, that is what we're good at," he said.
Wilkinson added, "We currently have 16,000 people working in renewable energy in Ontario and our goal is to get to 50,000 by then end of 2012."
"Standing up for solar will create jobs in Ontario but we need to get the public perception on side," said Brian Mills, electrician/integrator with Gaffney Electrical.
Mills has a micro fit solar panel on his property outside Mitchell.
"I chose to do it because I believe in it. It's something we have to do," he said.
"Right now there is the misconception that we are going to be paying $0.80 per kilowatt hour for solar energy. Renewable solar will only be two per cent by 2018 of the total. We have to be willing to pay a little bit more initially to get the whole industry up and going here in Ontario," said Wilkinson. "It's not like we're replacing the whole system with solar."
He said what impacting hydro rates right now is the rebuilding of infrastructure.
"We are rebuilding 5,000 kilometres of transmission and rebuilding things like Bruce Nuclear Plant," said Wilkinson, adding the perception that solar and renewables are driving up the costs is inaccurate.

Wilkinson said most of Ontario's power (up to 30 per cent) used to come from coal. "Today we get most of our power from nuclear and wind contributes almost as much as coal," he said.

"Solar represents a smaller portion of our usage, but that will change by 2018," said Wilkinson.

Newly Installed Solar Panel

We just completed an install at South Ottawa and have a look.