Ontario Farmer, Entrepreneur Offers Advice on Feed-in Tariff Change

contributing author: Ryan Hallett Farmer, Ken Rounds, is on a mission to make potential owners of solar installations aware of how looming changes to Ontario’s feed-in tariff program will affect their investments.  Rounds has installed a solar system on his farm, located near Wasaga Beach, Ontario, and recently co-founded EthoSolar to help others do the same. Rounds farmed for a decade and a half before starting EthoSolar with his wife, daughter, and son-in-law in 2009.  The... Read More

Financing Deal to Create Renewable Energy Careers

contributing author: Ryan Hallett SkyPower, Ltd. (SkyPower), and Deutsche Bank have signed a deal to finance two new solar parks in Ontario that will add 18.5 MW of production capacity to the province’s renewable energy industry. The financing will help SkyPower erect a 10 MW installation in Stone Mills and an 8.5 MW solar park in Thunder Bay. Read More  Read More

From Solar Calculators to Renewable Energy Careers

contributing author: Ryan Hallett 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”... Read More

Largest PV Facility in the World | Landmark Solar Expansion Employs 800 PV-Trained Workers

contributing author: Ryan Hallett Sarnia Array - Largest Photovoltaic Facility in the World Enbridge Inc. and First Solar Inc. have recently completed expansion of a solar panel installation in Sarnia, Ontario, making it the largest PV installation in the world. The site, which previously operated at a capacity of 20MW, is now capable of producing 80MW of solar electricity. Expansion of the facility made use of Ontario-produced materials and local workers, many of whom received... Read More

Opel Solar Granted US Patent for Latest PV Installation Technology

contributing author: Ryan Hallett Opel Solar, Inc. (Opel), recently announced that the US Patent Office has approved a patent for its latest high concentration photovoltaic (HCPV) module. The new technology promises to increase the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of solar PV installations. This most recent patent is the international company’s thirty-third, with seventeen others pending. Opel’s technology has penetrated the Ontario market and is central to renewable energy... Read More

Japan Claims Canada’s FIT Program Violates WTO Rules

Article courtesy of Ontario Solar Academy The Ontario Power Authority‘s feed-in tariff program is quite popular in the province, which explains the increasing number of solar projects and the growing need for solar certification courses to train qualified installers. Nevertheless, the program is being strongly criticized by Japan, who has formally started a World Trade Organization (WTO) dispute with Canada. The request for consultations was received by the WTO on September... Read More

IKEA Canada Makes Renewable Energy Investment

contributing author: Leslie Clark IKEA Canada is financing the installation of 3790 solar panels at three of its stores in the Greater Toronto Area. Company executives have agreed to install 1280 panels at its store in Etobicok, 1250 in North York, and 1260 in Vaughan. Totaling $4.6 million, this renewable energy investment will be the largest rooftop solar installation affiliated with Ontario’s Feed-in Tariff program. Brad Duguid, Ontario’s Energy Minister, is understandably... Read More

New UOIT Lab Searches for Renewable Energy Solutions

Contributing Author: Matt Lee Oshawa’s University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) opened a state-of-the-art, multi-million dollar laboratory earlier this month. The purpose of the facility, known as the Clean Energy Research Laboratory (CERL), is not only to run experiments, but also to eventually move new alternative energy technologies out of academia and into the market. CERL’s research focuses on using heat from a variety of sources, including solar thermal technology,... Read More

Ontario Building Momentum in Solar Installation

Contributing Author: Simon Hall According to a recent report by the Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC), Ontario was the third-largest North American market for solar photovoltaic (PV) installation in 2009. In total, the province installed 46 megawatts (MW) of solar PV last year, behind only California (212 MW) and New Jersey (57 MW). In terms of total solar PV capacity, Ontario now sits in fourth place with 48 MW, compared to 59 MW in Colorado, New Jersey’s 128 MW, and... Read More

Carmanah Technologies | Making Solar Reliable for Life

Established in Victoria, BC Canada in 1996, Carmanah Technologies designs and develops solar lighting and solar power applications for international clients in areas where highly reliable, durable lighting is required. This includes civic, government and military needs. Throughout they have earned a solid reputation for providing the highest quality solar products designed to endure the toughest natural elements. Carmanah uses LED lighting, a superior, safer light, over the... Read More