Solar PV
Overview of the FIT and microFIT Programs - Making Money from your Rooftop
The Green Energy Act, the Feed in Tariff Program (FIT), advantages for Eastern Ontario businesses and homeowners, and key considerations such as determining if your roof is suitable, finding solar contractors, and getting started.
Location: Rideau Canal Museum, 12 Beckwith St. N, Smiths Falls (http://www.rideau-info.com/museum/)
Please note that parking immediately adjacent to the museum is limited, so allow a few extra minutes to park on Main, Chambers or Beckwith Streets, or in the lot by the lock.
Solar Industry Learns Lessons in Spanish Sun
New York Times / Elisabeth Rosenthal / 08 March 2010
In its haste to create a solar industry, Spain made some miscalculations: solar plants can be set up so quickly and easily that the rush into the industry was much faster than anticipated. And the lavish subsidies inflated Spanish solar installation costs at a time when they were rapidly decreasing elsewhere — in part because of increasing competition from panel makers in China, but also because higher volumes produced economies of scale.
Sudbury: Time for ‘bold action’ to reduce oil use
Sudbury Northern Star / John Hood / 08 March 2010
Canada’s economy is highly dependent on oil. Many Canadians believe western Canada’s oil sands deposits will be our salvation. The oil sands, however, are a major atmospheric carbon emitter, which will exacerbate global climate change significantly, while also fouling the region’s water supply.
Should we all be driving hybrids to prepare for the impending high oil prices and volatility? Perhaps, but the report asserts, “There is real danger that the focus on technological advances in cars is making consumers and governments complacent.”
Policymakers in Greater Sudbury should take the following steps to mitigate this impending crisis:
Brockville: Hundreds of solar jobs coming
Recorder and Times / Christine Endicott / 03 March 2010
A new solar manufacturing facility that will employ 150 to 500 people is coming to Brockville, the city's economic development director told The Recorder and Times.
"We are very excited.... We have a company that will identify their actual number of jobs by the end of March," said Dave Paul.
He said the Ontario company will locate its production facility in the city's north end, but he declined to provide specifics about the company or the factory location.
Caution urged on lending land for solar installations
Perth EMC / Amy Hogue / 18 February 2010
Since the FIT program's introduction in 2009, newspaper ads have appeared in local papers aimed at enticing rural landowners with large, open fields to lease these fields for staggering amounts - up to $12,000/acre/year. To put this in perspective, an acre of land can support approximately 1,500 - 100 watt solar modules, which will generate about $80,000 in gross annual income. Over a 20-year contract period, that's a total of $1.5 million.
Cheese maker comes of age with energy-smart dairy
Globe and Mail / Naomi Carniol / 17 February 2010
The windmill is the first clue. The eight solar panels on the roof are another. A visitor to Fifth Town Artisan Cheese Co. in Prince Edward County, Ont., quickly realizes this is no ordinary dairy.
Fifth Town, which produces handmade goat and sheep cheeses, is North America's first Platinum LEED-certified dairy.
