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Canada’s Leading Solar School Opens New State-of-the-Art Training Facility

Thursday, September 8th, 2011

-Solar Academy International introduces new Solar PV training centre in Toronto, to meet Ontario’s needs for solar panel installation professionals.

Toronto, Ontario (Solar Network Wire) September 8, 2010 – Canada’s premier photovoltaic (PV) installation school, Solar Academy International (SAI), has recently opened a new state-of-the-art training facility to help create a skilled workforce of solar professionals for Ontario’s expanding green job market.  Located just next to Toronto’s international airport, the new training centre will host a range of 1-day, 2-day, and 5-day solar classes covering everything from PV sales and marketing to solar panel installation and electrical safety.

The new facility’s launch comes nearly two years after Ontario’s introduction of the Green Energy Act – a historic piece of legislation that helped lay the groundwork for the province’s aggressive push into sustainability and energy independence.  Heralded as the first school in Canada to receive recognition from the Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC), SAI is preparing for a surge in enrollment as large-scale solar projects begin to receive approvals to proceed.  The ISPQ-accredited school is settling into its larger Ontario centre, even as it prepares to expand into select USA markets.

At a time of rising unemployment, green-collar jobs, and solar opportunities in particular, continue to show resilience as PV installation companies seek out more well-trained and experienced employees.

Comments SAI Operations Manager, Matt Summers, “We developed this new centre to meet rising demand for qualified green professionals – Ontario has become extremely fertile ground in the renewable energy push.”  He continues, “Our 5-day solar PV installation courses target the general population while our Back-to-Back Weekend classes target professionals whose schedules prevent them from taking advantage of our standard Monday through Friday workshops.”

Students who attend SAI’s ISPQ-accredited PV installation and design courses are eligible to sit for the NABCEP Entry Level Exam. Upcoming classes include back-to-back weekends on September 24-25 and October 1-2, plus a 5-day course from September 26-30.  SAI also offers a 2-Day Solar PV Sales class on October 22-23 and a 2-Day Introduction to Solar on December 3-4.  Discounts are available for early enrollment.  Visit www.SolarAcademy.com to learn more.

About Solar Academy International

As Canada’s first and only ISPQ-accredited solar training institute, Solar Academy International uses NABCEP learning objectives to quickly advance expertise in solar design and installation.  Its 5-Day and Back-to-Back Weekend Solar PV Training includes hands-on workshops that prepare participants for NABCEP’s PV Entry Level Exam.

 

 

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Ontario First Nation Solar Installation to Create Jobs for PV Course Graduates

Thursday, March 24th, 2011

Toronto’s SkyPower Limited (SkyPower) has announced plans to build a new 10 MW solar panel installation at Fort William First Nation in Thunder Bay, Ontario.  The project will help to create up to 100 jobs for graduates of the region’s solar panel installation courses and when complete, it will mark the first system of its size built on First Nations land in Canada.

SkyPower finances, develops, owns, and manages solar projects across Ontario.  Its 9 MW First Light I project in Stone Mills debuted in 2009 as Canada’s first-ever utility-scale solar park.  The company helped to create more than 100 jobs in the region during the project’s construction and the facility generates enough solar energy to power up to 10,000 homes.  SkyPower’s latest project in Fort William is currently under construction and will involve approximately 45,000 solar panels installed over about forty hectares (100 acres) of land.  The solar company plans to complete the project by the summer of 2011 and expects it to generate enough solar energy to power 17,000 homes and offset thousands of tonnes, annually, of the greenhouse gases produced by conventional energy sources such as oil or coal.

Region’s Solar Industry Supported by Ontario’s Green Energy Act

Ontario benefits from a robust solar industry that is buoyed by its Green Energy and Green Economy Act (Green Energy Act).  The Act was signed into law in 2009 and gave the Ontario Power Authority (OPA) the tools it required to offer its feed-in tariff (FIT) program.  The FIT helps to create jobs and stimulates the economy by paying green energy producers high prices – up to 80.2 cents per kW-hour – for power they generate using solar, wind, biomass, and hydroelectric installations of varying sizes.  It also gives rise to new educational streams like solar panel installation courses and post-secondary green tech programs.

With its latest project in Fort William, SkyPower continues to contribute green energy solutions to Ontario’s power supply mix while it takes advantage of the favourable business climate created by the FIT.  “This successful partnership demonstrates our commitment to strategic partnerships in renewable energy,” says the company’s President and CEO, Kerry Adler, “and we continue to explore similar opportunities to ensure a brighter future for future generations.”

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SkyPower Creates New Solar Park in Ontario

Friday, March 11th, 2011

One of Canada’s largest owners and developers of solar projects, SkyPower, has signed on with Fort Williams First Nation in Thunder Bay, Ontario to develop a solar park on the First Nation’s land.  The 10MW project will cover about 10,000 acres of Fort Williams’ property and house 45,000 solar panels.  “This successful partnership demonstrates our commitment to strategic partnerships in renewable energy and we continue to explore similar opportunities to ensure a brighter future for future generations,” said SkyPower President and CEO, Kerry Adler.

When the park is completed, it will generate enough clean energy to power the equivalent of 17,000 homes a year for the next twenty years, while ensuring a host of new alternative energy jobs.  “Our energy plan is creating jobs for Ontario families and is turning Ontario into a global clean energy powerhouse,” said Minister of Energy, the Hon. Brad Duguid.  “It is important partnerships like this one with First Nations communities that will help ensure a clean, strong and reliable energy system for the future of our children and grandchildren.”

Ontario Solar Park Creates Alternative Energy Jobs

According to SkyPower, this solar park will create at least 100 new alternative energy jobs in the local area.  Senior Director, James Pagonis, hopes the community will provide more educational opportunities such as solar panel classes and PV training courses.  “We are creating high quality, good paying jobs and providing local investment that will strengthen the local economy,” said Adler.  PV courses are recommended, as the project will be completed by the end of summer 2011.

SkyPower Boosts Need for PV Courses

In addition to its numerous solar panel projects across Ontario, SkyPower allows property owners to get involved with the feed-in-tariff (FIT) program – an ambitious government incentive that not only helps to boost the provincial economy, but it also helps boost overall demand for solar panel classes and related green training.  Consumers willing to use SkyPower’s rooftop solar PV applications can actively partake in Ontario’s emerging green energy economy and receive generous incentive payments for any clean energy produced and fed into the grid, thus, contributing to a healthier environment and creating more alternative energy jobs

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Canadian Solar Generates 400 Green Jobs

Monday, February 14th, 2011

Canadian Solar Inc. held a Guelph job fair in early February to help fill the more than 400 green jobs that the company has recently created.  There are already 100 people working in the company’s plant for the current production line, and next week marks the company’s first solar module shipment.  Two more production lines are coming alone soon, prompting the company to hold the job fair.

Milfred Hammerbacher, President of Canadian Solar Solutions, a subsidiary of Canadian Solar Inc. is a picture of enthusiasm for his company’s product.  ”I’ve been in the solar business a long time.  It’s still amazing to me that you can take a panel like this and generate electricity,” he says.  When fully operational, the Guelph plant is capable of producing 220 MW of solar energy per year.

Ontario’s Green Energy Act and FIT Ramp Up Green Jobs

Canadian Solar Inc. initially outsourced production of its solar panels to seven plants in China, but with the arrival of Ontario’s Green Energy Act, the company decided to bring its production capacity closer to home in order to qualify for the province’s domestic content requirements.  While the company’s solar cells are still made in China, the panels are assembled in a Guelph factory that the company purchased in September of 2010.  The Ontario Green Energy Act is also responsible for the feed-in-tariff (FIT) program, which is a pricing structure for the production of renewable energy.  The FIT program has not only brought manufacturers into the province, but it has also attracted investors, thereby expanding green job opportunities and interest in solar classes.

Importance of Solar Classes for Green Job Opportunities

According to sources, Canadian Solar’s job fair was immensely successful.  Prospective employees not only filled a meeting room, but they also queued down the hallway and spilled out into the parking lot.  One of the applicants interviewed is a Cambridge resident who just lost his job at a metal stamping company – stories like his are common.

As older industries like metal stamping and automotive manufacturing continue to face dwindling prospects, it is likely that more citizens across the province will begin exploring green job opportunities like those offered by Canadian Solar.  However, success favors the most prepared, suggesting that those truly interested in qualifying for the green jobs of tomorrow should secure the requisite training in solar design and PV installation.

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SCE Boosts Ontario’s Solar Industry with Four New Stations

Thursday, February 10th, 2011

Solar company, Southern California Edison, announced the completion of seven solar power plants in Ontario, Canada and Redlands, California.  The projects began construction last year, with the promise of improving both regions’ solar industries.  All together, the installations can generate a total of 12.5 MW of solar power, adding to SCE’s initial three neighborhood solar stations.  Ontario received four solar power plants, comprised of 32,950 solar photovoltaic panels built over 1.8 million square feet of warehouse rooftop leased by ProLogis.  Redlands, California received the other three solar installations.

Initiative Provided Boost to Ontario’s Solar Industry

According to sources, construction of the solar power plants generated 250 temporary solar jobs, particularly benefitting those with solar installation training.  The whole scope of SCE’s photovoltaic initiative is expected to create as many as 1,200 new solar jobs.  “Ontario is proud to partner with Southern California Edison to provide renewable energy resources to our residents and businesses,” said Ontario Mayor, Paul S. Leon.  “Through this exciting new solar program, we are not only creating jobs for our community, but we are [also] ensuring that sustainability is a key component of our long-term vision.”  While not all of those new green positions are for Ontario, a considerable chunk of them are, providing much needed solar job help for the province.

Project Helped Generate Solar Jobs

A total of 130 workers with solar installation training from the 250 total were hired to work on the Ontario-based solar stations.  As with other solar investors within the province, Ontario’s feed-in-tariff (FIT) program and other incentives are huge factors behind SCE’s entry into the province’s solar industry.  This January alone, multinational corporations like GE and solar companies like P2Solar and SolarLogix moved into the region, providing additional solar job help and green career opportunities for residents.  As Ontario’s energy economy shifts from traditional to alternative sources, opportunities in the solar industry will only continue to rise.  Those who are new to alternative energy but are interested in solar installation training can start by reading accounts about what to expect as they transition into Ontario’s solar industry.

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New Solar and PV Installation Agreement Benefits Green Ontarians

Tuesday, February 8th, 2011

Two solar companies, Unirac, Inc. and Canadian Solar Solutions, Inc. announced recently that they now offer a new joint solar package for their customers.  The two companies now offer the 300 megawatts package, which consists of Canadian Solar Solution’s photovoltaic (PV) panels and Unirac’s solar racking systems, for either commercial or residential use in Canada.  Dr. Shawn Qu, Chairman and CEO of Canadian Solar Inc. said that, “the partnership helps assure optimized power production in a rooftop and ground mount environment.”

Both companies are very optimistic about the partnership as well as the future of sustainable energy.  Ontario customers will receive the highest levels of system performance, and they can increase the return on their investment through Ontario’s feed-in tariff (FIT) program, as well as create a clean, sustainable source of energy.

The Future of Solar PV Installation Training and other Green Jobs

In 2009, the Ontario provincial government introduced different incentive and support programs to encourage solar projects, including the feed-in tariff program.  This in turn created more green jobs and increased demand for workers with solar PV installation training.  Enrollment in sola PV schools, like Ontario Solar Academy, has risen considerably in the past year, highlighting this increased interest and the long-term appeal of this rapidly growing industry.  Partnerships, such as that of Canadian Solar Solutions and Unirac, will further boost future interest in solar PV installation training, renewable energy certification, and green jobs.

More on Canadian Solar Solutions and Unirac

Canadian Solar Solutions is a subsidiary of Canadian Solar, Inc. and it provides for solar projects throughout not only Canada, but also the United States, Asia, and Europe.  Its main focus is on providing solar-related materials and equipment for commercial, residential, and solar farm markets in Canada.  Unirac mainly provides PV mounting systems.  In the past it focused on solar energy installations.  Such partnerships have moved Ontario ahead to second place in North American solar photovoltaic (PV) rankings.

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Government Investment at Stratford Festival Supports Solar Energy Industry

Sunday, February 6th, 2011

Gary Schellenberger, MP for Perth–Wellington, recently announced that the world-renowned Stratford Shakespeare Festival will receive funding designed to help Ontario’s growing solar energy industry.  Specifically, the Government of Canada funded $246,750 to the Stratford Shakespeare Festival via the Canada Cultural Spaces Fund within the Department of Canadian Heritage.

This federal government funding will go towards paying for both the cost and labour involved with building an innovative solar energy wall at the famous Avon Theatre in Stratford –  another boon to Southern Ontario’s solar energy industry.  In addition, the funding will also pay for the festival theatre’s new heating purchase and installation.

“We know that the installation of energy-efficient equipment will help ensure the company’s continued success and further promote its environmental leadership,” stated James Moore, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages.

Funding Increases Alternative Energy Jobs and Demand for Solar Courses

Besides the obvious direct benefits to the festival, this funding will also increase the number of alternative energy jobs in Ontario.  Consequently, demand for green professionals who have successfully completed solar training courses in the province’s growing alternative energy job field will likely increase well.  However, schools like Ontario Solar Academy are able to train and certify solar PV installers in as little as five days.

About the Stratford Shakespeare Festival

The Stratford Shakespeare Festival offers superior live play performances to both a national and international audience.  Established in 1953, this world renowned festival has grown to become one of North America’s largest classical repertory theatre companies, prompting Moore to comment that his government was “proud to support a quality organization like the Stratford Shakespeare Festival.”

In response to this investment, Antoni Cimolino, General Director of the Stratford Shakespeare Festival stated:

“We appreciate that the Government of Canada has shown interest in these less glamorous aspects of arts support, recognizing that they will allow us to reduce our carbon footprint. We strive to be a leader in the cultural sector and hope that our efforts to green our facilities will inspire other cultural organizations to do the same.”

All in all, the future is looking great for alternative energy jobs and the solar energy industry in Ontario.

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Ontario’s Solar Energy Certification Programs Show the US the Way

Saturday, February 5th, 2011

For years, Canadians have complained about US-based air-borne particulate pollution.  The special object of ire was Detroit, Michigan’s smokestack car industry and the exhaust “exported” to Windsor.  Now Canada, with Ontario’s innovative feed-in tariff program, is not only combating that trend but also leading the way into a new energy era.  Good fences no longer make good neighbours – one needs to share leading-edge solar economy technology as well.  “The times,” as Bob Dylan sang, “they are a changing.”

In the new year, energy leaders in Ontario, Canada shared information with their counterparts in Colorado some aggressive public policy concerning some of their innovative solar economic programs that have raised the sustainability bar, including feed-in tariffs, building and promoting electric car-charging stations, and new construction projects.  The ultimate objective is to create seamless energy grid infrastructure able to meet daily consumer needs and help generate alternative energy careers.

One challenge that Colorado has that Ontario does not is meeting resistance from the private owners of coal stations; in Ontario, they are publically owned.  Another challenge is cost – to collect one kilowatt-hour (kWh) of energy from rooftop solar panels costs about $0.35 compared to approximately $0.10 for electricity generated from fossil fuel.  To reach the stage of wide-spread acceptance, supporters of the solar economy must eliminate that cost differential.  Solar energy certification programs will accomplish that objective by creating a more knowledgeable public.  Alternative energy careers will blossom as the future economy flowers.

North American Cooperation Leads to Global Solar Economic Unity

With more Canadian provinces and US states on line collaborating, the entire energy ecosystem of production, distribution, and consumption will change for the better.  Will the political and economic synergy of these new energies lead to closer political unity?  We may imagine an organization that does not presently exist called Energy United that will fuel alternative energy political careers.  The possibilities are as infinite as the rich bounty of solar power itself.

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Ontario’s Solar Economy Suffers Temporary Setback

Friday, February 4th, 2011

A renewable energy development deal between Samsung and Six Nations has been called off due to a disclosure related disconnect.  The deal was to involve a partnership between the two parties, geared towards the construction and operation of two renewable energy projects and the continued development of Ontario’s solar economy.  Last year, to outline the deal, Samsung and Six Nations signed a memorandum of understanding.  But according to Six Nations elected band council, Chief Bill Montour, Samsung was “Very closed about the information we needed,” ultimately leading to the deal’s disintegration.

The project was to be a part of Samsung’s $7 billion renewable energy deal with the Ontario government.  This primary deal between Ontario, Samsung, and the Korea Electric Power Corporation, was to be the foundation of the Liberal government’s plan to encourage private sector-backed clean energy projects in the province, while also creating renewable energy careers.  The net objective of this deal with the province was to involve the construction of four clean energy manufacturing plants in Ontario, and the creation of 16,000 new jobs with the assistance of independently available solar training classes regularly positioned throughout Ontario.  Notably, these limited capacity solar training classes are selling out, with Ontario Solar Academy’s recent sold out session in Northern Ontario serving as testament to the overall demand for trained professionals in the province. Currently the Academy is hosting solar training classes in Toronto.

Impact on Solar Economy, Six Nations, and Renewable Energy Careers

The cancelled partnership represents a temporary obstacle to both Samsung and Six Nations.  The renewable energy careers expected as a product of the deal would certainly bolster the aboriginal community’s economy and the province’s solar economy in general.  Comparatively, at the time the primary deal with the Ontario government was signed, it was revealed that Samsung was to receive $437 million in subsidies, beyond those already projected under the feed-in-tariff (FIT) rates received in connection with wind and solar projects.  It is not yet known what Samsung will do next in lieu of the arrangement breaking down.

Had it proceeded, the Six Nations deal was to involve a 260 megawatt joint wind and solar project in Port Maitland and a smaller 10 megawatt solar project at Fifth Line on Six Nations.  Montour lamented the failed deal, stating that “We spent a lot of time trying to understand each other,” and noted that Samsung was “Not comfortable dealing with the public sector’s needs.”  According to Montour, Samsung was basically saying, “Sign this deal and trust us,” which wasn’t an acceptable degree of disclosure.  Montour added, “There are plenty of other North American companies that are just as capable with this and we will be going forward with that.”

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New Deal to Provide Domestic Content for Ontario’s Career Solar Energy Workers

Thursday, February 3rd, 2011

New Mexico’s Unirac, Inc. (Unirac) and Kitchener-based Canadian Solar Solutions, Inc. (Canadian Solar Solutions) have recently announced that they will jointly offer a complete solar package to their customers that combines Canadian Solar Solutions’ photovoltaic (PV) panels with Unirac’s racking systems.  The agreement covers 30 MW worth of Canadian Solar Solutions’ systems and will benefit owners of solar projects in Ontario, where in order to receive government green energy incentives, they have to certify that their projects contain materials made in the province.

Ontario’s solar projects received a big boost in 2009 when the provincial government began to offer its feed-in tariff (FIT) program.  The program creates green energy, career options, and demand for new educational streams like PV certification by offering producers of renewable energy from solar, wind, and biomass installations high prices to tie their projects into the grid.  Owners of participating solar projects must certify that their installations are comprised of at least 60% domestic content and use Ontario labourers.  This provision ensures that the money and career opportunities the FIT creates benefit the province directly and over the long term.

Companies Offer Needed Supplies for Project Owners and Certified PV Installers

Canadian Solar Solutions, and its parent company, Canadian Solar, Inc. (Canadian Solar), provide turnkey solar solutions for residential, commercial, and solar farm markets in Canada, the US, Europe, and Asia.  Their participation in the Ontario market enables project owners to certify that their installations meet the FIT’s domestic content requirements.

Unirac is an Albuquerque-based provider of PV mounting systems.  Their previous work included solar energy installations at Universal Studios and Google Campus.  By partnering with Canadian Solar Solutions, Unirac gets a leg up in Ontario’s exclusive market.  “We are excited about working closely with a strong partner like Canadian Solar Solutions to address the rapidly growing Ontario market for solar energy,” says the company’s CEO, Doug May.

Canadian Solar Solutions and Unirac’s new partnership joins a number of solar matches made in Ontario that provide domestic content for projects in the region, as well as for its certified solar energy workers who have helped it to attain the second highest installed PV capacity in North America.

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