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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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Ontario’s FIT, MicroFIT Projects Subject to New Fees

Wednesday, March 9th, 2011

As of March 15, Ontario’s green energy producers will be subject to a new set of fees for applications they make for feed-in tariff (FIT), microFIT, and other renewable power projects.  The province has a rapidly-expanding market for solar, wind, and other clean power sources that has created thousands of kilowatts (kW) of green energy and boosted the careers of workers in these industries.  In exchange for the new Renewable Energy Approval fees, the Ministry of the Environment will streamline the approvals process in order to make it easier for businesses, organizations, and individuals to participate in this emerging area in the future.

The FIT and microFIT are parts of a government initiative to diversify Ontario’s energy supply mix and to use cleaner forms of energy to replace the province’s coal-fired power plants by 2014.  The programs keep the initiative on course by paying high prices to producers of solar photovoltaic (PV), wind, and biomass energy.  In turn, they provide spin-off benefits like new career opportunities and training courses like Ontario Solar Academy’s PV design and installation training program.

Fees Help Simplify Process, Keep Solar Energy, Career Training on Course

The new Renewable Energy Approval fees, as drafted, range from $1,000 to $67,905, depending on the type and size of project.  However, the Ontario government’s recent decision to impose a moratorium on off-shore wind projects effectively cancels the highest fee, leaving the top payout at $56,458 for on-shore wind farms larger than 50 MW.  Owners of new PV projects will now pay $1,000 for government approval of installations of 500 kW and less and $12,844 for larger solar farms.

According to a government website, “The Renewable Energy Approval simplifies the number and types of approvals required for new renewable energy projects, integrating environmental, health, and safety matters previously dealt with by a number of provincial, municipal and proponent-driven processes into one process.”  While Ontario’s new fees may present an obstacle for newcomers to the province’s green energy industry, the recent decision reflects the government’s responsibility to ensure that this new market evolves into a long-term, stable sector of the economy that helps to create a healthy and prosperous future for Ontarians.

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SkyPower’s and Fort William First Nation Create Renewable Energy Jobs

Monday, February 21st, 2011

SkyPower Limited (SkyPower), a Toronto-based solar energy company, recently signed an agreement with the Fort Williams First Nation (FWFN) to create a solar park project in Thunder Bay, Ontario.  This particular solar project is special in that it marks the first time this type of large-scale solar energy project has taken place on First Nation Land in Canada.  Covering about 100 acres of Fort William First Nation land in Thunder Bay, Ontario, the park is not notable simply for its size and scope, but it is also expected be a generous source of new renewable energy jobs for qualified individuals with solar PV course training.

“In Ontario, it is essential that we are continuously driving and fostering innovative relationships in the clean energy sector.  We are pleased to be a part of such a unique agreement to develop this solar park,” said Kerry Adler, SkyPower President and CEO.  “Since the founding of Toronto-based SkyPower, we have always sought unique opportunities for collaboration and partnership with First Nation communities.”  He continued, “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.”

About the Solar Energy Park

Construction of this unique solar energy project will begin in early 2011, with completion currently slated for later this summer.  When the solar park becomes operational, it will generate enough clean energy to power 17,000 homes per year for the next twenty years.  Environmentalists will be happy as the project’s Carbon Dioxide Offset is estimated to be 130,000 tonnes over the expected lifetime of the project.

Agreement Increases Demand for Solar Energy Classes / PV Courses

This agreement is also significant as the partnership will result in an increase in renewable energy jobs in Ontario, thus, helping to boost demand for green professionals who have successfully completed PV courses or solar energy classes in the province’s growing renewable energy market.  By enrolling in schools like Ontario Solar Academy, aspiring solar PV installers can receive their full training and certification in as little as five days.



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Not Enough Workers with PV Training and Solar Energy Job Preparation

Tuesday, February 15th, 2011

Solar energy is more prevalent today than ever before.  Worldwide, investors put more than US$1.66 billion into the solar market in 2010, with the United States, France, Israel, and Canada leading the pack.  Of late, Ontario has ranked particularly well in the photovoltaic (PV) market, encouraged by government incentives, such as the province’s feed-in tariff (FIT) program, which launched in October 2009.  These incentives have all helped the province’s solar market blossom, creating both more green energy and more demand for those with the requisite solar photovoltaic training.

These incentives have also attracted a tremendous amount of investment, both domestically and from abroad, as solar companies scramble to stake their claim in the province’s booming industry.  Calgary-based Enbridge Inc. just signed a multi-million dollar deal for two solar energy projects in Ontario.  Fort William First Nation became the only First Nation to sign onto a major solar project.  Flexitronics signed an agreement to produce solar panels in Ontario.  Toronto-based Celestica Inc. recently snagged a deal to supply solar modules in Ontario.  The list goes on.  In December of 2010, Ontario Energy Minister Brad Duguid announced the creation of 1,700 green energy jobs across the province.

With all the new opportunities that are arising, there are many different green energy jobs that require solar training ad PV knowledge, and these can be broken down into two main groups.  One group consists of solar panel designers and manufacturers, and the other includes solar panel installers and maintenance.  Solar job preparation does require an investment of time and money, but the career path is promising.

Solar Job Preparation

The basics of solar job training include fundamental knowledge of small level systems, as well as electronics and electrical systems.  This knowledge qualifies the student to work with smaller scale solar system deployment.  Classes exist across the province, usually lasting between a few days to several months.  These courses are usually offered in a workshop environment, meaning participants get hands-on experience and exposure.

Benefits of Solar Energy Jobs

Today there are more opportunities than even for someone with solar training to get a job.  People who invest in solar energy panels can save money in the long run on utility bills, so both the customer and the company offering the services, as well as the environment, will benefit.  With every solar energy job completed, there is also the not insignificant knowledge that the carbon footprint and impact on the environment will be reduced.

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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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Renewable Energy Careers in the Niagara Region

Saturday, February 12th, 2011

In southern Ontario, the Niagara Region has joined the Ontario Clean Technology Alliance (OCTA), an organization with representation in Toronto, Ottawa, Hamilton, Waterloo Region, Windsor-Essex, London, Sarnia-Lambton, Chatham-Kent, and Guelph.  In a continuing cross-border exchange of technology learned in solar panel workshops and photovoltaic (PV) certification courses, alliance members were promoting Southern Ontario in Phoenix, Ariz. as a green-energy hub at the Energy, Utility, and Environment Conference EUEC 2011.  “We’re looking at it as a very cost-effective way of getting Niagara’s name out there,” said Alan Teichroeb, VP of Business Planning for the Niagara Economic Development Corp (NEDC).  ”When you’re marketing beyond the borders of your country, it’s particularly important to create alliances and partnerships.”

Municipal economic renewal efforts are part of many initiatives taken by the private sector in the region to encourage clean energy and green economics.  The rooftop at the 20 Bees Winery on Niagara Stone Road will have a different look come this spring when it becomes the new home for a 109-kilowatt solar energy system.  Enfinity, a global renewable energy company, will lease the rooftop space.  “Enfinity approached us about doing it and we’re very excited about it,” said Matt Dixon, Brand Manager for Diamond Estates, owner of the winery.  ”We think this is a great way to get alternative energy,” he said.  ”It benefits us; it benefits the community because everything goes back into the grid.”

PV Certification Course: Road to Entrepreneurship

Many Niagara residents have started attending solar panel workshops and PV certification classes to prepare themselves for renewable energy careers in the province.  After taking PV design and installation training at Ontario Solar Academy, Niagara construction consultant and electrical contractor, Luciano Di Leonardo, started two new companies: SolarHarvest Power Corporation Ltd. and SunHarvest Solar.  Similar examples of solar-powered entrepreneurship exist throughout the province as residents and business owners alike embrace the economic potential of photovoltaic technology.

Niagara’s political and business gurus recently erected signs along the QEW calling Niagara the “Green Energy Capital of Ontario.”  Renewable energy careers will grow alongside grapes in the vineyards of solar panel workshops.  They will be the new wine served at the clean energy table.  It is a sweet and intoxicating prospect.

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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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