Ontario’s SunSations Energy, Inc. (SunSations) has announced that it will exhibit its dual-axis tracking systems for ground-mounted solar energy installations at this year’s Canadian International Farm Show in Toronto.  Ontario has created a booming solar industry that includes renewable energy jobs, PV installation courses, and an abundance of green electricity in the year and three months since the province instituted its feed-in tariff (FIT) and microFIT programs.  This year’s show will present vendors with an opportunity to show farmers how they can profit from these government incentives.

The farm show runs from February 8 to February 10 at the International Centre and will exhibit a wide range of products and services designed to help Canadian farmers in all aspects of their businesses.  Several solar energy companies will take advantage of the event to increase public awareness of their products and services, including Germany’s AS Solar, Inc. and Ethosolar, Inc., based in Barrie, Ontario.

Province Offers Solar Jobs, Renewable Energy Courses

SunSations is based in Guelph, about 100 km west of Toronto.  The company manufactures dual-axis tracking systems that meet the requirements of Ontario’s FIT and microFIT.  The programs pay participating renewable energy producers lucrative rates for power they feed into the grid from solar, wind, and biomass installations.  These incentives have helped to create green jobs for graduates of solar installation courses and for manufacturing plant workers, as well as in support industries such as transportation and the service sector.

SunSations specifically created its tracking system with farmers and the Ontario market in mind.  “Designed and engineered in Ontario for Ontario weather conditions,” says company partner Oliver Jakel, “SunSations has built this system to surpass Ontario Farm Building Code standards in the system’s most vulnerable position – the down position.  If your barn is standing following a storm, your SunSations Tracker will be, too.”  The company’s product, which will be a centrepiece of the farm show, uses a control system that runs effectively at temperatures as low as -40 C.  This makes it well-suited to the harsh winters of Ontario’s more northern climates.  It also sets itself apart from competing products due to its ease and speed of installation.

The SunSations solar tracker is an example of the types of innovations that Ontario and its green energy incentives bring to the province’s economy, and of the ways in which the region helps to move the country in a more productive and sustainable direction.