Posts Tagged ‘solar certification’

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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BC Investment Firm Moves Into Ontario’s Green Economy

Monday, January 24th, 2011

British Columbia-based League Assets Corporation (League Assets) recently created its Member-Partners Solar Energy Limited Partnership to offer investors a new way to generate revenue while they help Ontario bolster its green economy.   The partner-owned venture invests in rooftop solar arrays in the province that earn money by taking advantage of government green energy incentives.

“This investment is our answer to the hundreds of requests we’ve received from our Member-Partners,” says League Assets’ Founding Partner, Adam Gant.  “Green investing is the right thing to do, and League’s Member-Partners Solar LP is the right way to do it.”

League Assets is an investment firm that offers its clients shared ownership of primarily real estate-based investments.  The company manages the IGW Real Estate Investment Trust, which deals with Canadian commercial and residential properties and currently boasts combined assets worth close to $300 million.  According to its website, League Assets has “partnered with the families of its more than 2,500 Member-Partners.”  Among the company’s other environmental achievements, it provided funding for energy saving equipment at the 2010 Winter Olympics Athlete’s Village; Canada hosted the event in League Assets’ home province.

Investors Help Create Renewable Energy, Careers for Certified Solar Workers

Ontario’s green economy is fuelled by the high prices the provincial government’s feed-in tariff (FIT) program pays to producers of renewable energy who feed their installations into the power grid.  The program continues to lead to the creation of solar, wind, and biofuel energy as well as career opportunities for assembly line workers and certified solar installers across the region.  The FIT’s high prices have also drawn the eyes and bank accounts of investors from across the globe.

“Member-Partners Solar Energy LP will enter into contracts under Ontario’s FIT program,” says the company’s other Founding Partner, Emanuel Arruda, “and the difference (between) our cost to produce the power and what we earn for producing the energy will become profit to be shared by our Member-Partners…. It’s that simple.”

League Assets’ investment in Ontario’s green economy will bring the FIT’s goal, to eliminate coal-fired power generation in the province by 2014, closer to reality.  It also adds to the pool of renewable energy careers in the region and boosts solar certification and other green educational streams, all while it contributes to a more sustainable future.

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Ontario PV Company Brings Training, Certified Product to EU’s Largest Array

Saturday, January 22nd, 2011

Ontario-based Canadian Solar, Inc. (Canadian Solar) has announced its participation in the European solar industry’s most powerful photovoltaic (PV) installation to date.  The 70 MW solar array was constructed and recently connected by SunEdison, based out of Spain and Beltsville, Maryland, which also maintains an office in Toronto.  SunEdison is an international developer, financer, operator, and monitor of solar plants across the globe.  Canadian Solar was among the companies who contributed solar panels to SunEdison for the project.

Over the last decade, the Canadian Solar team has applied its solar industry training and experience in seven countries across the globe and operates as many manufacturing plants worldwide.  Between 2002 and 2009, the company’s revenue increased by almost $600 million.  According to its website, Canadian Solar’s products “adhere to the strictest international quality standards, backed by IEC, TUV, (and) UL, certifications.”  Canadian Solar recently formed Canadian Solar Solutions to take part in the vibrant PV market that has sprung up in its home province.

Company, Province Create Clean Power, Alternative Energy Jobs

Ontario’s solar projects benefit from its feed-in tariff (FIT) and microFIT programs, the first of their kind in North America, which pay above-market rates, guaranteed over twenty years, to alternative energy producers who feed solar, wind, and biomass installations into the provincial power grid.  The programs create renewable energy, jobs, and inspire new educational opportunities such as PV training certification courses.

Canadian Solar’s and its subsidiary’s most significant contribution to the Ontario industry to date is a solar panel manufacturing facility in Guelph, which the companies expect will begin operations by spring of 2011.  They predict that the plant will produce 200 MW worth of panels each year and provide the province with up to 500 new alternative energy jobs.  According to the company’s President, Shawn Qu, the facility will be one of the largest of its kind in North America.

With its international efforts, Canadian Solar makes Canada’s influence felt and its commitment to environmental sustainability known across the globe.  And with its Guelph plant, it will also do its part to ensure the successes of Ontario’s FIT and microFIT programs.

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London Church Set to Switch on Solar Cross, Participate in MicroFIT

Thursday, January 6th, 2011

On Wednesday, January 6, Richards Memorial United Church (Richards Memorial), in London, Ontario will begin operating its new microFIT rooftop solar installation.  The project is the city’s first photovoltaic (PV) system on a church building.

“We’ve seen cars stop in the street and (drivers) roll down their windows to look up,” says the church’s pastor, Rev. Janet Fradette.  Her congregation chose to focus on the environment in 2010, and she says the twenty-year contract is a reminder that a commitment to sustainability must be long-term.

“It’s one of those projects that has appeal from whatever viewpoint you look at it,” says the Reverend.  The installation will create renewable energy, draw revenue, and provide work for Ontarians who have chosen to pursue green careers.  Its fifty panels, installed in the shape of a cross, will produce 14 MW-hours of solar power and prevent the release of 11 tonnes of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere each year.

Programs Create Renewable Energy, Careers for Workers with Solar Training

The church secured an $87,000 loan from the Middlesex Presbytery of the United Church of Canada to finance its PV project.  It expects to pay off the loan within eight years and then generate income by participating in Ontario’s microFIT program.  The program creates renewable energy and careers for graduates of “green” educational streams, like solar training courses, by paying high prices for electricity produced by grid-tied solar or wind projects under 10 kW of capacity.  The microFIT and its companion program for larger projects, simply referred to as the feed-in tariff (FIT), both lock prices into twenty-year contracts.

Richards Memorial expects the solar project to generate up to $216,000 over the course of its participation in the microFIT program.  The church hired Direct Current Renewable Energy (Direct Current) to install the cross-shaped solar array.  Direct Current is a Brantford-based company whose management brings to the table more than a decade and a half worth of training and experience in commercial and residential electrical systems.  The company had already installed one system on a church in Hamilton prior to constructing the London project.

The church chose the last day of Epiphany to hold its dedication ceremony for the new solar system.  The date, fittingly, commemorates the time when the Wise Men of the Bible followed the light in the sky in their search for Jesus.

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Canada’s Premier Solar Training School Launches Free Tuition Promotion

Thursday, December 23rd, 2010

ISPQ-accredited Ontario Solar Academy (OSA) recently announced a holiday contest in which one lucky individual will be able to attend OSA’s 5-Day Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Design & Installation Course absolutely free.  Prospective students need only send in a 500-word essay explaining why they should receive the training.  The two runners-up will each receive a 50% discount.

Normally priced at $2,995, OSA’s intensive solar training course equips students with the regulatory and technical expertise needed to safely install PV technology within Ontario’s rapidly expanding green economy.

OSA Director, Jacob Travis, comments, “Times are difficult right now with the recession and holidays.  We receive daily requests from enthusiastic candidates who, because of tight finances, cannot join our course.”  He adds, “Our Early Bird Discount and Price Match Offer have helped many students, but we designed this promotion for those needing additional assistance in securing solar career training.”

Like all OSA students, the contest winner will receive 5 days of intensive solar PV installation and design training from a NABCEP-certified instructor.  And like all OSA graduates, the winner will also receive automatic membership in Ontario Solar Network – a fast-growing non-profit association dedicated to advancing business development for its members in Ontario’s solar PV market.

Billed as a “Free Opportunity to Learn a Green Career,” the promotion applies to the Academy’s next 5-day training, scheduled from January 31 to February 4 in the GTA.  Interested candidates should call 416-900-7191 or email contest@solaracademy.ca for application info.  The application deadline is January 7, 2011.

Those wishing to register for Ontario Solar Academy’s standard 5-day PV courses should visit www.SolarAcademy.ca for more details.  Upcoming dates include Jan 31-Feb 4, Feb 21-Feb 25, and Feb 28-Mar 4.  Those who register 3 weeks in advance automatically receive a $350 discount.

About Ontario Solar Academy:

As Canada’s premier PV training school, ISPQ-accredited Ontario Solar Academy has trained over 225 graduates, using curricula based on NABCEP learning objectives designed to quickly advance expertise in solar design and installation.  Its 5-Day Solar PV Training focuses on what you need to know to succeed in Ontario’s FIT and microFIT program and includes hands-on workshops that prepare participants for NABCEP’s PV Entry Level Exam.

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Greater Sudbury to Take Part in Feed-in Tariff Program

Saturday, December 18th, 2010

SkyPower, Ltd. (SkyPower), has announced plans for a new solar park in the Greater Sudbury area that will tie into the provincial power grid as part of Ontario’s feed-in tariff program.  The company will locate the $35-$45 million park, which it has named the HighLight Solar Project (Highlight Project), south of the town of Capreol in the Valley East region.

Toronto’s SkyPower is a solar energy company that develops, manages, finances, and owns renewable power projects across the globe.  Members of the company’s experienced team dedicate their careers to developing green projects “in a responsible and meaningful manner.”  SkyPower’s other Ontario projects include Canada’s first full-scale solar park, First Light I, in Stone Mills, and two recently announced installations in Napanee and Thunder Bay.

“The site… has a good amount of sunlight, according to our consultants,” says SkyPower’s spokesman, Brett James.  “A good site is not impeded by winter conditions.”  The new Valley East installation will utilize as many as 200,000 solar panels.  The project’s construction will create eighty jobs for trades workers and graduates of the province’s PV training courses, and it will generate enough solar energy to power approximately 1,000 homes.  SkyPower expects to begin constructing the solar power project in August, 2011, and complete it within six to eight months.

Project Will Create Green Jobs for Graduates of Solar Power Courses

Ontario has a robust green energy industry that includes solar module manufacturing plants and a number of related career opportunities.  The province also benefits from training courses, such as Ontario Solar Academy’s five-day PV design and installation program, that prepare Ontario workers for new careers in the solar energy industry.

The centrepiece of Ontario’s green economy is its feed-in tariff program, which pays high prices to power producers who tie solar, wind, and biomass projects into the province’s electrical grid.  SkyPower has applied to the provincial government to participate in the program.  From there, it must also receive approval from the Ministries of the Environment, Tourism and Culture, and Natural Resources before it can commence building the HighLight Project.

The energy the project creates will divert about 10,000 tonnes of CO2 from the atmosphere by replacing an equivalent amount of fossil fuels.  Once the solar modules have reached the end of their lives – about twenty-five years – the company will remove the structures and leave the land to nature.

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Ontario to Add Two New Alternative Energy Projects to Green Economy

Thursday, December 16th, 2010

Canadian Solar Solutions, Inc. (Canadian Solar Solutions), has signed an agreement with Sky Power, Ltd. (Sky Power), to add 18.5 MW of solar capacity to Ontario’s green economy.  The partners will build two new solar farms in Napanee and Thunder Bay that will collectively produce enough electricity to power nearly 33,000 homes and create potential careers for graduates of the province’s photovoltaic (PV) training courses.

Kitchener-based Canadian Solar Solutions is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Canadian Solar, Inc. (Canadian Solar), headquartered in the same city.  The parent company operates globally, while Canadian Solar Solutions handles the domestic market.  The companies specialize in “turnkey solar solutions for residential, commercial, and solar farm markets in Canada.”  Toronto’s Sky Power owns alternative energy projects in Canada and across the globe.  The company develops, manages, and finances projects “from the initial discovery stages through to commercial operation.”  Sky Power has agreed to engineer and construct the two new projects and has arranged financing through Germany’s Deutsche Bank.

Canadian Solar Solutions and Sky Power expect to complete the two new installations by mid-2011.  When finished, the Napanee and Thunder Bay projects will produce 10 MW and 8.5 MW of solar energy, respectively, per hour.

Alternative Energy Creates Industry, Careers in Ontario

Ontario has a vibrant and growing green economy that is energized by a feed-in tariff (FIT) program that pays producers of alternative energy premium rates for electricity they generate from sources such as solar, wind, and biomass.  The program creates clean energy, careers, and inspires training opportunities such as Ontario Solar Academy’s ISPQ-accredited solar PV courses.  Participating projects must meet minimum targets for domestic content for both materials and labour.  This provision keeps FIT money in the province and helps to build a stable foundation for the industry so that it survives the eventual conclusion of the program.

Canadian Solar plans to open a solar module manufacturing facility in Guelph that will help the company and other solar PV businesses in Ontario stay on course and meet the FIT’s domestic content requirements.  The company expects to complete the plant, which it estimates will employ about 500 people, by the middle of next year.

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Ontario Solar Energy Company Receives CSA Certification

Sunday, November 28th, 2010

Solar energy company, Lumin Solar, Inc. (Lumin), has announced that it has received certification from CSA International (CSA) for its LS-240 PV panels, which also meet standards set out by Underwriters Laboratories.  The CSA certification assures regulators and customers that Lumin’s new state-of-the-art panels comply with national and international standards for safety and performance.

The Lumin team brings more than thirty years of manufacturing experience to its business.  According to a press release, the Thornhill, Ontario-based solar energy company’s goal is to be “the best in its class, emphasizing quality and customer service while helping to bring a greener vision to Ontario.”  Lumin’s 240W panels are designed for household use in both on- and off-grid applications.  The company’s modules use a layout of sixty high-efficiency monocrystalline cells and are made using premium components that ensure a high energy output.  Lumin guarantees that its modules are free from harmful materials such as cadmium telluride and gallium arsenide and that they are made in Ontario, which qualifies them as domestic content under the province’s feed-in tariff (FIT) program.

Green Energy and Green Economy Act Boosts Industry, Creates Careers

The FIT is a product of 2009’s Green Energy and Green Economy Act (Green Energy Act).  One of its stated purposes is to “help Ontario phase out coal-fired electricity generation by 2014.”  The FIT works to achieve this by providing financial incentives to energy producers who feed into the electrical grid from “green” sources, and the many spin-off benefits of the program include new green careers for an economy devastated by the decline in manufacturing.

Lumin is enthusiastic about the opportunity to become part of the toolkits that the next wave of solar designers and installers will use in their new green careers.  “We are very excited to have achieved this important milestone,” says Mr. Brian Read, the company’s CEO.  “I am very grateful and appreciative of our dedicated staff and their commitment to making Lumin Solar an Ontario success.  We are now poised to provide the residential and commercial industry with our Ontario-made solar panels that meet the FIT and microFIT requirements.”  To help boost awareness of its products, the company will participate in this year’s Solar Canada exhibition, which takes place in Toronto from December 6-7.

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Green Energy Act Benefits Ontario Hospital

Thursday, November 25th, 2010

Kingston General Hospital (Kingston General) has announced that it will install 95 kW worth of solar panels on the rooftop of its Kidd Wing.  The project is one of several measures the hospital will take between now and 2012 to make its operations more energy efficient and incorporate alternative sources of power.  Kingston General will work to ensure that the new solar installation complies with the eligibility criteria under Ontario’s feed-in tariff (FIT) program, which pays high prices for green energy and helps create new career opportunities in the energy sector.  The hospital will also receive $118,000 from Utilities Kingston to help pay for the renovations.

Ontario passed its Green Energy Act in May of 2009, paving the way for the province to establish the continent’s first FIT program.  The FIT pays producers of green energy to tie into the electrical grid, provided that they meet certain requirements.  Among them, owners of participating projects must certify that a certain percentage of parts and labour were sourced in Ontario.  The Act and the program’s financial incentives encourage people to switch to alternative sources of energy and create opportunities for manufacturing and career training, such as certification courses for solar installers.

Alternative Energy Part of Greater, Greener Objective

The Kidd Wing solar installation is part of an agreement between Kingston General and New Jersey-based Honeywell for a $10.5 million upgrade to the hospital’s medical research and career training infrastructure.  In addition to the solar PV panels, the company will also help the hospital install a high-efficiency hot water condensing boiler plant, replace 250 windows in its heritage Watkins building, update fixtures to include more energy efficient models, and install low-flow toilets and sinks.

Kingston General expects to prevent the release of 2,200 tonnes of greenhouse gases annually with the new upgrades and save more than 70,000 cubic metres of water per year.  The hospital overhaul reflects a province-wide move toward greater energy efficiency and an overall commitment on the part of Ontarians to act as stewards of the environment, protecting it for future generations.

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