Get FIT, Go Green and Make Money
Learn More at Two Presentations
Are you curious about rooftop solar electricity generation? Have you heard that Ontario’s microFIT program will allow you to develop a renewable energy generation project, feed electricity back into the grid and be paid for it? Exciting stuff! And REAL is bringing two presentations to Smiths Falls to help people learn more about the program and how to proceed.
The Green Energy Act launched October 1, 2009 is intended to position Ontario as a global leader in the field of renewable energy, clean distributed energy and conservation. In doing so it will be creating economic prosperity, increased energy security, and green jobs. It will allow the eventual closure of coal power plants, creating environmental benefits, including reducing our impact on climate change.
The act paves the way for businesses, farm and home owners, or communities of participants to enter the renewable energy market by obligating utilities to purchase power from green energy projects. Two programs, FIT and microFIT, managed by the Ontario Power Authority, make it easier for small producers to become involved in generating electricity, and introduce stable and generous purchase prices to encourage producers to enter the market.
FIT is directed at producers of over 10 kilowatts, and microFIT is directed at producers of less than 10 kilowatts. While the FIT program applies to all renewable energy technologies - biogas, biomass, landfill gas, solar PV, water power and wind - it is expected that rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) systems will be the most common microFIT project. With rates set at 80.2 (c/kWh) for solar produced electricity, it is certainly the most attractive purchase price.
The first presentation on Wednesday, March 10 will be by SWITCH, a non-profit, sustainable
energy association serving southeastern Ontario. Switch has received federal funding to provide information and support to small and medium enterprises wanting to get into the renewable energy market, as well as to support citizens by educating and enabling them to take advantage of programs such as microFIT. They will cover the Green Energy Act, the Feed in Tariff (FIT) program, and the advantages to Eastern Ontario businesses and homeowners.
Then on Tuesday, March 23, Bob Argue and Alfred Von Mirbach, from ecoPerth, will start with a quick overview of Ontario’s microFIT program for small scale photovoltaic systems. They will cover a whole range of process and technical details so you can decide if microFIT is right for you. ecoPerth has been granted distributorship status for Canadian Solar products, and is working with a local electrical contracting company to take on installations, so can provide some basic technical and pricing information for these ground-mount or rooftop systems..
Both presentations will start at 7 p.m. in the auditorium of the Rideau Canal Museum, 34 Beckwith St. S., Smiths Falls. Both are free, but donations are always appreciated. Please remember that the parking immediately adjacent to the museum is limited, and the water tower parking lot is currently inaccessible. So allow a few extra minutes to park on Main, Chambers or Beckwith Streets, or in the small lot by the lock. For more information, or to pre-register, please contact Barb at (613) 283-9966 or email info@realaction.ca.
