Clean Break :: 42 solar parks totalling 407 MW under contract in Ontario

This Blog is maintained by Tyler Hamilton, an energy reporter and business columnist for the Toronto Star, Canada's largest daily newspaper. Tyler writes a weekly column in the Star called "Clean Break," which focuses on emerging trends, technologies and investment opportunities in the cleantech space. This site is a personal endeavour that aims to complement that column, offering a space for anyone to express views and report on developments related to the area. Tyler's other areas of interest include consumer privacy and wireless technologies. He co-authored The Privacy Payoff with Ann Cavoukian, Ontario's privacy commissioner.

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42 solar parks totalling 407 MW under contract in Ontario

by Tyler on Mon 21 Apr 2008 06:09 PM EDT | Permanent Link | Cosmos

I've got a story in today's Toronto Star about a ground breaking on the first of many massive solar parks expected to be built across Ontario over the next two or three years. SkyPower Corp., a Lehman Brothers company, and joint-venture partner SunEdison LLC are beginning construction of a two-phase, 19-megawatt solar park about 30 kilometres west of Kingston, Ontario. SkyPower has another six 10-MW projects under development, and it's not alone. Topping the list is California's OptiSolar, which breaks ground on a six-phase, 60-MW solar park next month. In all, Ontario has signed contracts to purchase more than 400 MW of solar electricity for 42 cents a kilowatt-hour. Now, it's no guarantee all of these projects will get built, but given the fact that the largest solar installation in Canada to date is only 100 kilowatts, the ground-breaking on these large parks is nothing short of impressive.

NOTE: When they're built I'm going to have the Toronto Star charter a plane so we can take fly-by pictures and video of the parks. It's about time we have our own images, rather than relying on the same old snapshots out of Bavaria, Germany.

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Re: 42 solar parks totalling 407 MW under contract in Ontario

by Anonymous on Sun 27 Apr 2008 07:32 PM EDT | Permanent Link

While Germany is using subsidies for solar power to develop world class PV industry, the Ontario government is foolishly throwing money around like a drunk sailor to cloth itself in a green garb, without a strategy for the development of Ontario based solar industry. Very typical of our idiot premier.

Re: Re: 42 solar parks totalling 407 MW under contract in Ontario

by Anonymous on Sun 27 Apr 2008 07:46 PM EDT | Permanent Link

Great for Ontario’s manufacturing base…. We have the highest number of statutory holidays, the highest minimum wage in North America (this of course will cascade through the rest of the wages), and now the government is trying for the highest electrical rates. If the premier has the time, I could show him some other ways to screw up manufacturing in Ontario.

Re: Re: 42 solar parks totalling 407 MW under contract in Ontario

by Anonymous on Mon 28 Apr 2008 10:52 AM EDT | Permanent Link

Will any of the PV panels be produced in Ontario? In Canada?

Re: Re: 42 solar parks totalling 407 MW under contract in Ontario

by Anonymous on Tue 29 Apr 2008 09:29 AM EDT | Permanent Link

While the strategy is not the best, there is a distinct advantage. Ontario might not really be investing in the industry locally, it does create an investment in the technology globally. This is still better than nothing, as it helps to solve global problems. More importantly it will help to develop a market of solar installers. Currently it costs a great deal to install PV because of a lack of qualified, experienced professional installers. If people in the manufacturing industry would quit crying for bailouts from the government and get some training, perhaps they could be the one installing the panels. The culture of the industry, however, tends to lean towards complaining and placing "Don't buy foreign" bumper stickers on their less efficient, more expensive domestic cars.

Re: Re: Re: 42 solar parks totalling 407 MW under contract in Ontario

by Anonymous on Sat 03 May 2008 08:57 AM EDT | Permanent Link

If Ontario doesn't install solar parks, where will we get the increased power requirements Ontario will need over the next 3-7 years? What happens when the recession/slow down in manufacturing ends, will we have shortages of power in Ontario? What is Ontario's current peak load/production and import capability during the summer peak load period? How long does it take to build a nuclear, coal or gas plant from planning to generation? Are politicians who are up for re-election likely to approve major new generation projects based on coal? How is Ontario going to upgrade transmissions lines into population centers with NIMBY?

Are these problems common with other provinces and states?

Instead of complaining about the price of solar/renewable suggest a viable alternative that can answer the questions above.

Re: Re: Re: Re: 42 solar parks totalling 407 MW under contract in Ontario

by Anonymous on Sat 03 May 2008 02:35 PM EDT | Permanent Link

If you install enough of these 42 cents/kwh monsters, no one will be able to afford the electricity. Look around other blogs and you will see discussions of 5 cents/kwh.
The 42 cents benefits only the fat boys of Wall Street who see a good thing when it is dropped in their lap.

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: 42 solar parks totalling 407 MW under contract in Ontario

by Anonymous on Sun 04 May 2008 07:49 AM EDT | Permanent Link

Instead of complaining about the price of solar/renewable suggest a viable alternative

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: 42 solar parks totalling 407 MW under contract in Ontario

by Anonymous on Sun 04 May 2008 10:58 AM EDT | Permanent Link

I think that you are missing the point. There is nothing wrong with solar (whether PV or thermal). But there is something awfully wrong with solar at 42 cents/kwh ( at generation price level). Solars are popping all over the place, but at a fraction of this cost. 42 cents/kwh is economic suicide, and can be driven only by a distorted, naïve political agenda.

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