ARISE Technologies Corporation has recently announced that it has entered into a contract with 11 school boards in Ontario for solar panel installation. A leading provider of quality solar technology in Canada and Germany, ARISE has committed a total of 110 Kilowatts of solar power capacity spread over the 11 school districts under Ontario’s Green Schools Pilot Initiative. Under a budgeted contract price of $2 million, ARISE will provide each school district with enough photovoltaic capacity to generate 10 kW of clean energy from the sun. These solar power installations will all be in compliance with Ontario’s feed-in-tariff (FIT) program.
Solar Panel Installation Training and Education
In addition to solar panel installation, ARISE will also launch education programs for students and personnel who are interested in learning about renewable energy. ARISE will work closely with the Ontario school districts in developing a curriculum that focuses on the benefits and advantages of solar energy. These training programs will also include specialized software and a learning portal for students.
Those wishing to extend this learning to the professional level can take certification courses through training programs like the Ontario Solar Academy’s. Typically lasting 5 days, these intensive certification classes prepare students to actually get on the roofs in order to safely install solar panel systems on residential and commercial rooftops.
Promoting the Green Initiative in Canada
Canada is particularly aggressive in its promotion of “green” technologies, with Ontario helping to lead the way with regards to incentives and legislation. One of the primary centerpieces of the province’s bold solarization push is its feed-in-tariff - an arrangement that allows residents, business owners, and industrial producers to sell excess power back to utility companies at guaranteed prices. Such incentives dramatically diminish the importance of solar installation costs, allowing companies like ARISE to focus on more important areas like efficiency, and thus, the ROI of affordably installed solar panel systems.
Solar Panel Installation: Proof of Concept
The Ontario Green Schools Pilot Initiative, launched in May of 2009, represents a major opportunity for ARISE as it attempts to demonstrate the technological and financial viability of widespread solarization - in this case, within Ontario’s school districts. The project, which will run for two years, enables school boards to purchase and evaluate green technologies for various purposes. ARISE President and CEO, Vern Heinrichs, offers that this 110 kW contract is an important project for the company’s Systems Division since it could act as a launch pad for future such projects. Successful implementation in the education sector could have a ripple effect across the economy as other organizations, businesses, residents, and government agencies develop greater interest in solar power technology.
