Solar installations at this summer’s G8 and G20 meetings in Ontario will showcase both the environmental and economic potential of solar energy, while pointing to the demand for solar training in a province deeply committed to sustainable energy and job creation.

Solar panel-powered lighting on pathways, roads, and walkways are among the installation ideas being promoted by organizers for the upcoming events. “Leaving an environmental legacy is an important component” of the 2010 summits’ environmental strategies, according to a federal tender request. “A well-chosen signature project will help to showcase innovative Canadian technology.”

“Green” Installations in Huntsville and Toronto

This is not the first time “green” has taken center stage at the annual summit events - held this year in Huntsville and Toronto. However, this year represents one in which much of the emphasis originated at the community level, with residents in both cities helping to set the agenda.

The need for sustainable energy is readily apparent, against a backdrop of such ecological disasters as the recent oil-drilling accident in the Gulf of Mexico. Simple enhancements like solar-powered walkways or a planned “living wall” of locally sourced greenery for Toronto’s G20 meeting site serve as elegant reminders of the need for a more sustainable future.

Indeed, Toronto’s Deputy Mayor, Joe Pantalone, notes: “It’s an extremely small gesture in the grand scheme of things, but every small gesture helps, especially if it’s green.” Huntsville Councillor, Mary Jane Fletcher, says that her city’s plans spring from previous summits’ efforts to present a “carbon-neutral summit.”

Solar Training and the Push for Standardization

Projects such as those planned for Toronto and Huntsville illustrate the growth potential within Ontario’s renewable energy sector, and solar’s place within that context. Indeed, at least 694 renewable energy projects are pending in the province, with photovoltaic technology slated to power nearly 80% of these FIT-approved projects once completed.

Solar training demand is expected to continue to increase, so much so that Ontario Solar Academy, a leader in its field, has tripled its monthly training capacity. Courses providing hands-on training based on the NABCEP learning objectives are constantly filled, leading the training center to expand its classes in their new permanent facility located just north of Toronto in Vaughan

“The only way to meet demand is to expand the number of solar courses we offer,” according to Associate Director, David Gower. He notes that legislative changes continue to increase demand for trained solar professionals.