“If you build it, they will come” could be the new slogan for Southwestern Ontario’s green energy industry. The area, which has suddenly begun attracting the attention of solar panel and wind turbine manufacturers, extends from Hamilton to Windsor and is characteristically dotted with renewable energy farms.

Toronto-based Canasia Power Corporation is one such manufacturer with plans to set up a 125,000-square-foot solar panel plant in London, ON, although it is not alone in its desire to establish a more permanent presence in this hotbed of renewable energy activity. As rival firms carve out their own respective niches, this could result in the creation of thousands of jobs, an increase in solar certification demand, and rapid innovation within green energy technology in general.

Green Energy Act Incentives
Industry and local stakeholders strongly believe that Southwestern Ontario is poised to be the next green energy leader due to incentives offered through the Green Energy Act. The Act’s feed-in-tariff (FIT) program provides funds to power producers that supply energy to the power grid. Some believe that the program has already been a major success, citing how energy consumption in Ontario has gone from 158 terawatt hours per year in 2005 to 140 terawatt hours in 2009.

Cherise Burda, Ontario Director of think-tank, Pembina Institute, believes that the Green Energy Act has created a welcoming environment for companies looking to build a profitable renewable energy plant. “Manufacturing wants to get in,” she stated.

Solar Certification Will Follow Market Trends
Chris Bentley, a London West (ON) MPP, believes that his city’s skilled workforce, its proximity to transportation highways, and the incentives of the Green Energy Act will collectively turn London into a green energy production leader.

London and the surrounding metropolitan area have lost over 14,000 jobs since 2005, with more than a quarter of those in the last year alone. Not surprisingly new solar jobs within the growing green economy would be a welcome change in a region hard hit by the current recession. Calum Semple, National Industrial Products Leader at PriceWaterhouseCoopers in Toronto, believes that such a wave of new jobs may be imminent, offering that, “If there is demand, the manufacturing sector in Ontario will do what it has always done — it will do a great job meeting that need.”

However, sustaining such job growth requires that the local workforce possess the requisite skills and training to properly design, install, and maintain green infrastructure. Schools like Ontario Solar Academy exist expressly for this purpose, offering 5-day installation training workshops to prepare Ontario residents for careers in green-collar jobs.

Programs offering solar and wind classes will become increasingly important since the Ontario government has mandated that a major percentage of all parts and labour for renewable energy projects must be locally sourced if they are to qualify for incentives and rebates.

Green Energy Research and Development
Increased local and Stateside demand for green energy will likely force the industry to grow, creating room for innovation in various areas of renewable energy technology. University of Western Ontario and University of Waterloo researchers are focusing on ways to increase solar panel efficiency, while several international firms, such as MTorres of Spain, have plans to fund ongoing research and development in the region - signs suggesting that Ontario could soon become the North American leader in all things green.