International wind energy company, Cleanfield Alternative Energy, Inc., is stepping into solar territory with a hybrid wind/solar installation at Hamilton’s Marydale Park. The park, scheduled to open summer 2011, is a creation of the city’s Catholic Youth Organization. In addition to geothermal heating, it will also feature two of Cleanfield’s 3.5 kW vertical axis wind turbines, as well as a 10kW photovoltaic installation.
Cleanfield plans to tap into the profitability of photovoltaic technology by offering hybrid solutions complete with solar panels. Under Ontario’s progressive feed-in tariff (FIT) program, producers of wind, solar, hydro, and biofuel energy are rewarded with high-priced, long-term contracts for energy sold back into the utility grid. The highest prices, however, are for solar. Rooftop solar installations over 10kW command 71.3 cents/kW- hour. For smaller projects, the figure rises to 80.2 cents. The prices compensate businesses and homeowners for the high costs of purchasing and installing photovoltaic technology.
Company Designs Hybrid Wind/Solar Inverter
Cleanfield is currently adapting its wind turbine inverters to be compatible with solar panels so that it can tap into the relatively sparse all-in-one market. When complete, the new wind/solar inverter will have the versatility to serve institutional, residential, and commercial customers.
Cleanfield is now one of the few companies able to provide both installation and maintenance services for hybrid systems, and users benefit from its trusted proprietary technology. Hybrid projects make the most efficient use of their environment, harnessing power from the sun during the day and from wind at night, when the breeze is strongest. Hybrids also take advantage of the seasons, as winds are heaviest during the winter and the sun brightest in the summer.
The renewable energy installation at Marydale Park will do more than generate clean, free power -; it will educate, as well. The park is specifically designed to accommodate children and adults of all abilities, to provide barrier-free access to playing fields, fishing, swimming, and trails. In addition, Marydale will provide the public an opportunity to learn about wind turbines, geothermal heating, and photovoltaic technology, using Cleanfield’s installation as an example. The park is a symbol of Ontario’s commitment to renewable energy.
