Ontario’s manufacturing sector recently received a boost when Italian solar photovoltaic manufacturer, Silfab SpA, announced that it is creating an incorporated Silfab Canada in Mississauga, Ontario. The $15 million, 100,000 square foot solar module plant will commence production in early 2011, generating up to 60 MW of clean energy. By 2012 it will expand to 180 MW. The facility will be split in two distinct areas - one for SilFab’s own solar PV modules and the other for Ontario-based solar PV module manufacturers.
This project joins a litany of other green investments in the province, demonstrating Ontario’s growing commitment to erecting a clean and sustainable economy powered by renewable forms of energy.
Ontario as the Dominant Solar Market in 2011
Ontario Solar PV Fields Inc. which is a joint effort between Q-Cells SE and Automation Tooling Systems is creating a 64 MW project which will represent 10% of all ground-mounted solar projects in the province. Marc Van Gerven, CEO of Q-Cells North America, says that the “Ontario market is projected to be one of the dominant solar markets in North America in 2011.” Martin Cecchetto, VP of ATS Corporate Development, believes that together his company and Q-Cells can “make widespread solar adoption in Ontario a reality and significantly expand the solar expertise and presence in the province.”
The Connection between Solar Growth, Solar Jobs, and Solar Classes
Helping to fuel Ontario’s expanding green economy are the manufacturing sector, provincial government, and training infrastructure necessary to ensure Ontario’s green workforce is capable of meeting rising consumer demand for sustainable solutions. Notes Jacob Travis, Director of Canada’s only ISPQ-accredited solar training school, Ontario Solar Academy, “We all knew that the Green Energy Act would boost the province’s solar industry, but I don’t think any of us realized how quickly the sector would expand.” He adds “Solar training is just one piece of the puzzle, but without it, there would not exist the green jobs, manufacturing growth, and investment opportunities that we’ve witnessed over the past year.”
