St. Lawrence College has announced that pending approval from the Ontario Power Authority, construction will begin on approximately 442 solar modules, which will generate an estimated $80,000 per year for the Kingston and Brockville campuses. President of St. Lawrence, Chris Whitaker, stated that “As an institution, we’ve been building a centre of excellence as I like to call it, in renewable energy technologies.” He continued, “So we have a number of academic programs that are relating to this, and we’re trying to have a presence in green energy technology at all three of our campuses.”

EDEF EN Canada Creating More Solar Jobs in Ontario

EDEF EN Canada recently created the St. Isidore Solar Project, which is a new 12MW project expected to create 200 new solar jobs. This is just another example of Canada’s growing investment in the renewable energy sector. The Honourable Madeleine Meilleur, Minister of Community and Social Services, stated that “the St. Isidore Solar Project is an important initiative within the Ontario’s government renewable energy program. It will serve the peak electricity demands of more than 3,000 homes.” EDEF EN has invested $250 million in Ontario-based PV installations since 2009. This is a staggering feat, because while much of Ontario is still dealing with the economic recession, EDEF EN continues to invest in projects that will create solar jobs and a range of other green career opportunities.

Solar Energy Training Still Undervalued

Academic institutions throughout the province continue to launch green training courses to prepare their students for the countless renewable energy jobs on the horizon. However, Canada still lacks some of the standardization and regulatory oversight governing other types of industries, including information technology, health, and education. This is especially true for solar - a technology that many agree should require mandatory safety and electrical training (currently it does not).

Ontario Solar Network is one organization that is helping to crystallize the industry and introduce more certifications and requirements to ensure that the province’s solar growth continues unabated. Comments Jacob Travis, President of Ontario Solar Network, “Progress requires planning, standardization, and communication. The more stakeholders we have at the table, the more stable and inclusive the industry will become.”