Enbridge, Inc. and First Solar, Inc. have recently completed expansion of a solar panel installation in Sarnia, Ontario, making it the largest PV installation in the world. The site, which previously operated at a capacity of 20MW, is now capable of producing 80MW of solar electricity. Expansion of the facility made use of Ontario-produced materials and local workers, many of whom received their solar training from within the province.
First Solar is an Arizona-based company with offices in Sarnia. The company built the project and will operate and maintain the site on behalf of the owner, Canada’s Enbridge. Enbridge is one of North America’s largest energy providers. While the company is best known for its oil and gas delivery services, it has also invested in 850MW worth of solar projects, enough to power 292,000 homes. The Sarnia project alone will produce about 120,000 MW-hours per year, which it will sell to the Ontario Power Authority under a 20-year contract.
The solar panels used in the newly-expanded installation are designed to have the lowest carbon footprint possible and will generate enough green energy to run the equivalent of more than 12,000 homes. This number represents nearly half of Sarnia’s population. The whole construction project provided jobs for about 800 PV-trained Ontarians.
The two companies hosted a grand opening on October 4, which included a celebration followed by a tour of the facility. Vice presidents from both Enbridge and First Solar were joined at the event by Ontario’s Energy Minister, Brad Duguid, along with a number of other officials.
Program Inspires Manufacturing, Installations, and Training Classes
The Sarnia Solar Project is just one part of Ontario’s booming solar industry, which is largely buoyed by the high prices offered to producers of renewable energy by the province’s (FIT) program. The program pays above-market rates for green power fed into the grid from a variety of renewable sources - up to 80.2 cents/kW-hour for small-scale, rooftop solar panel installations. Thanks in part to the FIT, the province not only boasts a large number of solar and wind farms, but also the requisite manufacturing facilities and solar training classes to support this growth. Canada’s only ISPQ-accredited solar training school, Ontario Solar Academy, for example, provides solar classes based on NABCEP learning objectives. Such solar courses are becoming increasingly necessary as Ontario’s solar infrastructure continues to expand to meet consumer demand for sustainable and clean energy solutions.
