Canadian Solar Solutions, Inc. (Canadian Solar Solutions), has signed an agreement with Sky Power, Ltd. (Sky Power), to add 18.5 MW of solar capacity to Ontario’s green economy. The partners will build two new solar farms in Napanee and Thunder Bay that will collectively produce enough electricity to power nearly 33,000 homes and create potential careers for graduates of the province’s photovoltaic (PV) training courses.
Kitchener-based Canadian Solar Solutions is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Canadian Solar, Inc. (Canadian Solar), headquartered in the same city. The parent company operates globally, while Canadian Solar Solutions handles the domestic market. The companies specialize in “turnkey solar solutions for residential, commercial, and solar farm markets in Canada.” Toronto’s Sky Power owns alternative energy projects in Canada and across the globe. The company develops, manages, and finances projects “from the initial discovery stages through to commercial operation.” Sky Power has agreed to engineer and construct the two new projects and has arranged financing through Germany’s Deutsche Bank.
Canadian Solar Solutions and Sky Power expect to complete the two new installations by mid-2011. When finished, the Napanee and Thunder Bay projects will produce 10 MW and 8.5 MW of solar energy, respectively, per hour.
Alternative Energy Creates Industry, Careers in Ontario
Ontario has a vibrant and growing green economy that is energized by a feed-in tariff (FIT) program that pays producers of alternative energy premium rates for electricity they generate from sources such as solar, wind, and biomass. The program creates clean energy, careers, and inspires training opportunities such as Ontario Solar Academy’s ISPQ-accredited solar PV courses. Participating projects must meet minimum targets for domestic content for both materials and labour. This provision keeps FIT money in the province and helps to build a stable foundation for the industry so that it survives the eventual conclusion of the program.
Canadian Solar plans to open a solar module manufacturing facility in Guelph that will help the company and other solar PV businesses in Ontario stay on course and meet the FIT’s domestic content requirements. The company expects to complete the plant, which it estimates will employ about 500 people, by the middle of next year.
