Solar PV inverter manufacturer, Satcon, has recently agreed to provide 78 of its PowerGate Plus inverters to rooftop PV developer OZZ Solar. These units will be deployed on 40 separate commercial rooftop projects throughout Ontario, helping to deliver nearly 18MW of clean energy. Locally sourced and manufactured, the PowerGate Plus PV inverters will help these projects qualify for the province’s feed-in-tariff (FIT) program, allowing power producers to sell electricity back into the grid.
According to the announcement, OZZ Solar will use Satcon’s PowerGate Plus 100KW and 250KW inverters, both of which …

Solar Source Corp. is scheduled to begin manufacturing solar panels in Ontario within the next seven months, having recently invested over $40 million in its plan to construct a 45,000-square-foot plant on airport lands just outside the City of Windsor. The social and economic repercussions of the project could be as colossal as its cost - with about 200 new solar jobs slated for the next twelve months, and up to 300 additional employees to be hired by 2013. For the Windsor operation, Solar Source Corp. will partner with Hind …

David Orazietti, Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) for Sault Ste. Marie, has announced the Ontario provincial government’s approval of a $1,875,000 loan to Heliene Canada to launch a solar module manufacturing plant in the city. The financing is in accordance with the Green Energy Act - an ambitious bill designed to create a sustainable electricity system in the Canadian province. The loan will be disbursed to Heliene Canada through the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC).
In addition to the loan, NOHFC also awarded a $625,000 grant to Heliene Canada as …

Entrepreneurs with innovative business ideas have begun receiving financial assistance from the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC) to help jumpstart their small businesses. Under the Northern Ontario Entrepreneur Program (NOEP), entrepreneurs can receive as much as $125,000 in grants to develop and execute their business ideas. With Ontario at the forefront of solar development, many of these grant-financed projects could pave the way for a wave of new green jobs.
Solar Jobs Provided by Entrepreneurs
One such company is Solarent Energy Corporation, a firm specializing in the installation and maintenance of …

Frontenac County, north of Kingston, Ontario, has launched a new Green Energy Task Force in order to “provide opportunities to citizens, farmers, businesses, and local governments of Frontenac County to be involved in and invest in the green economy, particularly through the development of community energy projects.” Councillors from each of the Frontenac townships will sit on the newly created task force, but the county will also seek citizen appointees with specific expertise in the solar and wind industries.
This is not the first time citizen outreach has constituted such an …

On the heels of 694 recently approved renewable energy projects in the province, Ontario Solar Academy (OSA) has established itself a new 8,000 square foot facility in Vaughan, a city just north of Toronto. The move allows OSA to run three times as many training classes every month - an expansion deemed increasingly necessary due to capacity constraints and renewed interest in green careers across the province.
Since its launch earlier this year, OSA has graduated over 75 alumni, with another 27 slated for May. The Academy’s 5-day solar training courses …

PV Powered, Inc, pioneer in grid-tied PV inverters in the residential, commercial, and utility markets, announced last week that it had appointed industry veteran, Marty Fleet, to manage its Sales & Business Development team in Canada. Fleet is expected to open up a new Ontario regional sales office from which to help spearhead PV Powered’s expansion in one of North America’s fastest growing solar markets.
Ontario’s Stars Are Beginning to Align
By all accounts, Fleet’s timing and professional background could not have been more perfectly matched. With over 15 years in power …

Ontario is creating the perfect climate for investments and job creation in its efforts to satisfy the province’s growing energy needs. Various incentives and renewable energy grants have already begun prompting companies, homeowners, and even farms to embrace clean energy options - just last month, OPEL Solar, Inc., a developer of photovoltaic (PV) ground-based and rooftop tracker systems, recently announced its expansion into the Toronto area.
As Ontario’s government continues to push its green agenda, many believe that the province will not only meet its 2030 deadline for sustainable energy, but …

As a construction consultant and electrical contractor, Luciano Di Leonardo is accustomed to structural challenges and electrical applications. He is also no stranger to renewable energy given that his Niagara- and Wentworth-based firm, DiLeonardo Construction Ltd and LDM Electrical Contractors, is located in one of America’s oldest “green” hotspots. This distinction dates back to the 1850s when the Niagara Falls Hydraulic Power and Mining Company first began laying hydropower infrastructure around the falls.
Di Leonardo’s custom home building, renovation, and electrical firm has a sizeable base of “green” clients looking for …

On Thursday evening, April 29, Ontario Solar Network will host its inaugural monthly networking event in which leaders within the province’s solar energy industry will discuss Opportunities & Challenges in Ontario’s FIT Program.
Originally organized exclusively for current members of the Network - the business association of Ontario Solar Academy’s alumni community - the event was opened up to the public once organizers received a flood of requests from those eager to discuss this topic.
Solar Pioneer and Industry Expert: Ron Mantay
The kick-off event will feature Ron Mantay, a board member …