Ontario was already one of the leaders in solar energy development in North America with 1.7 MW of solar PV projects operating in the province, but the addition of the 9.1 MW First Light project means that Ontario's total installed solar PV capacity has reached 10.8 MW. This puts Ontario in league with Connecticut, Oregon, and Massachusetts, the 8th, 9th, and 10th, jurisdiction in the US with the most installed capacity at the end of 2008.
Previously, the largest solar PV project in Canada was the 111 kW system atop the Jean Canfield Building in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, closely followed by the 100 kW system at the Horse Palace in Toronto, Ontario.
The First Light project is a joint venture between SunEdison Canada and SkyPower and is expected to generate 10 million kWh per year using thin film panels manufactured by First Solar. It was installed under Ontario's Standard Offer Contract program that pays $0.42 CAD/kWh under 20-year contracts with the Ontario Power Authority and will be formally inaugurated this week.
Ontario expected to jump into top five
First Solar plans to expand an existing 1 MW solar PV project near Sarnia to 20 MW by the end of 2009 and on completion, will take Ontario into the top five jurisdictions in North America with a total installed solar PV capacity of 29.8 MW.
There are more than 500 MW of contracts outstanding under the Standard Offer program and if built, would mean that Ontario could soon rival California as a leader in solar PV development in North America, far surpassing any other state or province.
In addition, manufacturers, dealers, and installers are gearing up for a boom in rooftop installations under Ontario's new system of feed-in tariffs that replaced the Standard Offer program. Currently there are some 700 kW of rooftop solar systems operating in the province.p>
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