Solar and other renewable energy projects are going strong all over Ontario driven by the province’s Feed-In Tariff program. Businesses, communities, and homes are going green and earning income at the same time. As the FIT program passes its one year mark, I look at some of the experiences accrued so far.
Ontario Feed-In Tariff
At the summit in Toronto that drew senior executives from Canada and around the world, one common thread emerged: Capital favours sustainable businesses. Deutsche Bank have more confidence investing in companies that disclose their greenhouse gas emissions. Investors see climate change issues as material to their investment decisions. Accountants see environmental information as an integral part of a company’s full performance picture.
Operational since early 2010, the huge 800-panel solar rooftop system costs $1.85 million to build. The third part of this case study focuses on financial details. We look at the startup costs, operating costs, income from the high profile Ontario Feed-In Tariff program, and most importantly, the projected payback period.
This is the second part of our case study on Canada’s largest solar rooftop. Located in Mississauga, just outside Toronto, the building’s construction was completed in Fall 2009. The rooftop solar system became operational in early 2010. It is the first system that feed electricity into the provincial power grid under the high profile Ontario Feed-In Tariff program. In this installment, we will look at the details of the system design and installation.