Generation Solar tag:www.generationsolar.com,2010-11-10://2 2011-11-17T20:30:15Z Movable Type 5.031 Beware of Unscrupulous Contractors tag:www.generationsolar.com,2011://2.44 2011-11-17T19:17:48Z 2011-11-17T20:30:15Z It's come to our attention that some contractors may be applying for OPA MicroFIT contracts for customers without the customer's consent or knowledge. This is dishonest and predatory and can limit your choice as a customer in the future. Be sure to protect yourself against these dishonest contractors. JP OPA MicroFIT contract applications require a number of pieces of information. Anyone who has this information can apply for a MicroFIT contract on your behalf, whether you are aware of it or not. This is a bad thing because once a MicroFIT application is accepted for your property, further applications will be ineligible. This means that you may have great difficulty down the road making an intended application, either yourself or through a reputable contractor. The original, unintended, application (dare I call it fraudulently submitted?) will have to come under your control or be terminated before your intended project can proceed.

How to avoid fraudulently submitted MicroFIT applications

Control access to the following information:

  • Local Distribution Company (LDC) account number and name on the account
  • Legal description of your property (lot, concession, etc.)
  • Property Instrument Number (PIN)
  • Tax roll number

Only give this information to a contractor once you've decided to work with that contractor and have a signed contract that clearly indicates how the application process will proceed. Only work with a contractor who gives you access to the MicroFIT project web portal (username and password).

What if there is an application already submitted?

If you know or suspect that an application has been made without your explicit consent then demand confirmation from the contractor and demand access to the OPA MicroFIT web portal (username and password). Once you have access change the password. If you do not get access to the web portal then contact the OPA and send them all the information listed above. Request the status of any applications connected to any of those pieces if identity and explain your suspicion of fraudulently submitted applications. Don't expect to hear back for 3 weeks.

If a contractor started an application for you are you tied to that contractor?

No. You are only bound by any contract that you may have signed. If there is no contract and you wish to not proceed with that contractor than demand access to your web portal and change the password. If you signed a contract and changed your mind you may be liable for costs to the contractor as outlined in your contract.

If a contract application exists always try to get control of it, rather than having it terminated. That way you get the benefit of the early time stamp on the original application vs the later time stamp on a new application

wolf.jpg]]> FIT Review: What do you do? tag:www.generationsolar.com,2011://2.43 2011-11-16T13:40:12Z 2011-11-16T16:07:12Z

If you are contemplating installing a FIT or MicroFIT system in Ontario you are probably wondering how the FIT review process will affect your plans. We have some recommendations. JP The MicroFIT and FIT program review process includes the temporary suspension of the program during the review. This means that any applications submitted today will be subject to whatever the new rules and pricing is once the review process is finished. How can plan your project without knowing the terms and pricing that you'll get?

MicroFIT

There is no cost to apply to the MicroFIT program. There is no risk to apply. By applying now you reserve your place in the queue once the OPA resumes processing applications based on the new rules. If you don't like the new terms you can abandon your application. We recommend proceeding with an application. We can help.

FIT

FIT applications require a small amount of work and a modest application fee. The OPA has pledged to refund application fees for applicants unhappy with the revised terms. FIT applications, then, are free of risk and valuable for securing a spot in the processing queue. We recommend proceeding with an application.Contact us and we can help.

Array closeup]]> FIT Review: Look abroad for examples tag:www.generationsolar.com,2011://2.42 2011-11-08T14:36:22Z 2011-11-16T16:10:12Z The recently begun OPA FIT Review Process is harmful to the industry in Ontario because effectivity is backdated and because the OPA is not being transparent in addressing this issue. See our recent post on this topic for more detail. However we have only to look to the EU for interesting comparisons. JP Like Ontario, the UK has a young and very popular FIT program. Like in Ontario, UK politicians are concerned about the cost of the FIT program. And so, like in Ontario, the UK is in the process of re-evaluating the details of the program and will be lowering FIT contract pricing.

Unlike Ontario, the UK appears to be going about this in a transparent and fair manner. Namely:

  • The UK government is sharing the financial assumptions and evaluations on which it is basing its decisions; and
  • The effectivity of the changes will be after they're announced, giving the whole supply chain time to adapt to the change while still actually operating on the existing pipeline of projects.

There are differences, of course, between the two programs. The UK program is funded from a set reserve that is intended to last a set number of years. If the reserve runs out early, the program won't be achieving its time targets. This closed-end program has clear limits to work within. The Ontario program is open-ended, and that makes people very edgy.

Another difference is scale, but this is interesting: The UK program, which is a bit younger than the Ontario program, has encouraged over 100,000 household-scale systems to be installed since it started, totalling over 400MW of production. In Ontario, up to the end of October, the MicroFIT program has resulted in a mere 8,494 connected projects totalling 73MW of installed capacity. The 'success' of the UK program is evident (in the context of needing to throttle back); that of the Ontario program is less so. (Apparently there is a large number of MicroFIT projects in the queue, but for some reason this does not seem to be translating into actual construction; we're not sure why.)

Of course the best example of a FIT working well remains Germany, where FIT price degression is prescriptive based on installed capacity. IE if the market grows by X, the rate will drop by Y. If the market fails to grow by X, the FIT rate will not drop until it does. This creates a very stable marketplace because the entire industry knows exactly how large the market will be at a given FIT rate, and so can plan accordingly. Note that Germany is on track to install 5000MW of solar in 2011 alone.

MicroFIT Ground Mount ]]> FIT and MicroFIT Scheduled Review Flawed, Hurts Ontario Industry tag:www.generationsolar.com,2011://2.41 2011-11-02T16:10:02Z 2011-11-16T16:17:08Z The Ontario Power Authority has announced its 2-year review of the FIT and MicroFIT programs. We think that's great! Regrettably, though, they have back-dated the effectivity of any new rules and pricing to Sept 1, 2011, for MicroFIT applications and to December 8, 2010, for FIT CAE applications. This back-dating appears to violate the FIT rules, as do other aspects of this review process. JP Ontarians should be proud of North America's most progressive FIT program. However Ontarians should also be upset that the OPA appears to be violating both the spirit and letter of its own FIT rules in this Scheduled Program Review. Namely:

  • FIT Rule 7.1(b) stipulates that
    The price incorporated into the FIT Contract that will be offered to applicants whose Applications have been accepted ... will be the applicable price as set out in the Price Schedule at the time of the Time Stamp.
    The Time Stamp is the date and time of electronic submission, as defined in Section 4.1(a). Clearly, back-dating the effectiveness of this change violates rule 7.1(b)
  • FIT Rule 10.1(b) stipulates that
    Notice of any Amendment as a result of a Scheduled Program Review will be posted on the Website at least 30 days prior to the effective date of such Amendment.
    For MicroFIT rule 7(b) states
    Notice of any amendment as a result of a Scheduled Program Review will be posted on the microFIT Program website at least 90 days before the effective date of the amendment
    Clearly, then, the earliest possible effectivity date for any changes as a result of this review would be 30 days (90 days for microFIT) after October 31st, when the Scheduled Program Review was announced. Any applications Time Stamped prior to that should be eligible for the rules prior to the Amendment.
  • The FIT program was conceived to help create a stable and predictable market for renewable energy in Ontario and thereby establish and grow a new manufacturing sector. This point was made several times during the OPA conference call on November 2nd, 10am EDT. By back-dating the effectiveness of the Program Review and by having an open-ended program review the OPA is starving the market of projects that were applied for long ago and effectively blocking the market from securing new projects until the completion of the Review (and a known set of program rules and pricing). This is yet another in a series of disruptions to the marketplace by the OPA, the sum of which acts as a tremendous disincentive to all levels of the supply chain: Customers lose confidence in the solidity of the program and, by association, the viability of the technology; the entire pipeline of work dries up forcing layoffs by installers, distributors, and manufacturers; and financiers lose confidence in Ontario as a place to invest. This is not a stable and predictable market.

The OPA and the Minister of Energy need to be called out on these apparent contract violations and clear market disruptions. Supporters of solar in Ontario should contact their MPP and the Minister of Energy and complain that the FIT Review Process is flawed and is causing significant harm to a nascent industry that is only just getting established.

Here's a link to the announcement

Email Minister Bentley

Wall Mount Installation ]]> Ontario Election 2011 tag:www.generationsolar.com,2011://2.39 2011-10-07T19:50:49Z 2011-10-07T20:00:24Z The citizens of Ontario have voted in support of expanding green energy in Ontario! The Green Energy Act and Feed In Tariff program are key tools for making this happen and with the incoming Liberal government support for these pieces of legislation should remain in Queen's Park. Thank you to everyone who spoke to and messaged the candidates through Stand Up For Solar, SineONtario!, and other mechanisms. You've helped to raise the profile of solar in Ontario and sent a strong message to all incoming MPPs that solar is an important part of our future energy mix. JP Stand Up for Solar offers a number of educational tools for the public-at-large to learn more about how solar energy works, the real costs associated with the production and transmission of solar energy and important facts and figures associated with the industry.

The website also provides one location for interested individuals to show their support for solar energy and the government programs that help to make Ontario and Canada a positive environment for investment in solar energy production.

Check out ShineONtario as well -- another solar advocacy website, sponsored by some large companies active in Ontario.

Also see Wattsnext for a map of renewable energy projects in Ontario.

]]> 2011 Canadian Solar Conference tag:www.generationsolar.com,2011://2.37 2011-09-06T20:34:53Z 2011-09-06T20:42:19Z Registration is open for the 2011 Solar Conference. CanSIA expects some 5000 exhibition visitors and conference delegates to attend this dynamic two-day event in early December at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. JP Solar Canada 2011 is the largest and most influential conference and trade show for the solar industry in Canada. The number of exhibitors at this annual solar marketplace increased from 40, in 2007, to 198 in 2010. And attendance jumped from 400 visitors, in 2007, to more than 4,000 last year.

CanSIA, Canada's solar advocate, is working to support the solar industry's bid to have solar energy widely deployed throughout Canada as a recognized and established component of Canada's energy mix, enabled by a solar industry that competes on a global playing field. By 2015, the solar industry is expected to support more than 35,000 jobs in the economy and displace 15 to 31 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions per year, providing a safer, cleaner environment for generations to come.

(snipped shamelessly from the conference web site)

See this link for more information and to register.

]]> Stand Up for Solar! tag:www.generationsolar.com,2011://2.29 2011-09-06T20:00:45Z 2011-09-06T20:43:30Z Support solar energy and make a difference today by signing on at Stand Up for Solar and other solar advocacy tools. JP Stand Up for Solar offers a number of educational tools for the public-at-large to learn more about how solar energy works, the real costs associated with the production and transmission of solar energy and important facts and figures associated with the industry.

The website also provides one location for interested individuals to show their support for solar energy and the government programs that help to make Ontario and Canada a positive environment for investment in solar energy production.

Check out ShineONtario as well -- another solar advocacy website, sponsored by some large companies active in Ontario.

Also see Wattsnext for a map of renewable energy projects in Ontario.

]]> What our clients say tag:www.generationsolar.com,2010://2.16 2011-09-06T18:27:55Z 2011-09-06T20:33:22Z Hi Simon, I just wanted to say officially that it was a pleasure having the guys here. They worked steady and were always friendly and pleasant. The job looks great. The alignment on the panels, which I can imagine... Simon
Hi Simon, I just wanted to say officially that it was a pleasure having the guys here. They worked steady and were always friendly and pleasant. The job looks great. The alignment on the panels, which I can imagine would be extremely difficult to keep nice and straight, looks great. The wiring, conduit and layout of the inverters and boxes is very neat as well as the stuff on the pole. And they cleaned up after themselves at the end of it all.
Nice job and good bunch of guys too!
Communication was key and G.S. was excellent at keeping in touch. I would highly recommend the company. They were prompt and professional. Thank you.
They always called ahead and explained what they were doing.
Their accessibility, personability, professionalism, honesty and their ability to complete the work on time with the pressure on. Wish we has more sub trades like this.
]]> Yorkshire Valley Farms 104kW tag:www.generationsolar.com,2011://2.33 2011-06-16T17:11:43Z 2011-06-16T19:31:51Z Yorkshire Valley Farms is a producer of certified organ chicken. The farmers, Tom Ahrens, Tony Ambler, and partners, have ambitious and exciting plans for broad scale availability of organically grown chickens. (Their chickens can now be purchased at Loblaws... JP

Yorkshire Valley Farms is a producer of certified organ chicken. The farmers, Tom Ahrens, Tony Ambler, and partners, have ambitious and exciting plans for broad scale availability of organically grown chickens. (Their chickens can now be purchased at Loblaws stores across the province.) To support these plans they are building a number of new barns and elected to include a FIT PV system on the first new barn.

The barn was built in the fall of 2010 with the first batch of chicks arriving in November. The roof-top portion of the solar project had to be finished well before the chicks' arrival so as to not disturb the chicks with construction noise.

This project includes 540 Conergy P235 modules and 270 Enphase D380 micro-inverters. Enphase was selected as the project inverter in part owing to their availability as Ontario Content within the timeframe of the project. The array was broken into 3 sections, each feeding its own Enphase Line Communications Filter and Envoy Communication Gateway. The Envoy allows module-by-module performance and error monitoring for maximizing long term system performance.

The building design was optimized for solar in 2 ways: roof pitch was increased for improved PV performance, and roof structure was designed to accommodate vertical PV mounting rails and a landscape module orientation.

The site had great access all along the southern side, and was only a single storey high. This allows us to use a telehandler (sometimes called a zoom-boom) to retrieve full skids of modules from the storage trailer, move them to the installation location, and place the entire skid right at working height at any point from the eave to the top of the roof.

This project encountered many bureaucratic hurdles along the way. This owes largely to the degree to which it was pushing the envelope in the province: Among the first FIT projects to reach commercial operation; The first Enphase FIT project to reach commercial operation; The first FIT project for this Hydro One service region

]]> Loyalty One, Mississauga tag:www.generationsolar.com,2011://2.35 2011-04-30T20:45:18Z 2011-09-06T20:10:28Z In September 2009 Generation Solar was contracted to participate in, what was then, the largest roof-top solar electric system in Canada. The 144kWDC project was one of first projects to go online in the Ontario FIT program. Generation Solar... JP

In September 2009 Generation Solar was contracted to participate in, what was then, the largest roof-top solar electric system in Canada. The 144kWDC project was one of first projects to go online in the Ontario FIT program. Generation Solar installed about 80kW of the roof array, sharing the PV installation work with another contractor.

The PV modules were mounted flat to make best use of limited roof area; the roof deck itself would not accommodate a ballasted system so the racks were designed to be anchored to the building posts.

Caption ]]> The Real Cost of Renewables in Ontario tag:www.generationsolar.com,2011://2.31 2011-04-13T20:30:46Z 2011-05-02T14:58:03Z The Environmental Commissioner of Ontario recently published an assessment of the cost of conservation and renewable energy in Ontario. It found that the total cost of all conservation and renewable energy projects implemented in 2010 came to 0.4 cents/kWh to the end user. JP That's about 3% of the average retail cost of power. And that includes *all* renewable projects, not just solar projects. Read the report at http://www.eco.on.ca/blog/2011/03/22/the-true-cost-of-renewable-energy-and-conservation/.

]]> PV Jobs in Ontario tag:www.generationsolar.com,2011://2.30 2011-03-02T15:41:36Z 2011-03-02T15:48:22Z PV Magazine: Feb 7, 2011 The Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ISLR), an independent think tank promoting local economic development, says Ontario is getting more jobs for its renewable energy investments than comparable Midwestern states. JP To qualify for a FIT contract, developers of solar energy in Ontario must source 60 percent of their project's value from within the province. This domestic content or "buy local" rule has spurred a fast-growing renewable energy industry in the province, says John Farrell, the report's author, who adds that over 20 new manufacturing plants are scheduled to open in the next two years as a result of the policy.

Read the entire article at PV Magazine.

]]> YWCA Building tag:www.generationsolar.com,2011://2.28 2011-01-28T21:40:42Z 2011-06-16T19:38:02Z When constructing its new building in downtown Peterborough, the YWCA of Peterborough, Victoria, and Haliburton decided to incorporate a number of green features, including a 10kW roof mounted solar electric system. The Y and its architect turned to Generation... JP

When constructing its new building in downtown Peterborough, the YWCA of Peterborough, Victoria, and Haliburton decided to incorporate a number of green features, including a 10kW roof mounted solar electric system.

The Y and its architect turned to Generation Solar for advice on how to best incorporate the solar array into the new structure. We recommended the use of standing seam metal roof so as to permit a penetration-free roof-top installation and the idea was endorsed by the Y's building committee.

The finished installation made use of standing seam roof anchors by S-5! installed on each and every roof seam. The roofing installation itself was reinforced to accommodate the solar array based on design work by Generation Solar. Wiring was slipped up under the roof cap for a completely penetration-free installation, ensuring that, for the life of the roof, there will be no leaks associated with the solar installation.

The installation was complicated by the proximity to the sidewalk -- we knew we would need to work on the sidewalk, so we secured a permit to close the sidewalk. The articulated boom we used for roof access caused some depressions in the recently landscaped boulevard, so we regraded and resodded once we were finished.

Boulevard ]]> Selecting a Contractor tag:www.generationsolar.com,2010://2.27 2010-12-03T17:07:45Z 2010-12-03T17:36:13Z With the large number of new solar contractors in the province don't forget the basic rules of good contractor selection. JP A renewable energy system is a large investment. Trust your system installation to a high quality contractor. Don't be afraid to ask about:

  • Experience -- with systems exactly like the one you're considering;
  • Qualifications -- must be relevant to the job you need done;
  • Insurance -- minimum $2M in liability coverage, WSIB for employees;
  • References -- must be relevant to the job you need done.

Perhaps the most important factor is 'fit'. You need to find a contractor who you feel good about working with. If there isn't a good fit, then stop right away and find someone else. The best way to guage fit is through discussions with the contractor and through references.

Lastly: work with contractors who are members of the Canadian Solar Industry Association.

]]> McMichael Project tag:www.generationsolar.com,2010://2.15 2010-07-08T19:10:07Z 2011-06-16T19:37:29Z Take one Canadian Art landmark, add a steep steel roof, 60 feet in the air on a sloped site, and a 15kW - 3 Phase solar electric array and what do you get? The McMichael Canadian Art Collection project.... Simon

Take one Canadian Art landmark, add a steep steel roof, 60 feet in the air on a sloped site, and a 15kW - 3 Phase solar electric array and what do you get? The McMichael Canadian Art Collection project.

The McMichael Canadian Art Collection houses Canada's largest collection of Canadian Art most notably the best collection of Group of Seven work in the world. Directly under the PV array is gallery space - a roof leak could ruin a priceless work. For this job, a Standing Seam Metal Roof was used. It allowed us to fasten our racking without making a single roof penetration. We attached directly to the standing seam with special clamps made by a company called S-5!. The S-5!s with a standing seam metal roof are a premium combination but if potential roof leaks will keep you up at night you might want to consider them.

The second challenge with this job was the height and steepness of the roof combined with the sloped site. An aerial lift or crane would not work on this slope. To deal with this we used custom scaffold along the entire length of the eave below where we were working. This gave us a staging area for equipment and tools as well as an added measure of safety for those down below if a part or tool was to slide away on us. This type of work environment requires extra planning to ensure few trips up and down the scaffolding as this can add tremendously to installation time and installer fatigue.

Our last big challenge on this job was dealing with the irregularly shaped roof surface. The wall construction is log with stone piers in between. Over time, the logs settled, but the stones didn't. This left a terrible hump in the roof above the stone pier. We felt that the lines of the solar array would further accentuate this hump so we used a racking system that allowed us to 'mellow' the hump. It was a long and systematic process but it worked out well in the end.

This is a caption ]]>