There’s a solar revolution going on, and Germany is the world leader. In Germany, if you produce solar power on your rooftop the government will buy it back from you at 62 cents a kilowatt hour. It’s called “standard offer contracts”, or “feed-in tariffs”, as they’re usually referred to in Europe.
Ontario, Canada has a similar version of “standard offer contracts”. The contracts provide financial institutions with a government guarantee that the borrower will receive income from their investment. Homeowners who want to invest in solar technology can take a 20-year contract to the bank.
The Toronto Star recently reported the ground breaking of the first of several massive solar farms expected to cover the Ontario landscape over the coming years. SkyPower Corp., a Lehman Brothers company, and joint-venture partner SunEdison LLC are beginning construction on a two-phase, 19-megawatt solar park about 30 kilometres west of Kingston, Ontario. SkyPower has another six 10-MW project under development, and they’re not alone. Topping the list is California’s OptiSolar, which has a six-phase, 60-megawatt solar park contract. Once completed, it will be the world’s largest solar farm. Currently the biggest solar farm in the world is Erlasee, a 12 megawatt farm in Germany.
It was initially reported Ontario would receive 88 megawatts, but they now have contracts for 407 megawatts of solar electricity, purchased at 42 cents a kilowatt-hour. There is no guarantee that all of the farms will be built, but the fact that they will be the largest solar installation to date, is nothing short of impressive.
Energy officials estimate that in 40 years, Germany, one of the most industrialized countries in the world, will be entirely powered by clean energy. Ontario environmentalists are hoping building such large solar farms will help propel Canada as a leader in the solar industry. Ontario is definitely setting an example and hopefully other provinces and countries will follow her lead.
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