Ontario First Nation Solar Installation to Create Jobs for PV Course Graduates
Toronto's SkyPower Limited (SkyPower) has announced plans to build a new 10 MW solar panel installation at Fort William First Nation in Thunder Bay, Ontario. The project will help to create up to 100 jobs for graduates of the region's solar panel installation courses and when complete, it will mark
Toronto's SkyPower Limited (SkyPower) has announced plans to build a new 10 MW solar panel installation at Fort William First Nation in Thunder Bay, Ontario. The project will help to create up to 100 jobs for graduates of the region's solar panel installation courses and when complete, it will mark the first system of its size built on First Nations land in Canada.
More Headlines
- New York Car Dealership Enlists Energy Toolbase and Socomec for Microgrid-Capable Energy Storage System
- SOLATRUE MERGES WITH SOUTHERN SOLAR: PIONEERING BRANDS UNITE TO LEAD THE SOLAR INDUSTRY FORWARD
- Octopus Energy backs tech disruptor to turbocharge floating offshore wind farms globally
- TERREPOWER EXPANDS ITS TENNESSEE OPERATION, ESTABLISHES SOLAR RECYCLING LINE
- All Energy Solar Earns GAF Certification for Roofing
SkyPower finances, develops, owns, and manages solar projects across Ontario. Its 9 MW First Light I project in Stone Mills debuted in 2009 as Canada's first-ever utility-scale solar park. The company helped to create more than 100 jobs in the region during the project's construction and the facility generates enough solar energy to power up to 10,000 homes. SkyPower's latest project in Fort William is currently under construction and will involve approximately 45,000 solar panels installed over about forty hectares (100 acres) of land. The solar company plans to complete the project by the summer of 2011 and expects it to generate enough solar energy to power 17,000 homes and offset thousands of tonnes, annually, of the greenhouse gases produced by conventional energy sources such as oil or coal.
Region's Solar Industry Supported by Ontario's Green Energy Act
Ontario benefits from a robust solar industry that is buoyed by its Green Energy and Green Economy Act (Green Energy Act). The Act was signed into law in 2009 and gave the Ontario Power Authority (OPA) the tools it required to offer its feed-in tariff (FIT) program. The FIT helps to create jobs and stimulates the economy by paying green energy producers high prices - up to 80.2 cents per kW-hour - for power they generate using solar, wind, biomass, and hydroelectric installations of varying sizes. It also gives rise to new educational streams like solar panel installation courses and post-secondary green tech programs.
With its latest project in Fort William, SkyPower continues to contribute green energy solutions to Ontario's power supply mix while it takes advantage of the favourable business climate created by the FIT. "This successful partnership demonstrates our commitment to strategic partnerships in renewable energy," says the company's President and CEO, Kerry Adler, "and we continue to explore similar opportunities to ensure a brighter future for future generations."
Featured Product
Raptor Maps - The integrated operating system for end-to-end solar management
Operate autonomous drones and other robotics technology on your solar farms with Raptor Maps' robotics operations platform. Our end-to-end solution allows you to build and schedule data collection missions, to analyze collected data through our analytics engine, and to address identified issues through our remediation intelligence suite. From construction monitoring to substation inspections to SCADA-alert generation missions, Raptor Robotics gives your team unparalleled insights into the health and status of your project. Improve the safety, efficiency, and scale of your operations with Raptor Robotics.
