A 23.4MW solar farm in my backyard....

[MagZ]

I thought I share some pictures of a large solar installation that went up past summer right in my back yard. While I was putting my first windmill together, these guys have been busy with a couple of solar panels.....

http://rimstar.org/renewnrg/sp_arnprior_solar_farm.htm

It looks pretty impressive when driving by, they are using one of my neighbors farm properties that they leased for a few years. Most farms around here are growing corn for ethanol, this one is growing some nice solar panels...LOL....

I would be happy just just having one row of panels... ;-)

Cheers, Manne

[dbcollen]

I have a 2KW solar farm of those same panels, First solar FS-50s. They came from a solar project that got cancelled in Sacramento Ca, I bought 3KW, put up 2KW and sold the rest.

Dustin

[richhagen]

It looks pretty neat.  Are they using the whole "200 acre farm" for the project?  I wouldn't have thought that solar near Ottawa would have been as cost effective for a commercial installation as quite a few locations for us 'south' of there.  If they can make it work there, then most locations with an average 3 hours of solar insolation like I have should work.  Rich

[stevend]

Rich, They're getting paid $0.42 per kilowatt hour for 20 years. So, at 3 hours per day that's $29,484 per day and $10,761,660 per year (CDN dollars, for US multiply by .97). I don't know the project cost though, but I guess it's worth it for them. I'm guessing they got a volume discount on the panels!

-Steve

PS. Hey Manne, That's my webpage you linked to. I'm glad you found it useful. I guess we're neighbors - though I'm in downtown Ottawa. My email's on my webpages. I'd love to hear more about your wind project if you get a chance.

[Ungrounded Lightning Rod]

Does that include the revenue from selling renewable energy certificates?

[stevend]

To get those numbers I just did 23,400kW x 3 hours per day x $0.42 per kWh for the daily revenue and multiplied by 365 for the yearly. I wouldn't swear to it but I thought that with Ontario's old Standard Offer Program (which this installation is using, not the new FIT program which replaced it) the Ontario Power Authority got to sell the renewable energy certificates. At least I recall that was the case when the SOP program was first being put together.

-Steve

[MagZ]

Hi Rich,

If you look in my upload section there is an areal view of the farm.....  pretty cool!

Cheers, Manne

[SparWeb]

Hi Manne,

I grew up across the river from you (Shawville), though I cheer for the Flames, now.

Have you heard about anyone qualifying for the new 80-cent rate, yet?  I've only heard about it, but never any direct reports about someone actually qualifying.  I learned about the high "local" content requirement and couldn't figure out who was going to build a solar panel factory in Ontario!  

[MagZ]

Hi Steven,

Yes, I know Shawville very well it is usually the stopp-over for lunch before going up to the Picanoc fishing. A place called Ellen lake (Little Lake Dumount). Not that far past Otter Lake. Small world....!

There used to be a time when I was cheering for the Flames too, when I was living and working there.

No, I haven't heard of the 80 cent rate.... wow! Do you have a link or any info on that?  Would be kind a nice.

Cheers, Manne

[stevend]

Hi Manne,

Other Steve here. The Ontario Standard Offer Program (42 cent) has been replaced by the newer Ontario Feed-in Tariff program which pays 80 cents for systems 10kW or less. See: http://fit.powerauthority.on.ca/

Hi Steven,

A few companies are ramping up to make panels in Ontario to meet the domestic content requirements. See:

Canadian Solar to Build Solar Panel Manufacturing Facility in Ontario

http://solarbuzz.com/News/NewsNAMA199.htm

Opsun Panels to Set Up 50MW Production Line

http://solarbuzz.com/News/NewsNAMA200.htm

Photowatt to Start Module Assembly in Canada

http://solarbuzz.com/News/NewsNAMA201.htm

The way domestic content rules are now, we can meet the requirements without having made in Ontario panels but in the future the rules will change. Hopefully the new plants will be ready by then.

-Steven D.

http://rimstar.org/renewnrg

[SparWeb]

Terribly envious of you guys.

In Alberta, anyone applying for a grid-tie must be willing to accept the floating market price, which fluctuates hourly between 2 cents and 12 cents, you must pay a fee to the utility "power line" company for the set up and administration, AND you have to pay your electricity retailer a monthly fee for the "privilege" of being grid-tied.

Nice pictures of solar panels on a cloudy day.  Typical Ottawa valley...  Sometimes I wonder if it's possible that there's "too high" a tariff for solar power.  Sorry I didn't say that out loud did I???