On Friday the 13th the Ontario Power Authority (OPA) finalized its Feed-In-Tariff (FIT) rate for small Photovoltaic (PV) solar ground-mount systems at 64.2 ¢/kWh, down from the original 80.2 ¢/kWh. In so doing, the OPA conceded ground on its original proposal to cut rates to 58.8 ¢/kWh.  Perhaps more significantly, the OPA reversed itself and will not force this rate change retroactively on the roughly 11,000 pending ground-mount...

In manufacturing, viability hinges on production yield. In energy devices, viability hinges on conversion efficiency.   Less is less   The notion that higher conversion efficiency is better than lower efficiency is intuitive. With higher efficiency, more is produced from the same resource. Higher efficiency does have higher inherent value. What is often counter-intuitive, however, is that low-price scenarios can produce dramatic...

With its extensive history and successful implementation, the German solar PV Feed-in-Tariff (FIT) program has become the reference for all others. Shortly after the launch of the Ontario FIT program, Deutsche Bank praised the Ontario program by noting, “Two of the most advanced FiTs in our view at present are Germany and Ontario.” Recent proposed changes within the Ontario MicroFIT program (sub 10 kW projects) to distinguish between...

Reprinted with permission from PHOTON Magazine, February 2010. Melissa Bosworth – Until recently, there was no solar energy to speak of in Ontario’s energy mix. At the beginning of 2008, the Ontario Power Authority estimated the entire province’s grid-connected capacity at 300 kW. Since then, the provincial government under Premier Dalton McGuinty has taken dramatic steps toward major market growth. The key to the most recent...

The Intersolar Europe Exhibition this past June posted big attendee and exhibitor numbers. Last week’s Intersolar North America was also well attended, though it is still at a fraction of its European counterpart. Oddly, however, some of the biggest winners thus far in the North American PV market chose not to exhibit at Intersolar North America just as the North American market is poised for substantial growth. At this year’s...