As of October 1, 2009 any home, business, organization, or property owner that has a connection to the electrical grid in Ontario has the opportunity to participate in (and profit from) the new Ontario Feed-in Tariff Program for renewable energy in Ontario. (Note: The Feed-in Tariff Program was enabled by the Green Energy and Green Economy Act)
This is Canada’s first feed-in tariff program and the tariffs under the program are the highest in North America and comparable to any offered worldwide. For example, the Ontario government will pay 80.2 ¢/kW for electricity generated from a PV solar installation under the microFIT program. A 20 year contract with the Ontario government at this rate translates into a fantastic investment opportunity for anyone who has a suitable rooftop or property on which to install a solar PV system.
There are two distinct “streams” within the Feed-in Tariff Program: “FIT” (for projects larger than 10kW in size; and “MicroFIT” for projects up to 10 kilowatts (kW) or less.
Backup-Power.ca specializes in the planning, design and management of FIT and MicroFIT solar PV projects in Ontario from the initial Application to the Ontario Power Authority to the final installation and maintenance. With numerous years of project management and consulting experience, we are particularly well suited to handle projects in the industrial, commercial, and institutional sector. We service south central Ontario, from the Niagara Region to Oshawa and up to Barrie. Please contact us for more information.
MicroFIT
The MicroFIT Program is specifically for smaller renewable electricity generation projects up to 10 kilowatts (kW) or less in size and is intended to encourage the development of small renewable energy projects on residential as well as industrial, commercial, and institutional sector (ICI) properties across the Province.
Rooftop and ground-mounted Photovoltaic (PV) solar installations by small business owners and property owners are expected to be the most common type of MicroFIT project but other types of Renewable Energy MicroFIT projects are also eligible (wind, waterpower, landfill gas, biogas, and biomass).
FIT
The FIT Program is for small, medium and large renewable energy projects that generate more than 10 kW of electricity. Within the FIT program, there is a streamlined application and contracting process for "capacity allocation-exempt projects". Capacity Allocation-Exempt Projects are relatively small projects between 10kW and up to 250 or 500 kW depending on the distribution line size that the project will be connected to.
The Backup-Power.ca team understands the distinctions between the various Feed-in Tariff streams based on project size, the Application steps required for each, and the financial implications of undertaking projects within each of these streams. We would be happy to assist you in determining what the best option for your business is. Please
contact us for more information.
