2011: A year of Change and Opportunity in the Ontario PV Installer Market
Toronto, Ontario / February 13, 2011 — Solar equipment manufacturers in Ontario will face rich market opportunities as installers are expecting to adopt a significant number of new brands in 2011. An increase in Ontario’s domestic content requirements to 60% from January 1, 2011 is disrupting existing customer relationships and forcing installers to find new brands, according to a recent survey of 50 Ontario-based installers by research... [Read More...]
Ontario’s FIT Program: Alarming Trends in the Commercial Rooftop Application Process
An examination of the application and approval rates for Capacity Allocation Exempt (CAE) projects in Ontario reveals some disturbing trends for any rooftop-focused developer or manufacturer. Firstly, attractive tariff rates are driving an increasing number of CAE applications. Since the program’s early days, the number of monthly applications has increased from about 180 to over 200 Since September, applications are being submitted at a rate that... [Read More...]
Solar in Ontario: 2011 Preview
2011 will be the year that matters most for solar energy in Ontario Many developments will occur over the coming year that will have long-lasting implications for the solar PV (photovoltaic) market in Ontario. 2009 saw the introduction of the Green Energy and Economy Act that produced a favorable Feed-In-Tariff (FIT) program. 2010 was a landmark year thanks to the approval of several hundred MWs of solar projects through the FIT program. 2011 is the... [Read More...]
Uncertainty Remains over Silicon and Domestic Content Requirements
The amount of Ontario-made silicon that enters the province’s photovoltaic (PV) supply chain will have an impact on every stakeholder in the market. Since the launch of Ontario’s FIT program last year, silicon manufacturers have been searching for ways to participate in the market after domestic content (DC) requirements change in 2011. On October 19, Calisolar and Suntech made an announcement that highlights the promise for and some of the outstanding... [Read More...]
ClearSky Advisors Reiterates Ontario PV Forecast after Sharp Purchase of Recurrent Energy
Although Sharp’s entry into Ontario through the purchase Recurrent is big news for many reasons, it does not change the recent forecast from ClearSky Advisors. “We anticipated that something like this would happen - indeed, we expect to see similar transactions in Ontario over the coming months.” Said Jon Worren, Co-Founder of ClearSky Advisors. What Sharp Means for Ontario Sharp is truly a tier 1 solar manufacturer with a long history in... [Read More...]