Two Solar PV (photovoltaic) Parks Totalling 18 MW Launched
A groundbreaking ceremony was held March 25, 2010 to celebrate the launch of two solar PV (photovoltaic) parks totalling 18 MW of solar energy capacity in Norfolk County, Ontario—the first utility-scale projects of their kind to break ground in 2010. Parliamentary Assistant to Ontario's Minister of Energy and Infrastructure and MPP for Brant, Dave Levac, Norfolk County Mayor Dennis Travale, and other senior energy representatives participated in the ceremony.
"SunE Sky Norfolk I and II are great examples of Ontario's energy policy, community foresight and industry innovation working together. We look forward to breaking ground on many more solar projects which will create more greens jobs and generate a brighter future for generations to come."
The solar parks, called SunE Sky Norfolk I and II, are being developed under a joint venture between SunEdison, a subsidiary of MEMC Electronic Materials (NYSE:WFR), and SkyPower Limited. SunEdison and SkyPower will own and finance the solar parks and the Ontario Power Authority (OPA) will purchase the energy produced under the terms of the contract.
Together, the two solar parks are expected to generate over 19 million KWh in their first year of operation and almost 400 million kWh over 20 years. To put this into context, the initiative will generate enough electricity to power 33,000 homes and cut over 250 thousand metric tons of CO2 emissions from the environment. This is the equivalent of taking almost 60,000 cars off the road for one year after 20 years of production.
"SunE Sky Norfolk represents an important milestone in Ontario's effort to create a world-leading market for green power and energy-efficient technologies," stated Dave Levac. "Not only will increasing the province's renewable energy supply clean up our air and fight climate change, but it will further reduce our reliance on fossil fuels."
"Projects such as this will create hundreds of green jobs for Canadians," commented Norfolk County's Mayor Dennis Travale. "The SunE Sky parks here in Norfolk represent a great opportunity to diversify our economy and take Norfolk in a new and positive direction, protecting and improving our quality of life and essential services to our citizens." Adds Haldimand-Norfolk MPP Toby Barrett, "Where appropriate, our area has significant economic and geographic potential for solar energy generation."
SunE Sky Norfolk I and II are not the first solar projects that SunEdison and SkyPower Limited have jointly developed. SunEdison and SkyPower received CanSIA's award for the "Solar PV Project of the Year" in 2009 for First Light I, the first fully-operational, utility-scale solar park in Canada.
"We are excited to break ground on our second and third solar projects and lead the arrival of a new era of renewable energy development in Ontario," said Kerry Adler, President and CEO of SkyPower. "SunE Sky Norfolk I and II are great examples of Ontario's energy policy, community foresight and industry innovation working together. We look forward to breaking ground on many more solar projects which will create more greens jobs and generate a brighter future for generations to come."
"Breaking ground on these parks represents an important step in Ontario's quest for clean-tech energy solutions," said Jason Gray, SunEdison's Country Manager for Canada. "We're at the dawn of a new energy future in Canada, and SunEdison is excited to lead the way. The Green Energy Act, and its Feed-in-Tariff Program, has opened up new opportunities for Ontario-based organizations to benefit from solar PV ground-mount and roof-top projects. We look forward to playing a key role in helping them meet their financial goals, while creating green jobs for Canadians, and a sustainable environment for generations to come."
