Downtown West Solar Energy Project

Downtown West

Solar Energy Project

Tuesday Sept. 26, 7-9pm

St. Stephens-in-the-Fields Church

365 College Street, 3 blocks west of Spadina

--OR--

Wednesday, Sept. 27, 7-9pm

Harbourfront Community Center

627 Queen's Quay West (at Bathurst)

Guest Speakers will describe the costs and benefits of installing solar water heaters and electricity-producing photovoltaic panels on downtown roof tops. Representatives of the Harbord Village Residents' Association will describe what is involved in a bulk purchase of solar energy systems. The September 26^th meeting will focus on the use of solar on homes. The September 27^th meeting will focus on multi-unit buildings.

For more information of to be notified of future meetings, please contact Jennie Lee from Councillor Silva's Office at (416) 392-4044 or via jlee22@toronto.ca.

Why participate in a Bulk Solar Purchase? This fall, the provincial government will begin paying 42 cents per kilowatt-hour for solar electricity generated by homeowners and other small-scale producers. This is the most progressive renewable energy policy in North America in over two decades, says international renewable energy consultant Paul Gipe.

The potential for solar energy in the Greater Toronto Area is greater than many people expect. We enjoy more annual solar radiation than do leading solar energy nations Germany and Japan. Because solar hot water and electricity production is greatest during Ontario's energy consumption peak hot, sunny, summer afternoons producing hot water and electricity using solar panels has a number of community-wide benefits. Cleaner air is just one of those.

Last Winter, a group of 73 Riverdale residents banded together to purchase grid-tied solar electricity systems for their own homes. The RISE (Riverdale Initiative for Solar Energy) initiative quickly grew in popularity and gained the attention of local and nationwide media. Since then, almost a dozen communities in the GTA have begun to organize their own bulk purchases. Here in Trinity-Spadina, the Harbor Village Residents' Association is organizing a bulk purchase of solar electric and solar water heating systems and has invited other downtown residents' associations to join in. It is expected that owners of multi-unit condominiums, co-operatives and apartment towers will join individual homeowners in taking advantage of the lower prices derived from a bulk purchase of these systems for their buildings.

What will it cost? This will depend on the number of participants and the contract. Solar electric or photovoltaic systems that produce electricity can cost $10,000 to $12,000 for a 1-kilowatt system. The payback hinges on the details of the Standard Offer Contract offered by the Province of Ontario, but could be in the neighborhood of 15-20 years. By contrast, solar water heating systems for individual homes cost $2,500 to $4,000 and have a payback of 5-7 years. If energy prices continue to rise, the paybacks will be shorter. Once your investment is paid off, a solar electric system will continue to earn revenue and solar water heating systems will be producing hot water log into the future. Since a solar system is an improvement for your home (like a renovated kitchen or bathroom) you can also expect that the value of your home will increase.

The public meetings on Tuesday Sept. 26, 7-9pm at St. Stephens-in-the-Fields Church, 365 College Street, 3 blocks west of Spadina and Wednesday, Sept. 27, 7-9pm at Harbourfront Community Center

627 Queen's Quay West (at Bathurst) will:

• Present a more detailed project plan

• Answer questions and gather input from community members

• Discuss Ontario's Standard Offer Contract and what we can do to help make it applicable for small energy producers

• Decide what tasks need to be done and form a committee of residents to get the project rolling.

Feel free to distribute the attached pdf to anyone you think may be interested in the project.