Ottawa: Schools turn solar power grant into windfall
Ottawa Citizen / Matthew Pearson / 09 September 2010
Solar photovoltaic panels — which convert light into energy that can then be used, stored immediately or fed into the energy grid — will soon grace the rooftops of 13 public schools in the city.
Each 10-kilowatt micro system will produce about 11,500 kilowatt-hours of power and could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by an estimated two tonnes annually, according to the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board.
But instead of using the sun to power classrooms, the board has signed a 20-year deal to sell the energy back to the province as part of the Ontario Power Authority’s microFIT program — and generate roughly $120,000 in revenue annually for the board.
“Trustees have been asking for new and innovative ways to increase our revenue and, for sure, the trustees are excited,” said Cathy Curry, chairwoman of the public school board.
“In the past, I think we’ve been seen as a group that’s always looking for additional funding from the province and I think this board has taken another look at what other role we could play.”
The province will pay the lion’s share of the cost — $750,000 — to install the 13 solar-panel systems, leaving the school board to cover the remaining $250,000.
The province will also pay a guaranteed price for all the electricity produced by the solar panels for at least 20 years, a rate significantly higher than the market price.
