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Community Power in Ontario Laura Tozer, Program Manager April 28 th , 2011
Community Power in Ontario Laura Tozer, Program Manager
April 28th, 2011
Ontario’s Green Energy Act &
the Feed-In-Tariff Program• Guaranteed 20 year contract to buy electricity from renewable energy projects
• Fixed prices (based on technology) that offer reasonable rate of return
• Anyone can own a renewable energy project
Community Renewable Energy
• Local economic development
• Positive investment opportunities
• Money factors through communities
• Local skills development
• An opportunity to participate in energy generation
• Environmental benefits of renewables
• Barriers to community renewable energy
CEPP Program Overview
• Grant program to support renewable energy projects owned and developed by Ontario residents
• Early stage funding for soft costs e.g. business planning activities
•Maximum $200,000 per project ($500,000 for co-op projects over 10 MW)
• A program of the Ontario Power Authority, co-managed by Community Power Fund and Deloitte
Project Grants
Eligibility: What kind of project can apply to CEPP?
Projects must satisfy the following criteria:
• Project size: >10 kW - 10 MW (an exception exists for co-op projects for +10 MW)
• Technologies include: wind, solar PV, biomass, biogas, landfill gas or waterpower
• Site: located in Ontario
• Financing: economically viable/future FIT contract
• Ownership: developed by a “Community”
Eligibility: Who is considered ‘community’?
(a) One or more individuals
(b) Registered charity
(b) Not-for-profit organization
(d) Co-op
(e) Private corporation
(f) Limited partnership
Applicant must be 100% community as defined in the FIT Rules
all shareholders / partners must be (a) – (d) above;
none of them can have commercial electricity
generation as their primary business or employment
Joint ventures with ‘non-community partners’ are permitted
cannot have commercial electricity generation as their primary business or employment
Two Types of Grants
Grant 1: Design & Development Phase
Site investigation and control, Resource assessment, Site planning, Environmental and regulatory approvals analysis, Business plan development, Site-specific studies (transportation, noise, bird &bat), Community consultation, Engineering studies, Project manager, Legal costs
Grant 2: Regulatory Approvals
Renewable Energy Approval (REA), Other Environmental and Regulatory Approvals, Final Business Plan, Connection Impact Assessment, Supplier Agreements, Construction Contract
Successful Applicants
Community Power Projects
These projects have received funding support from the Ontario Power Authority through the Community Energy Partnerships Program. Such support does not indicate endorsement by the Ontario Power Authority or the Province of Ontario of the contents of this material. The views expressed in the material are the views of the Recipient and do not necessarily reflect those of the Ontario Power Authority or the Province of Ontario.
Successful Applicants
Boys and Girls Club of London
Project Name: Boys and Girls Club of London Solar Rooftop Project
Project Type: Solar Rooftop
Applicant: Boys and Girls Club of London Foundation
Grant Awarded: $74,950
Project Size: 138 kW
Status: Scheduled to be commissioned May, 2011
Successful Applicants
Boys and Girls Club of London
•The Boys and Girls Club of London (BGC) is a sports club that runs education and recreational programming for youth.
•The Foundation board then formed a solar feasibility sub-committee and started investigating options when the FIT program was announced in 2009.
•CEPP supported the Boys and Girls Club of London Foundation to conduct legal work, business planning and an engineering study.
•After some reinforcing of the facility roof, the Foundation was able to get started on installing over 600 panels.
•8000 kids that visit the club on annual basis.
Successful Applicants
Strathroy Middlesex General Hospital Foundation
Project Type: Solar Rooftop
Applicant: Strathroy Middlesex General Hospital Foundation
Grants Awarded: $74,795 Project Size: 250 kW Status: Pending FIT Contract
Successful Applicants
Strathroy Middlesex General Hospital Foundation
•Located in a region with a relatively small population base of 80,000 and a slow local economy, the Foundation has successfully shifted a portion of its activities from a conventional fundraising model to one that includes entrepreneurial approaches to emerging business opportunities.
•The Hospital Foundation received an initial grant of $74,795 to do business planning and undertake related legal work.
•A solar committee of 8 members including staff and volunteers was set up to assist and lend expertise to the development of this 250 kW solar project.
•“We wanted to have expertise internally and build a boilerplate for future projects.”
Successful Applicants
The Monastery of Mount Carmel (Spiritual Centre)
•Project Type: Solar Rooftop and Photovoltaic Ground-mount (PV) Farm
•Applicant: Mount Carmel Spiritual Centre
•Grants Awarded: $66,375
•Project Size: 2 systems, 1070 kW in total
•Status: Scheduled to be commissioned August, 2011
Successful Applicants
•a 1 megawatt (MW) of solar system on an ideal flat, unobstructed property across the street from the Centre’s 135-year-old site, and up to 70 kW on the rooftop of one of the centre’s more recently built structures.
•Members of the Spiritual Centre’s community will be able to support the development of the solar projects through donations
•Centre staff is keen to create a renewable and solar energy education campaign that will reach the diverse array of visitors who visit the property every year.
•The Centre hopes to inspire other faith-based communities to develop their own renewable energy projects.
“Solar Power fits in with our theology to be stewards of creation and to protect it.”
The Monastery of Mount Carmel (Spiritual Centre)
Tools and Resources
www.communityenergyprogram.ca
• Sign up for newsletter
• Check out our Resources section
• Read up on the Grant Program
• Download the relevant forms etc.
