Solar cell, long term contracts.

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Fri, 03/11/2011 - 22:36

richardlevesque

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Joined: 03/11/2011

Solar cell, long term contracts.

A friend of mine recently installed a large solar cell array on his barn roof.

He tells me that he has a 20 year supply contract with the government of Ontario to supply the electricity produced from this array at a rate of 80 cents/Kwh.

When the system was activated all the local politicians showed up and congratulated him on this 'green' initiative. He really couldn't care less about the green aspect, this was a business decision. His pay back was about 9 years and he had a guaranteed rate of return.

On his property, he has two meters, one for the electricity that he sells to the Government for 80cents/kwh and one for the electricity that he purchases for 6-10cents/kwh. He doesn't use any of his electricity directly, he can't afford to use his own electricity. The rest of us are forced to pay!

All of his friends were so impressed with his project, I was disgusted! As an energy user, I will now be forced to pay my share of this highly overpriced energy and for 20 years to come! well beyond the time that the Liberal party will be booted out of government.

Fri, 03/25/2011 - 09:25

Matthew Belanger

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Joined: 12/06/2010

Re: Solar cell, long term contracts.

These FIT (Feed-In Tariff) programs really are a travesty. Much like the DriveClean program, they are this government's gift to pacify the greenies, and try to secure their vote. And, like any "Green" initiative that has to be driven by government, there is no regard for economic reality. Anybody with half a brain can see that paying 10 times the price for energy as you can sell it for is a terrible decision, that's completely unsustainable. Unfortunately, nobody takes the time to critically evaluate these programs - at least, nobody in politics. It's political suicide to question the mighty Green Initiative that's meant to Save Our Children from the evils of prosperity.

For your friend's sake, I hope future Government's honour this contract he has signed; for my sake, I hope (and honestly, expect) them to cancel it. McGuinty has already cancelled 1,000 contracts on commercial installations; it's only a matter of time before somebody cancels the residential ones, as well.

Sun, 03/13/2011 - 16:51

Jim McIntosh

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Joined: 10/30/2010

80 cents/Kwh! I wonder how

80 cents/Kwh! I wonder how much CO2 is produced, on average, per Kwh in Ontario. Is it really worth 70-74 cents to reduce CO2 by that much? It seems like a lot, even if you believe your great-great-grandchildren will have to deal with a 2 degree increase in global temperature?

I wonder how iron-clad your friend’s contract with the government is. If a Conservative government is elected this fall, could they reduce the rate (Feed In Tariff) and change the economics?

From what I’ve read, the science of global warming is far from ‘settled.’ Professor Mann’s hockey stick graph showing significant recent global warming has been thoroughly discredited. Scientists have shown that increases in CO2 FOLLOW warming trends rather than causing them. Recent cooling trends also discredit the idea of man-made global warming. It is now referred to as ‘climate change’ which is what’s been happening since the earth was formed.

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Solar cell, long term contracts.