Yet another Ontario city takes a significant step towards a future defined by sustainable energy and more green jobs. On January 27, Energy Ottawa Limited, a subsidiary of Hydro Ottawa, was approved by the city council to install solar energy arrays on the rooftops of buildings in the city with large roof surfaces.
Over the next three years, up to twenty of Ottawa’s buildings will have new rooftop solar energy arrays installed, resulting in a cleaner energy source and the creation of more green jobs. Not only will this help the environment and save money in the long run, but also, growth in the renewable energies industry is a substantial part of the Green Energy Act.
The project first began last year when two sets of solar panels were installed, one on the rooftop of the Transit Services Integrated Control Centre and the other on City Hall. The sun’s energy, collected by the solar panels, is converted into electricity and distributed by Hydro Ottawa to the city. When all twenty solar panels are fully harnessed, they have the potential to generate enough clean energy to power over 300 homes.
Using this green energy will mean less energy needs to be provided in the conventional way, such as with coal or natural gas, thereby reducing the amount of greenhouse gases produced by Ontario. It is predicted that the rooftop solar arrays will generate up to $5 million over the next twenty years for the city. This revenue will come mostly from rooftop leases, but also from enhanced dividends from Hydro Ottawa over the term of the project.
More Opportunities for Those with Solar Training
More solar panels in the city means more people are needed to install and maintain them. This will generate more green jobs and also a need for more workers, specifically workers with solar training, which includes everything from designing and installing solar panels to repairing them.
New Solar Panels a Boon for Both the Green Energy Act and the City
This solar panel agreement is another milestone for the Green Energy Act, since a major part of the historic legislation focuses on more renewable sources of energy, such as solar, to power homes and create new green jobs for Ontarians. Besides reinforcing the Green Energy Act, this decision by the city council increases the supply of local renewable energy and the city’s solar energy generation capacity, and it allows the city to advocate its position as a green energy leader.
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