ARISE Technologies welcomes the opportunity to partner with the Valley Initiative for Solar Energy. We hope to build on the success and experience from our partnership with Canada’s largest urban solar community, the West Toronto Initiative for Solar Energy, and help make solar a mainstream source of energy in your community.
For those of us increasingly concerned about climate change, the benefits of solar generated power (PV) are well-established: PV is a proven, reliable, and clean source of energy that has been widely adopted in Europe and Asia. In Ontario, we are just beginning to recognize its clear benefits, and the province’s Standard Offer Contract and PST rebate on solar arrays are helping to promote its wider adoption.
What is new is that the economic argument for solar generated power becomes stronger with each day, particularly in Ontario. Energy prices are climbing, our manufacturing sector is faltering, and nuclear power continues to be plagued with cost overruns, decommissionings, and the promise(?) of more debt recovery charges passed on to our children and their heirs.
In terms of widespread solar adoption, Ontario is at the stage Germany was at 10 years ago. Germany is now the world’s largest manufacturer and user of PV panels, with 240,000 employees in the renewable energy sector. Let’s encourage Ontario to follow their model: solar power offers terrific benefits for our economic development, and a source of reliable distributed generation that peaks when our demand is greatest.
Your principled decision to invest benefits our environment and makes a clear statement of your values and priorities. That decision is also very important in establishing the roadmap for Ontario’s future energy supply mix. Where is Ontario headed now? By 2027, 55% of our energy supply is slated to come from nuclear power, one-quarter of 1% is from PV—that is the current 20-year plan.
Changes in public policy start at a grassroots level. As Canadian marketing guru David Herle recently said, “Politicians don’t organize parades, but they like to get in front of the parade once it gets started.” Join the parade, and benefit our collective health and the health of the planet.
Jerry Austin
VISE Project Contact
jerry.austin@arisetech.com