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Solar Power Price Cut Generates Objections


More than 10,000 solar applications in Ontario are on hold as the province dramatically drops the price it’ll offer people who sell power from their small, ground-mounted solar panels.

Without the price drop — to 58.8 cents a kilowatt-hour from the current 80.2 cents — Ontario taxpayers would have been on the hook for more than $1 billion more over 20 years, Energy and Infrastructure Minister Brad Duguid said Tuesday. “(It) would have been irresponsible for us to have let it continue.”

But some in the industry say it’s unfair to change the rate after people have submitted proposals for a contract though the Ontario Power Authority (OPA).

“We have a whole lot of unhappy customers right now,” said Bruce Knight, president of London-based Ontario Solar Farms, which designs, sells and installs ground-mounted solar installations.

He said the company has provided about 50 quotes to people who want a contract or are awaiting word on applications they’ve submitted. Many have spent money to ready their applications.

The planned price change — announced to applicants in an e-mail July 2, jammed between the Canada Day holiday and a weekend — came as a surprise because the province had said it would review its terms and policies in September 2011.

But Duguid said the OPA has been swamped by applications and had to do something sooner than that.

Knight said the province shouldn’t be changing its offering price even for applications already in the pipeline.

“It’s not the way normal business operates,” he said.

The solar industry has become super-heated since Ontario announced it would heavily subsidize green energy sources — wind, solar and bio-mass — under a program called a feed-in-tariff (FIT) that also mandates Ontario-sourced parts and technology.

The micro-FIT program, for farmers, businesses and homeowners feeding 10 kilowatts or less into the power grid, has become the most popular.

Micro-FIT producers who already have a 20-year contract at the 80.2-cent rate will continue to receive the original price, the OPA says.

The price for solar installations producing more than 10 kilowatts won’t change, at 44.3 cents a kilowatt hour.

Duguid said owners’ costs for small, ground-mounted solar installations have proved to be lower than expected, so that their annual rate of return is about 25% — a rate that is “way out of whack,” and for which consumers would otherwise ultimately bear significant cost.

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The FCDC and AgSmart Bring Plant Breeding to a Wider Audience

Video: The FCDC and AgSmart Bring Plant Breeding to a Wider Audience

In the vast prairies of Alberta, Olds College’s Field Crop Development Centre (FCDC) stands as a beacon of innovation and research in the agricultural world. The institution has become a key player in advancing agricultural technologies and practices. The FCDC’s commitment to applied research has driven them to seek effective means of disseminating their findings and creating a positive impact on the farming community.

One such avenue that aligns with their mission is AgSmart, an event dedicated to showcasing cutting-edge agricultural technologies. The coming together of the FCDC’s annual Field Day and Ag Smart has proved to be a natural fit, fostering a synergy that benefits both parties and propels the agriculture industry forward. The FCDC Field Day took part in conjunction with AgSmart for the first time this week on Aug. 1-2 in Olds, Alta. FCDC Program Director Kofi Agblor and Olds College VP of Development Todd Ormann sat down for an interview with Marc Zienkiewicz to discuss the significance of the two events taking part together and what the future holds.

The Intersection of Research and Technology The essence of the FCDC lies in its dedication to plant breeding and new seed varieties, particularly barley and triticale. While conducting research is essential, it becomes meaningful when its benefits are shared with the wider community. This is where AgSmart steps in, providing a key venue for the FCDC to showcase their research. This union between research and technology creates a holistic and enriching experience for farmers, ranchers, and industry professionals, the pair said.

Seeds as Technology For the FCDC, the partnership with AgSmart goes beyond mere event collaboration. It is about creating an environment that bridges the gap between seeds and smart technology, Ormann said. The college believes that for technology to truly revolutionize agriculture, it must begin with a strong foundation — high-quality seeds. As the saying goes, “it all starts with a seed.” To demonstrate this critical aspect, the collaboration aims to showcase the seed value chain as an integral part of the smartphone.

The Birth of a Powerful Alliance The idea of joining forces emerged when staff realized the potential synergy between AgSmart and the FCDC Field Day. With just a few days separating the two events, a proposal was put forward to merge them. The marketing and communications teams from both sides worked seamlessly to ensure the essence of both events remained intact, creating a powerful alliance that leverages the strengths of each, Agblor said.

Driving Advancements in Breeding For Agblor, the partnership with AgSmart has tremendous potential to drive advancements in breeding and other technology. With technologies like drones and imaging becoming integral to phenotyping, breeding is no longer confined to vast fields to assess thousands of plants manually. Instead, it benefits from the data-rich insights brought about by smart technologies. These advancements make breeding more efficient, precise, and instrumental in shaping the future of agriculture.

Overcoming Challenges Together While the partnership between Olds College and Ag Smart has been a resounding success, there are challenges on the horizon. Securing stable funding for long-term breeding initiatives is crucial to sustain progress. The college is committed to navigating these challenges and investing in agriculture’s future sustainably, Agblor said.