First Bulk Purchase Meeting Summary!
Our first bulk purchase meeting was held on February 9 at 2pm on the Terra View property that is home to the Guelph Solar pilot project. The meeting was well attended, with about 60 people in attendance, despite rough weather that day. There were many great questions, and Natural Power Products presented a good overview of their company, their solar products, and their services. Below you will find a PDF link to the 4 page handout Guelph Solar distributed at the meeting, as well as a link to the Natural Power Products site that details the bulk purchase.
We are excited to begin sign-ups for installations beginning as early as this spring, if you have any questions please do not hesitate to email us.
For those who missed the meeting: Download the PDF handout here.
Click here to visit the Natural Power Products website, with details exclusive to our organization.
February 2007
We are pleased to confirm and provide final details for the bulk purchase meeting on Saturday.
When: Saturday, February 9, at 2pm
Where: Our solar pilot project, located at the east end
of Woodlawn Road. For those of you who need directions or wish to
view a map, please click on the following link:
Parking: Our meeting place is located in the building just down the driveway from the actual pilot solar project. The city has indicated that we are free to park on either side of Woodlawn, so please park on the street as close to the solar array as you can and walk down to the building from there.
Seating - please read!: Unfortunately our organization is running on a shoe-string budget, and we do not have seats available. As a true 'grassroots' organization we are asking you to bring your own seating, either a lawn chair or a folding chair will be fine! We anticipate the main presentation will run roughly 45 minutes.
Refreshments: Coffee and other refreshments will be available
at no charge!
Other Details: We are pleased to announce that Natural
Power Products, a local solar installer out of Kitchener, has won
our bulk purchase bid. The owner of NPP, Mike Robinson, will be introduced
and on hand to answer questions after our presentation. Other
organizations who will be on hand include the City of Guelph (Martin
Lavictoire - Conservation and Efficiency Technician) and Scotiabank,
who have agreed to provide our group with preferred financing options.
We once again wish to thank Terra View Homes for their continued support and use of their facilities on Saturday!
For those of you who are new to this group please note that the meeting
on the 9th is for those residence and business owners interested in participating
in our first round of bulk purchasing. By attending, we are
not asking for a commitment, but for a serious interest in participating. We
are expecting roughly 100 to attend so far, so please consider waiting this
one out if you are not contemplating a solar purchase at this time.
If you have any questions please do not hesitate to email me.
Thank you, and we look forward to seeing you on Saturday!
Please note: For those of you who missed the meeting, a PDF will be available for download here outlining the main details of the bulk purchase plan.
November 2007
First Bulk Purchase Meeting Announced, General Update
The Guelph Solar Committee is pleased to release the latest update to our bulk purchase plan. If you do not have time to read through the entire update I've included a short table of contents. For those interested in being involved in our first bulk purchase, please be sure to read about our first scheduled meeting details. We're finally ready to go solar!
- First Bulk Purchase Meeting Announced!
- Guelph Solar Exposure Data
- Terra View Pilot Project Update
- City of Guelph Collaboration
- Solar Hot Water
- Financing and Tax Incentives
- Guelph Ecomarket
- "The Sun is Everywhere" Solar Marketing Campaign
- The Final Word
First Bulk Purchase Meeting Announced! The Guelph Solar Committee is pleased to announce the long anticipated launch to our first bulk purchase. This meeting is for all those residential and commercial building owners serious about being part of our first bulk purchase. At the meeting we will provide details and pricing for our customized-for-Guelph solar PV solution, and also feature the vendor we have selected to perform the bulk-purchase installations. This meeting represents the culmination of nearly a year of work on the part of the Guelph Solar committee to ensure that Guelph residents and businesses purchase the ideal systems for our geographic location, at the best prices possible, from a vendor who has proven themselves to be skilled and reliable. The meeting is being sponsored by Terra View Homes, who have generously donated use of their building on their Woodlawn Rd. E site, the same site on which our pilot solar PV (photovoltaic) project was built. We are excited to share our results with the public, and hope to convince a significant number of members and organizations in our community to participate. Due to limited space, we are asking only that those who are interested in potentially making the purchase attend the meeting. We will hold another general public meeting at a later (yet to be determined) date with information in regards to systems in general, our co-op purchase plan, our community marketing plan, and further information on solar hot water and air exchange systems. The meeting will be held on Saturday, February 9th, at 2pm. The property is located at the east of Woodlawn Rd., the last driveway on the right before the sports fields. More information, such as refreshments and parking arrangements etc. will be provided closer to the date. Because space is limited to roughly 100 people (although we will try to accommodate standing room as well) please RSVP by replying to this email. We look forward to seeing you there!
Guelph Solar Exposure Data: Many thanks to Richard Mash and the Guelph Sun Park Project for sharing data with us in regards to the performance of their solar power system over the last year and a half. The data represents actual Guelph sun energy production that our committee has used to more precisely estimate actual energy yield for a Guelph solar power system. This will allow us to more closely estimate the financial investment implications and estimated buy back times for the systems. We are also looking forward to receiving further data from the Terra View project (see below) and from local Guelph real estate agent Ned Coates, who purchased a solar PV system for his home earlier this year.
Terra View Pilot Project: Construction of the Terraview Homes pilot project is currently underway. The project involves a 3kW system on a tracker set on a steel pole. The project has allowed the Guelph Solar technical subcommittee to gain actual experience in the selection and installation of a 3kW solar solution. Guelph Solar will be working with Terra View Homes and Guelph Hydro to complete the provincial Standard Offer Program requirements that will allow Terra View to begin selling power directly in to the grid. Having this experience under our belts will ensure a much smoother process when it comes time to initiate the installation process for Guelph homes and businesses. We wish to once again thank Andrew Lambden of Terra View Homes for his company's moral and financial support for our initiative!
City of Guelph Collaboration: We wish to acknowledge and thank the City of Guelph for taking an active interest in our project. Martin Lavictoire, conservation and efficiency technician with the city's environmental services, joined us for our October meeting to let our committee know that the municipality is interested in actively working with us to promote solar power in our city. Martin pointed to Guelph's Community Energy Plan and the call for the installation of "the equivalent of a 'Thousand Solar Roofs'" in our city over the next 15 years (City of Guelph Community Energy Plan, Page 8). While the nature of this partnership is yet to be determined, it is reassuring to know that our city is behind this initiative, and we look forward to working with them however we can to accomplish our mutually shared goal of reducing carbon emissions through solar power generation.
Solar Hot Water: Although our first few quotes for solar hot water systems were discouraging, we have learned of several other companies through the solar initiatives in Toronto. We plan on contacting these companies to find out if we can obtain similar pricing for Guelph. We've also learned that the province will be extending its PST rebate on solar equipment, and offering a $500 rebate on solar hot water systems. Stay tuned for more details early in the new year.
Financing and Tax Incentives: Guelph Solar is fortunate to have Mark Colvin, a Chartered Accountant, as one of our committee members. Mark has been working diligently to determine whether residential solar systems can be written off tax-wise as the equivalent of small energy production business. Such a scenario would have been possible prior to this year, but changing tax laws enacted this year have made the scenario less certain. Mark is currently in communication with the Canada Revenue Agency to determine whether the scenario will still be applicable. If so, the tax savings will significantly increase the financial incentives for owning a solar PV system. We will also be approaching financial institutions, city council, and banks before our February meeting to inquire in to special financial for our group.
Guelph Environmental Leadership (GEL) Ecomarket, Saturday, December 1st: Guelph Solar will have a booth at the Ecomarket in Old Quebec Street this Saturday. The booth will feature information for the public, and also feature a financial spreadsheet that will allow residents and businesses to estimate the return on investment for a solar system purchase. If you are new to this email list and would like to find out more about our organization please consider dropping by!
"The Sun is Everywhere" Solar Marketing Campaign: Over the last couple of years Guelph has developed quite the reputation for grassroots marketing campaigns. One needs only point to the success of the 'Stop The Pipeline' and Wellington Water Watchers campaigns to note the positive results community-based organizing can achieve. The Guelph Solar committee believes that it is time to generate similar excitement in the area of alternative energy. From T-shirts to lawn signs we want Guelphites to feel that they are part of an important and necessary movement, and that our city has the potential to be a leader in our province and our country. If you feel you might have a skill that can contribute to such a campaign, please let us know! In the next few months we will be be putting out a call for any resident interested in promoting alternative energy in our city, whether they own a system or not, whether they would like to feature a lawn sign or purchase a T-shirt showing support.
The Final Word: The majority of climate scientists are currently arguing that we no longer have the luxury of deliberating on the extent to which our world is warming, and acting based on that extent. The UN Panel on Climate Change argues that our best hope lies in acting now, to the largest extent that we possibly can, and hope that these actions help mitigate the serious changes our planet is already experiencing. I believe that the city of Guelph is poised to play a key role in our nation's response. As a community we need to demonstrate leadership by committing to act now. All of us on the Guelph Solar committee have been impressed and encouraged by the degree of public interest in this initiative. In less than a year an idea for solar panels in a single neighbourhood has piqued interest from over 350 residential and business owners, the municipal government, 2 major home developers, the Guelph Real Estate Board, the Upper Grand District School Board, Guelph Hydro, the local newspapers, and resulted in a major pilot project. We truly have the pieces in place for an alternative energy revolution in our city, and it is merely your choice to participate, in whatever capacity you can, that will make the ultimate difference in seeing its realization.
To a sunny future for us all,
Mark Bailey
July 2007
Progress Update!
Our committee is off to a superb start since forming in March. Here are a few highlights of our work:
1. Our mission shall be primarily action oriented in nature. While advocacy and education will remain key in expanding our organization and audience, we have chosen to focus primarily on finding the best solar solution, creating key partnerships, engaging in pilot projects, and ultimately offering our general membership what we believe to be the best value in a solution for our city. We believe that action in terms of establishing solar as mainstream power source in our community is the strongest form of advocacy available to our organization.
2. We will pursue both a single residence (or business) based bulk purchase model and a co-op based purchase model. We aim to have our individual-bulk-purchase solution ready by the fall of this year, with the goal to actually begin general installations by spring 2008. We will be aiming at a 2-3 year window to find a solution for the co-op model because of the complex organizational structure involved.
3. Our name shall simply be ‘Guelph Solar’, reflecting a shift away from 'advocacy' towards a 'solution-and-action' based organizational philosophy.
4. At this time we will focus exclusively on solar PV and solar hot water solutions for residences and businesses.
5. We have created 2 subcommittees: the technical subcommittee and the community engagement subcommittee. The technical subcommittee is dedicated to finding the best technical solar solutions for our local climate at the best price. The technical subcommittee is also responsible for working with our pilot project partners. The community engagement committee is responsible for cultivating municipal, community, and corporate partnerships, as well as public relations work and writing grant applications.
6. We have agreed (and are fortunate) to partner with Terraview Homes to assist with a local pilot solar power system. Terraview Homes will subsidize the project, while Guelph Solar will provide the technical solution and aid in vendor selection. Guelph Hydro will be donating a meter for the project. The project will serve as a pilot project for both Terraview Homes and Guelph Solar. For Guelph Solar, it means that we will have solar PV selection, purchase, and installation experience under our belts as we prepare for the much larger purchase. We thank Andrew Lambden of Terraview home for his support and enthusiasm, and for providing us this timely opportunity!
Timeline: The following is an approximate timeline of goals for our organization for the next year:
Summer, 2007: Find an initial solution that combines the value of technical craftsmanship and efficiency with cost effectiveness. Work with Terraview Homes to complete the pilot project.
September-October 2007: Having completed the pilot project, review our solution and adjust as required. We will then build a web based calculator that will allow home and business owners to enter parameters such as available south facing roof space and roof angle from south, to find the maximum power generation potential and approximate cost.
November-December 2007: Engage in one final drive for membership and obtain commitments from members based on solid costs.
January 2008: Send out our bulk purchase RFP to the solar installation companies with equipment that meet our technical requirements.
February 2008: Announce RFP results to our members and begin scheduling installations.
March 2008: Begin installations.
Spring/Summer 2008: Observe and assess installations, plan for co-op phase of our project.
For a full update on our activities please download our July 2007 Guelph Solar Update PDF file.
March 25, 2007
Committee Formed!
Mark Bailey, founder of GRASP, has had the priviledge of selecting a talented committee from among the many GRASP participants who expressed interest. Opportunities will remain open in the future for those who were not selected to be on the primary committee, as new committees are formed to pursue future project implementation and policy as need arises. Those who wish to volunteer their energy for our initiative should be granted the opportunity.
Our inaugural committee will be formed by the following members:
March 21, 2007
First Meeting an Overwhelming Success!
Thanks to strong word-of-mouth and local media support GRASP was able to attract between 150-200 community members to its inaugural meeting. A general consensus of support, optimism and hope was expressed for the organization, as well as Guelph's environmental future. A decision was made to form a committee in the near future to focus the group's positive energy and explore the options available to us. We are starting on a strong foothold, but need to make sure we proceed carefully in a well planned fashion. An emerging consensus indicated the desire to explore a co-operative structure, which will be one of the first primary tasks of the new committee.
Click here to download the GRASP PowerPoint presentation for the March 21st meeting.
Please note: The download is 4 megabytes and might take a minute or 2.
You must have PowerPoint installed on your computer. Also, be sure
to select "Read Only" when opening the presentation.
March 9, 2007
GRASP Featured in Local Paper!
Our organization has made the news, in fact we made the front page of the Guelph Tribune!
Click here for the article.
March 6, 2007
First Meeting Announced!
Our first meeting is booked and will be held at 7PM on March 21st at First Baptist Church, located at 225 Woolwich Street in Guelph. First Baptist is not only kindly provided us the space, but has indeed expressed interest in participating in our bulk purchase. We are grateful for the support of this organization, and the others that kindly offered us space!
The meeting will begin with a brief 20 minute PowerPoint presentation summarizing our mission, progress to date, and perceived challenges. The project has the potential to grow quite a bit larger than 1 or 2 people can handle on a volunteer basis, and as such we will discuss forming a dedicated committee to split the responsibilities according to the time and strengths of the individual members. It will ultimately be the decision of the whole group how to best proceed as an organization.
Feb 6 , 2007
Purchasing Options:
We are currently exploring and open to proceeding according to 3 possible scenarios:
1. Through a Reseller: Purchasing through a reseller is the most straightforward, but also the most expensive option. A reseller naturally marks up the manufacturer's cost of the solar panels, and also profits from the installation. The benefit of purchasing through a reseller is that the reseller assumes all legal and logistical responsibilities, including selection and installation of metering, the site survey, and tying the system to the grid. The reseller assumes all liability for installation problems. One such company we have been in discussion with include Natural Power Products, out of Kitchener (www.npp.ca).
2. Through a Local Electrical Contractor or Electrician: Installation of solar power systems is a straightforward process for most journeyman electricians. Some wholesalers will consider selling directly to certain organizations should the order be large enough, or should there be potential for future business. The electrical contractor would assume all liability, and work with GRASP to make sure all proper parts installation, metering selection and installation, and Hydro One policies were met.
3. Through GRASP: The third option would be the least expensive but most time consuming. Should GRASP choose to incorporate as a non-profit organization we could hire an electrician, assume all liability, and purchase and install all metering and solar hardware ourselves. To be worthwhile this final option would require the firm commitments of dozens of participants, but has the potential to push payback time for systems down to nearly 10 years.
December 6, 2006
Nanosolar: Silicon Free Solar Energy Generation
Among the many companies GRASP has been exploring includes Nanosolar, a high profile company that has developed copper based solar panel technology. Perhaps the greatest benefit of copper includes avoiding the current global shortage of silicone, which has made solar panel availability low and pushed prices up significantly. Nanosolar claims it will be ready to sell its products to the general product by 2007. GRASP has contacted Nanosolar and will report on this website any new significant developments in regards to this exciting technological prospect.
December 4, 2006
Letter from Gregory Lang, sustainable energy consultant to OurPower.ca:
First and foremost I would like to encourage your group to participate in the Our Power initiative, whether through the web portal or just through having your membership/participants sign up.
The longer term value of Our Power will allow us to aggregate individual voices into a common sense sustainable lobby that governments will not be able to ignore. Additionally, Our Power is designed to facilitate projects like yours, add to the learning curve and experience and pass that intelligence along to the next group, maybe even having someone like you go as the speaker to the next new group.
Second, on the issue of macro-facilities versus distributed generation;
It’s estimated in Germany that the “full cost” of electricity from macro generation facility to end user is in excess of $1.50/kW. Every activity, process, and, layer in delivering useable electricity carries a cost; an economic one and an environmental one. The maximum value available in PV and other sustainable solutions is to reduce demands on the infrastructure, saving tax dollars and displacing CO2 emissions.
One of my favourite by-products of a home owner or business installing their own Sustainable Solution is the conservation behaviour that effortlessly ensues. I estimate that most realize a 5% conservation benefit just because they have joined the cycle of electricity.
Having said all of that, I do encourage you and your group to define what is most important to you and develop a plan that maximizes your potential return. I am happy to help ensure that the facts about sustainable solutions are available to you, and that your participants are not misled by poor reporting in the media.
Our Power and I are at your disposal and will assist you in any way that we can.
Keep up the good work, “Every Kilowatt counts”.
Gregory Lang
November 24, 2006
Meeting with Guelph Hydro
We met with 4 representatives from Guelph Hydro today who expressed encouragement and support for our initiative. We learned that through the Standard Offer Program residents with solar power will benefit from $0.42 per Kilowatt before net electricity charges are calculated. Residential power consumption will be calculated no differently than without a solar power system. For examples, using current rates a homeowner will earn $0.42 for every Kilowatt generated and pay approximately $0.06 for every Kilowatt consumed. This is great news for our initiative and is a critical factor in making our potential bulk solar purchase economically viable.
We have learned, however, that there will be charges for equipment and services above and beyond the installation of the solar power system. Each residence will be required to pay for the installation of a new meter, a disconnect switch, and for the safety inspection services ofthe Electrical Safety Authority.
The representatives suggested that the most cost effective means of generating solar electricity would be to centralize all of the panels on a single site. This would obviously reduce the need for metering, disconnection, and inspection to one in each case. This would be something to think about in partnership with a commercial landlord who might have sufficient roofspace for such a project.
The drawback is that our initiative would cease being single-residence/grassroots based and become more of an investment group. It has been suggested to us that one of the indirect benefits of owning an alternative energy source directly on one's own home also comes in the form of being more aware of power consumption. These are things to think about as we move forward.
We wish to publically thank Guelph Hydro for their time and support!
Our Goals
As of November 22nd 30 Guelph residents have shown interest, including 2 city councillors.
Our goal is to reach 100 interested residents, with the aim that 40-50 will commit to systems purchases.
At this point we are not looking for commitments, but wish to gauge the level of interest for this project in our community. To show your interest and receive further information should we proceed, please fill in the form at the bottom of this page.
More information on the organization mentoring this initiative can be found at www.ourpower.ca