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Oakville Hydro cashing in on solar power By David Lea OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF 3 · Friday, January 22, 2010 OAKVILLE BEAVER · www.oakvillebeaver.com The future is coming and Oakville Hydro is racing to greet it. The energy giant announced Thursday that it has become one of the first businesses in Oakville to install rooftop solar technology, which will be used to help power its Fourth Line and South Service Rd. W. facility, with excess energy transmitted to the Ontario power grid. The 58 new 10-kilowatt photovoltaic panels cost the company around $100,000 to install, but are expected to generate enough electricity to power three residential homes for one year, thereby earning Oakville Hydro's money back in around 10 years. This process of repayment is also helped by the provincial government's micro-feedin-tariff-program (micro-FIT), which will pay Oakville Hydro 80 cents for every kilowatt hour it produces for the power grid. Oakville Hydro Board Chair Gary Burkett spoke about the benefits of solar power during a special presentation at the Fourth Line facility. "Solar technology can be installed on existing buildings, uses an unlimited renewable resource, produces zero emissions, zero noise and takes up zero usable space," said Burkett. "With the micro-FIT program producing "This is a good start. Oakville Hydro is trying to set an example. This is leading by example and we are here to encourage a shift to more and more sustainable energy here in Oakville." Mayor Rob Burton solar energy makes both good financial sense as well as environmental sense." Burkett encouraged both the residential and commercial sectors in Oakville to follow his company's example noting Oakville Hydro's use of solar power would place it in a position where it could learn and pass on best practices with regard to the power generation system. Mayor Rob Burton also encouraged the use of solar power, during the presentation, noting a move away from fossil fuels is necessary for societies to continue to enjoy living at their current level of prosperity. "This is a good start," said Burton. "Oakville Hydro is trying to set an example. This is leading by example and we are here to encourage a shift to more and more sustainable energy here in Oakville." Burton said the Town has already undertaken other energy saving initiatives with 1,300 Oakville households adopting the Town's Peak Saver System, which shuts NIKKI WESLEY / OAKVILLE BEAVER CATCHING SOME RAYS: Scott Mudie, general manager of generation for Oakville Hydro, stands among the newly installed 10kilowatt rooftop solar panels at the utility's office building at Fourth Line and South Service Road West. down a home's air conditioner during peak energy usage periods to avoid brown outs and reduce smog. The Town is also researching scenarios for installing solar panels on some of its own buildings and will construct its new transit facility to run in part on geothermal energy. The transit facility, as well as the quad pad arena and the Queen Elizabeth Park Community Centre, are also going to be built using the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards. "Council and I are really committed to protecting and improving the air quality of our town and that has been identified by residents as a very key issue for many years," said Burton. "Our goal is to become the most livable town in Canada and the Town of Oakville and its fully-owned utility corporation, Oakville Hydro, will continue sourcing innovative ways of conserving energy and producing renewable energy because it has a contribution to make to that long-term goal." While Oakville Hydro's solar power generation system cost around $100,000, this was a commercial model with residential solar power generation systems available for between $20,000 and $30,000 and less. For more information about energy conservation visit Oakville Hydro at www.oakvillehydro.com. EDIT CR X TA010 TION9/2 OVA ary 2 N REs Janu MEEnd HO RETAIL & WHOLESALE LIGHTING Featuring lighting from Fine Art · Corbett · Troy · Hudson Valley BURROWS ANNUAL WINTER SALE SAVE UP TO 60% Stonegate Designs · Art Craft and much more LOCATION COMING SOON MISSISSAUGA 2nd 2010 200 Lakeshore Road East, Oakville, ON L6J 1H6 www.burrowsclothiers.com | 905.842.0232 Oakville's Finest LIGHTING STORE ELEGANT www.conceptlighting.ca DISTINCTIVE 243 Speers Road · Between Kerr & Dorval · Oakville, ON 905.849.LITE (5483)