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The Trouble With Solar Booms

Posted March 10, 2011 8:52 AM

From Fast Company:

Ontario, Canada is in the midst of a solar boom. The province contains the largest operational solar facility in the world--a 97 megawatt behemoth built by First Solar--and has contracts for over 1,400 more megawatts of solar power ready to be built. But it isn't because Ontario gets lots of sunlight (the city gets 20% less than Los Angeles). No, the solar boom is the direct result of the province's feed-in tariff program, which offers homeowners and businesses above-market rates for feeding their excess solar power back to the grid. And therein lies the problem.

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Re: The Trouble With Solar Booms

03/10/2011 7:23 PM

Well, one small point is that Ontario happens to be a province and not a city.

Secondly, these projects have been financed by tax and ratepayers.

Thirdly, electrical rates have almost doubled in the last year.

Thirdly.01, by the time the costs are accounted for I have serious doubts that it will pay for itself within 50 years.

Idiotic!

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