The Ontario Power Authority (OPA) is reporting that, as of June 14, 2010, it has received 2,200 applications for large Feed-in Tariff (FIT) projects and more than 15,000 applications for smaller microFIT projects. Of the 15,000 microFIT applications, 3,518 conditional offers have been made by OPA to applicants. These smaller projects include solar panel installations being made on Ontario farms.
In response to the large volume of microFIT applications, OPA is advising:
Due to the very high volume of microFIT applications, we expect it will take until the fall to process all of them. If your application was submitted before March 31, 2010, you can expect to hear back from us by August. If you submitted your application by May 31, it will be processed by September.More information on the FIT program (including large area solar installations and large wind turbines) is available at: OPA Feed-in Tariff Program.
More information on the microFIT program is available at: OPA microFIT Program.
Hi
ReplyDeleteVery latest news about FIT program. You are keeping eye on these programs. How do you think about the benefit of the program to houseowner or farmer, Which kind of houseowner or farmer could invest to such program.
Thank you for your questions. I assume you're asking about the smaller microFIT projects. The most popular of these for home or farm owners is the installation of solar panels, either on a building or on a free-standing platform. The benefit under the microFIT program is a financial one. You sell power into the electricity grid. Whether or not it makes sense to do it is a financial question. The upfront investment can be substantial, and a home or farm owner will have to determine whether the ultimate payoff will be worthwhile.
ReplyDeleteBased on Ontario's advertised price for the MicroFIT feed-in program, we submitted an application on April 25th. We got a loan and had a free-standing <10Kw array installed. We have no conditional contract because Ontario Hydro was behind in processing applications. Now we not only hear that the price for free standing applications has been reduced, but we have to wait 30 days to reapply. There are 16,000 unanswered applications out there and I'm sure we are not alone. The installer assured us we would be hearing back soon. Is there any priority being given to existing applicants or will we be starting over in August? Meanwhile, we have neighbours who are hooked up and recieving returns of 80.2 cents. What do you advise? What can the 16,000 "reclassified" applicants do? I ask you, because we get no response from the microfit program people other than "dear occupant, get a lawyer" types of emails.
ReplyDeleteThank you
Lois
Dear Lois,
ReplyDeleteThere may have been some information provided in the latest Hydro One webinar during the questions section at the end of the presentation: http://www.hydroone.com/Generators/Documents/Webinars/Webinar_June24_2010_Audio.wav
Nothing is mentioned about this issue in the written materials for the program.
All I can say about the possibility of priority being given to existing applicants is that this has often been the way OPA and Hydro One have dealt with previous delays in green energy programs. Of course, that means depending on the goodwill of Hydro One. Any rights you may have outside of that will depend on the facts and contractual documentation related to your own specific situation. A lawyer may be able to help identify your options (i.e. apart from simply waiting for Hydro One to deal with the backlog).