Shifting from our fossil-fuel based economy to a
renewable one is expensive but inevitable, so we must stop investing in the
carbon economy now; every investment locks us in to an unsustainable and
unaffordable future for that much longer. Far cheaper in the long run to only
invest in sustainable infrastructure that needn’t be replaced, or force us to
burn yet more carbon.
Although we can’t control what government does
(especially when prorogued), we can invest in our own community’s renewable
power directly. And that’s also important because we are more secure when we create
energy right here instead of having to pipe it in from distant gas fields or
nuclear plants.
The good news is that there are now at least three
different ways for Barrie residents to move us off carbon, increase local
energy generation, and receive a good financial return for doing it.
The simplest is microFIT: install up to 10 kilowatts
of solar panels on your roof and receive almost 55 cents per kw/h you produce
over the next 20 years. The drawback? You must finance around $50,000 yourself,
which is why my own project took a couple of years to set up. But don’t
despair. There are also two different co-operative solar models recruiting
members in the Barrie area.
One of them, EthoSolar, groups many property owners
together into a single unit. You still provide a location to put up panels, but
the panels are purchased and installed in bulk to save you money. After your
$100 co-op membership fee, you can then finance the rest through the co-op’s
long-term standard loan agreement at a fixed rate. That means you’re never out
of pocket, because each year’s income covers the loan payments, plus money left
over. Have a prime location for solar power but can’t easily pull together the start-up
cost? This plan is for you.
Another plan, being arranged in partnership with the
Options for Green Energy co-op, features each member purchasing one or more $5,000 equal
shares. The shares will be combined to set up a single, large-scale rooftop
project that’s already been registered under older, more generous rates. Each
$5,000 will begin paying 5% per year, increasing to 6% and then 7% over the
course of the 20-year contract. At the end, you even get your original $5,000
back. In effect, it works just like a long-term escalator bond. This co-op is
suitable for an investor with money to invest but no location for panels.
Timelines are tight and opportunities may close in
the new year, so if you are ready for your place in the sun, Barrie is ready
for you now! For specific details about EthoSolar, contact alec@EthoSolar.com or 705-795-6140. To
learn about the OPTIONS co-op, contact Marty@MartyLancaster.ca.
And for microFIT, visit microfit.powerauthority.on.ca.
Published as my Root Issues column in the Barrie Examiner under the title "There are ways to move away from using carbon"
Erich Jacoby-Hawkins is a director of Living Green and the Robert Schalkenbach Foundation.
A thing about solar energy is that it's renewable and gives a lot of benefits to the people. It's a bonus that solar panel cleaning is also easy to do in order to maintain them.
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