Solar research lab planned for Toronto waterfront. (February 01, 2007)

TORONTO – The University of Toronto (U of T), Arise Technologies from Kitchener, Ont., and Toronto’s Portlands Energy Centre (PEC) will construct Canada’s largest solar research facility to be located on the PEC site on Toronto’s waterfront.

PEC is donating $2.4 million of waterfront property to U of T to build the solar park that will supply clean electricity to the province’s grid and double as a research site. Arise Technologies has agreed to design and construct the facility by early 2009 at a cost of $5 million to $8 million. The proposed system will generate between 500 kilowatts and one megawatt of electricity, enough to power a few hundred homes. The electricity produced will be sold to the province under its new standard-offer program.

“This project will establish Toronto and Ontario as a world leader in solar energy research and development and education,” said energy minister Dwight Duncan. “Solar and other forms of renewable energy are an important part of Ontario’s energy future.”

The solar park, based on the high-efficiency solar modules that U of T and Arise have been developing, will provide the opportunity for application and study and will pave the way for future large-scale solar plants in Ontario.

The PEC is a high-efficiency natural gas generation plant designed to meet downtown Toronto’s urgent need for electricity. The 550 megawatt facility is expected to be operational in 2008. Arise Technologies is a company dedicated to accelerating the use of solar energy in mainstream North American markets. For more info www.arisetech.com or www.portlandsenergycentre.com