Ontario Agriculture

The network for agriculture in Ontario, Canada

solar panels

Is anyone concerned with this solar excitement.

 

Current prices are about 5.6 to 8 cent per KWH. The government is paying people with solar panels ect 80 cents per KWH. This seems really excessive.

 

Does this make sense? Can we expect hydro to jump that much. Why is our government taking taxes from the masses and giving it to the few? I understand the whole global warming talk and utilizing green power. Does it come down to deregulation of generators now everyone can do it instead of the people owing the generation. I am not sure this is sustainable.

 

What does everyone think of solar?

Views: 342

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Go Solar Canada on July 7, 2010 at 10:30am
If Pythagoras (cira 600BC) developed nuclear energy, we would still be watching over his waste today. Is that the legacy you want to leave.

For those that think $5 a year per family in Ontario is a lot of money maybe they should look at the debt retirement charge on your Hydro bill. This is the cost of going nuclear, How about 5 bucks a month. 60% of my bill was distribution charges, this is so high because of the great losses in bringing the energy from the power plant to your home. It costs the hydro company nothing to bring the power off of my roof or out of my back yard and into my house. The power you use is already subsidized. These subsidies go towards fat paychecks for the people who run the industry and are used to wine and dine the people who are behind the decisions to make sure great programs like the microFIT do not work, it keeps their checks fat. Why pay 10 microFITs a million dollars over 20 years when you can use that money for part of one persons bonuses for a year. Why use clean energy when we can spend billions on storing our nuclear waste. There is nothing wrong with our current technologies as long as we leave the cost of cleaning up after their use to our children. (Smog, tar sands, nuclear waste, They say if a natural gas plant blows up it will take a few blocks with it. Remember they said three mile island couldn't happen. Maybe to save money we can design a couple more reactors just like the Maple reactors that cost us millions and have been shelved by the Harper government.
Just in the almost four months my small 8 module microFIT has been running, My generation has saved 1142 lbs of carbon going into the air. How much would it cost you to remove that carbon out of the air once it has been put there by a coal plant or oil field.

Dan
Permalink Reply by Dale Ketcheson on July 7, 2010 at 3:16pm
I think anybody who thinks this current or some future Ontario government won't find a way to break these "contracts" and dramatically reduce the prices they're paying hasn't been paying attention to the way governments have been operating for the past... um... decades?

I wish people luck but my bet is that within the first 6 or 7 years of the plan, a whole lot of people will be bankrupted or severely hurt financially and a lot of panels will be on the market at firesale prices.
Permalink Reply by Wayne Black on July 8, 2010 at 2:18am
I guess the way I look at it, when on July 7, 2010 at about 11 AM Ontario Energy costs were 28 cents/kWh, I would rather the 58 or 80 cents go to Ontario residents rather than MB, QB, or US businesses. Current prices that the consumer pays is only 5 to 8 cents but demand pricing pushes that over $1/kWh at times (summer of 2008). On average the price is only 2 to 5 cents to buy but the peaks are what costs big money. For more info on demand pricing visit: http://ieso.ca
Permalink Reply by Peter Gredig on July 8, 2010 at 7:15am
Can anyone show me some solar installations that have been productive and running for 20 years? I don't have a problem with whatever the gov't wants to spend to encourage alt energy. I do have a problem investing $100,000 in solar technology that will be out of date in less than two years.
Permalink Reply by Go Solar Canada on July 8, 2010 at 10:57am
Solar is actually a fairly old technology, Einstein won a Nobel in the 1920's for his paper he wrote in the early 1900's, Bell laboratories first sold them in the 50's. There is a system that was installed in 1986 and still running. You can see it and learn more about it if you visit the Kortright Center west of the 400 just off Rutherford.
Permalink Reply by Roadrunner on July 9, 2010 at 3:33pm
Looks like the price drop is slowing down everyone who was looking at putting a solar system on their farm....I think solar could have a place but I want to business to be sound and not too expensive for consumers...

▶ Reply to Discussion

RSS

Agriculture Headlines from Farms.com Canada East News - click on title for full story

Next Gen Agriculture Mentorship Program Cohort Seven Announced

The Saskatchewan Next Gen Agriculture Mentorship Program announced the mentor - mentee pairings for cohort seven in Regina today. This 18-month program provides emerging agricultural leaders with hands-on leadership development and opportunities to participate in decision-making that shapes the future of Saskatchewan's agriculture industry. “Programs like this are crucial in supporting the next generation and helping build a bright future for Saskatchewan’s agriculture sector,” Federal Agriculture and Agri-Food Minister Heath MacDonald said. “Connecting young people with experienced mentors gives them the opportunity to learn and succeed in their careers, strengthening the agricultural industry as a whole.” "The Next Gen Agriculture Mentorship Program has been influential in developing the next generation of agriculture leadership in our province," Saskatchewan Agriculture Minister David Marit said. "Thanks to the dedication of our mentors, participants gain the knowledge and conf

McCain Foundation Invests in Agriculture Education and Rural Community Capacity in Manitoba

Agriculture in the Classroom–Manitoba (AITC-M) is proud to recognize the McCain Foundation for its support of AgVenture at Manitoba Ag Days 2026. This investment was critical in making this programming possible. Each year, AITC-M relies on committed partners like the McCain Foundation to deliver essential agriculture education experiences that connect students and communities across southwestern Manitoba with real-world agriculture careers and strengthen understanding of Manitoba’s agri-food sector. Held January 20–22, 2026 at the Keystone Centre in Brandon during Manitoba Ag Days, the program created meaningful opportunities for students, educators, and community members to engage with agriculture in practical, hands-on ways. Through AgVenture, AITC-M’s flagship agriculture career exploration program, more than 1,200 students in Grades 7–12 and their educators took part in a hands-on learning experience that connected classroom education with real-world agriculture careers. Studen

Building Canada strong by investing in water and wastewater infrastructure in Cornwall, Prince Edward Island

Building a strong Canada starts with investing in the infrastructure that makes it possible to increase housing supply and empower communities. In Budget 2025, the Government of Canada announced the Build Communities Strong Fund, a key initiative to build the infrastructure that Canadians rely on every day. This fund will speed up the construction of the hospitals, recreation centres, universities, and colleges that serve our communities; the bridges that move our goods; and, the water and transit systems that keep our towns and cities running. This week, the Prime Minister, Mark Carney, officially launched the Build Communities Strong Fund. This new fund will provide $51 billion over 10 years through three major streams to support a wide range of infrastructure projects that support economic prosperity, housing, sport, education, health, transit, and climate adaptation across the country. The Build Communities Strong Fund will be a force multiplier in infrastructure – with funding

Hypertec's Ciara Division Becomes First Canadian NVIDIA Oem Partner Manufacturing Systems In Canada, Unlocking A Multi-billion-dollar Leap In Sovereign AI Infrastructure

Ciara Technologies, a division of the Hypertec Group and a Canadian global leader in sustainable AI infrastructure and advanced data-center technology, announced today that it has been officially designated as the first Canadian NVIDIA OEM Partner manufacturing systems in Canada. This milestone places Canada among a select group of nations with domestic manufacturing and integration capabilities for NVIDIA Certified Systems, significantly advancing the country's Sovereign AI Strategy and strengthening North American technological resilience. A Turning Point for Canada's AI Ecosystem "AI infrastructure is now strategic infrastructure," said Simon Ahdoot, CEO of Hypertec Group. "This breakthrough marks a turning point for Canada. We are building the infrastructure that will define its future. As NVIDIA's first Canadian OEM partner, we are strengthening Canada's ability to innovate, scale, and compete globally with secure, high-performance systems built at home." The initiative is exp

Ontario Farm Leaders Drew and Heather Spoelstra Named 2026 Outstanding Young Farmers

Drew and Heather Spoelstra of Roy-A-Lea Farms Ltd. have been selected as Ontario’s 2026 Outstanding Young Farmers, earning national recognition for leadership, innovation, and multi-generational farming excellence.

© 2026   Created by Darren Marsland.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service