By Cathy Dobson, from www.theobserver.ca The Observer
Local businessman Henry Mehta will soon have two of the largest rooftop solar projects in Sarnia installed at his commercial properties.
Each is worth an estimated $1.5 million. Each will cover about 40,000 square feet and each project is expected to produce more than 392,000 kWh of clean, renewable energy a year.
The savings to the environment from just one of the rooftop system are the equivalent to planting 6,931 trees or replacing the emissions of 53 passenger cars, says John Millson, president of Windsor-based Great Lakes Energy Inc.
His company is installing both systems on rooftops leased from Mehta, one at 1173 Michener Rd., the other at 321 Queen St. Once they are up and running, it’s anticipated each system will produce enough power for 33.7 homes each year.
“The solar program is a real opportunity,” says Millson, who served as Windsor’s mayor in the late 1980s. Great Lakes Energy has installed 150 solar panel projects in Ontario, including a 10 kW microFIT for the County of Lambton on housing at 125 Euphemia St. in Sarnia.
“Henry was one of the first in Ontario to apply to the Ontario Power Authority’s FIT (Feed-In Tariff) program in 2010 when applications were first accepted,” Millson said.
Great Lakes Energy will install and maintain the rooftop systems and reap the revenue from electricity generated for the grid. But Mehta said it’s likely that he will ultimately make a proposal to buy the systems once he sees them operating smoothly.
“The incentive program means I’ll probably get a 12% to 15% return on my money,” he said. “I’m a green guy and this was a dream. Now I’m achieving my dream.”
If Mehta doesn’t decide to buy the systems, he’ll continue to bring in guaranteed revenue from a 20-year lease he has with Great Lakes Energy for use of his roofs.
Great Lakes installed the racking and solar panels on Michener Road this month. Good weather moved the project along quickly.
Millson brought in a core group of his own workers and hired a local roofing company and some local tradesmen.
By late December, it’s hoped the project will be connected to the grid and trial generation can begin in January. Work will then get started on Mehta’s roof on Queen Street.
The expansive flat roof on Michener Road where Michener Court Restaurant is located, is now covered in 265-watt panels for as far as the eye can see.
“But people hardly know it’s there because you can’t see it from the ground,” Mehta pointed out.
The rooftop approach to solar generation resolves issues people may have with solar farms eating up valuable agricultural land, he said.
“It’s taking advantage of natural energy from the sun and providing power,” Mehta said. “It’s one of the cleanest ways to go.”
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