Grassroots solar project

A proposed bylaw will be reviewed by city council this week to allow homeowners and businesses to install various renewable-energy devices on their property, including solar panels and wind turbines. The bylaw is a direct result of the work of the West Toronto Initiative for Solar Energy (WISE) - a community-led renewable energy project.

WISE began in the late spring of 2006 and was modeled after a successful grassroots program in Riverdale where more than 35 homeowners had systems installed on their homes. To date, more than 150 families have signed up to the WISE program, which offers two types of solar panels – one that generates electricity, another that heats water.

The group stumbled over roadblocks, including zoning bylaws still on the books that prevent any distribution of energy. Because the solar panels are hooked up to Toronto Hydro – and the province pays homeowners 42 cents per kilowatt hour for generating the electricity – the homes are considered energy producers. The proposed bylaw would help residents bypass this issue, although any installations must still follow building code regulations.

How do solar panels work in a Toronto, you might ask? Turns out we have more sun hours per year than Miami, according to the WISE website. Although the output of solar does diminish in winter as compared to summer, the sun continues to shine and solar systems will produce power all year round.

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