City Rooftops Collect Energy

The City currently has one ground mounted and 14 rooftop Solar Photovoltaic (PV) installations operating at municipally owned facilities. Many installations were previously implemented under the now phased-out Feed-in-Tariff (FIT) and Micro Feed-in-Tariff (MicroFIT) programs through the Ontario Power Authority. New installations are now implemented with Net Metering through the local distribution companies.

Feed-in-Tarrif program

The Green Energy and Green Economy Act, passed by the Ontario government on May 14, 2009, amended the Electricity Act to allow a municipality to generate up to 10 MW using a renewable energy generation facility. Previously, municipalities could only generate electricity using an independent corporation. This allowed municipalities to increase their revenue by participating in the OPA's now defunct FIT program and selling electricity into the grid.

Under the now phased out FIT and microFIT programs, generators of renewable energy were able to sell electricity to the grid at an attractive fixed price under a 20-year contract. The FIT and microFIT programs are now closed and no longer accepting new applications.

The following microFIT (10 kW) installations and are all online and generating clean renewable energy.

1. Fire Hall 1 on Joyceville Road
2. Fire Hall 2 on Brewers Mills Road
3. Fire Hall 3 on Gore Road
4. Fire Hall 7 on Woodbine Road
5. Fire Hall 8 on Unity Road
6. Kingston Frontenac Public Library - Central Branch
7. Kingston Airport
8. Housing and Social Services Building
9. Artillery Park Aquatic & Fitness Centre

The following Feed-in-Tariff installations are all online and generating clean renewable energy and revenue.

1. A 246 kW installation at the John Counter Boulevard campus. The systems are on three buildings:
   1. the Kingston Transit garage,
   2. 1211 John Counter Blvd. and
   3. the Utilities Kingston garage.
2. A 130 kW installation at the Ravensview Water Treatment Plant.

Net Metering Program

Following the discontinuation of the previous FIT and MicroFIT programs, new solar PV installations are now ‘net metered’. Net metering allows the City to send electricity generated from renewable energy technologies such as solar PV to the electrical distribution system for credit, reducing our electricity costs. In general, solar PV systems will generate more during the summer than winter months. Credits from excess generation (in summer months) can be carried forward for a 12-month consecutive period to offset future electricity costs (when there is less generation during winter months).

The following net metered installations are currently operating at City facilities generating clean renewable energy:

• 120 kW ground-mounted system at the new Kingston Fire & Rescue Maintenance Centre on Terry Fox Drive
• 312 kW rooftop system at the new Kingston Fleet Maintenance Garage on Division Street
• 176 kW rooftop and carport system at Kingston East Community Centre on Highway 15
• 120 kW at rooftop system Kingston Police Headquarters on Division Street