Silfab Ontario and Alderville sign contract for 5 MW solar farm

MISSISSAUGA, USA: A contract to supply and support a 5 MW ground mounted solar photovoltaic (PV) system, composed of 20,410 modules, was signed yesterday between Alderville First Nation (Alderville), a First Nation community within Southeastern Ontario, and Silfab Ontario Inc. (Silfab), a Canadian company, preparing to inaugurate its new PV module manufacturing plant in Mississauga, Ontario.

The announcement was proudly made by Franco Traverso, president and CEO of Silfab Ontario and Chief James Marsden, chief of Alderville First Nation, after signing the agreement.

The ground mounted system, will use the Silfab SLA245M high‐efficiency modules made from 60 mono‐crystalline high efficiency silicon cells produced in Ontario in accordance with the Ontario Feed In Tariff program domestic content requirements.

The solar farm, consisting of a combination of fixed mounted racks and single axis trackers, will be installed on Alderville owned properties and is expected to be operational by November 2011 with an estimated production of approximately 5.7 million kWh per year, equivalent to over 80,000 tons of avoided CO2 emissions during the lifetime of the facility.

Silfab and Alderville share a common vision of creating a partnership that includes the training of local resources and the development of a Centre of Excellence for advancing solar energy research, education, and training. Thanks to expertise gained in over 30 years of working at the highest level in the solar photovoltaic field, Franco Traverso and his staff intend to transfer a wealth of knowledge to the First Nation, enabling the community to be self‐sufficient in the management of the facility and be capable of developing future solar power projects.

“We are very proud,” explains Franco Traverso, CEO and President of Silfab Ontario, as well as a pioneer of the photovoltaic industry since 1981 – “to be part of this important project for the Alderville First Nation community. We see great opportunities for similar communities and we are optimistic about the growth of the photovoltaic industry in Canada. Alderville has demonstrated great foresight and planning in the development of this project. We are pleased to be part of this vision and partnership.”

”We are very excited to be working with Silfab on our ground mounted solar facility” says Chief James Marsden, chief of Alderville First Nation. “We are very impressed with the solar PV modules that Silfab produces. Their expertise in the photovoltaic industry was very evident in the way they approached this project. Programs like the Ontario Feed In Tariff program are giving communities, like Alderville, an opportunity to bring additional economic opportunities into the community to benefit its current membership and its future generations."