Letter to the Editor - Shining a little light on the subject

To the Editor,

By chance, I just happened to glance at your lead article (Nov. 17) on the Scugog arena solar power proposal. Granted there may be further information not provided thus far, but my first thought is that the numbers outlined do not add up.

I don't claim to be an expert, but I have studied the solar power issue for several years. For reference, the per-kilowatt prices paid by the Ontario FIT program, as mentioned, can be found on the following website:
http://fit.powerauthority.on.ca/sites/default/files/2017-FIT-Price-Schedule.pdf

That document states that systems up to 500KW, such as the one proposed, would receive 20.7 cents per Kilowatt/hour over the contract life. The proposal suggests that up to 600,000 KWh could be generated per year, producing a revenue stream of $124,000 per year or $2.4 million over the 20-year contract period.

And Scugog Council would be happy to receive only $167,960 in return over the same period?

Instead, I would suggest that Council do further research and investigate other options, including community-participation ventures, which could add another 4 or 5% to the revenue stream, as outlined in the FIT documentation.

The installation price of rooftop solar systems has dropped dramatically in the past decade, due to innovation and market forces.

The revenue from a community asset should accrue to the community, as much as possible. Municipalities should take a leadership role in cases like this, and invest in something which can easily be a win-win for the entire community.

R.Procter, Lindsay ON