1. business and industrial
2. business operations
3. management
4. project management

CANADIAN
SOLAR
INDUSTRIES
ASSOCIATION
OntarioSolar
Electricity
Distributed
Generation Task Force
Strategic Project
Highlights
PROJECT OBJECTIVE
Develop a strategy for maintaining and building on
the momentum of Ontario’s solar electricity sector
beyond the Feed-in Tariff Program to ensure greater,
faster, and more efficient access of solar electricity
to the Ontario grid.
Contribution Required
for Participation
$
10,000
Total Project Budget
$
135,000
Time Frame
July 2015 to June 2016
INDUSTRY CONTEXT
CanSIA’s Roadmap 2020 envisions the Canadian solar electricity industry as sustainable, with no direct
subsidies, and operating in a supportive and stable policy and regulatory environment that recognizes
the true value of solar. Furthermore, global trends for distributed generation of solar electricity are now
moving away from direct standard offer programs such as feed-in tariffs
Ontario’s Feed-In Tariff (FIT), a standard offer procurement program, has been instrumental in supporting
the development of solar electricity generation but the solar FIT is expected to end in 2017. The natural
next step for Ontario’s solar industry is to partner directly with electricity consumers through net-metering
and other customer-based generation models to support a vibrant, cost-effective and reliable solar
electricity DG sector.
The Canadian Solar Industries Association has established an Ontario Solar Electricity Distributed Generation
Task Force specifically to develop a post-FIT solution and strategy. The role of the Task Force is to foster
an enabling regulatory environment for solar electricity within the Ontario electricity market and create
a roadmap for transitioning from the current FIT program to a customer-based generation model
(e.g., net-metering).
SCOPE OF WORK AND DELIVERABLES
DELIVERABLES
COMPLETION DATE
Jurisdictional scan of international best practices for customer-based
generation models
July 2015
Jurisdictional scan (e.g. SWOT analysis of current procurement
programs) of Ontario barriers and opportunities for implementing
a customer-based generation model
August 2015
Concept paper of a customer-based generation model for
Ontario market
October 2015
FIT Program transition plan (e.g. addressing short- to medium-term
challenges) towards a new Ontario customer-based generation model
November 2015
Policy recommendations position paper for key identified stakeholders
December 2015
Communication and government relations strategy and plan to secure a
post FIT solution (e.g. customer-based generation model, net-metering)
February 2016
PROJECT RESOURCES
This project will require expert energy consultant and research resources to fulfill the scope of work
outlined above and to assist in managing the consultation process with Task Force members. CanSIA
is collaborating with Ontario renewable energy specialists, Compass Energy Consulting and Power
Advisory LLC, who will provide the required resources and industry knowledge and skills to fulfill the
task force objectives, along with CanSIA member input and feedback. The communications strategy
will be developed and implemented by communications and government relations experts along
with CanSIA’s own policy and government relations team.
PROJECT-SPECIFIC OPPORTUNITIES
Contributors will have the opportunity to inform and tailor Task Force recommendations to ensure they
align with contributing company priorities and the broader needs of the industry. Contributors will also
have access to subject matter experts and opportunities to gain industry knowledge through the project.
ALL STRATEGIC PROJECTS
Contributing companies will be recognized as either CanSIA Influencers or members of the President’s
Circle (if contributing to all projects) and will sit on project advisory committees. Project advisory committees
will meet in person or by teleconference once per month, in addition to regular email communications.
CanSIA will chair each initiative and provide a project manager to ensure that deliverables are met to the
satisfaction of the advisory committee within each project’s timelines. Project decisions will be made through
a consensus-based approach.
Each project will have a budget exclusively funded through contributions from eligible member companies.
This budget will be managed independently of other Strategic Projects and from CanSIA’s core operations
budget. Contributions will be spent on research, consultants and communications materials as required to
achieve the project’s deliverables and objectives.
Transparency will be a major priority and critical to the ethical and effective use of member project
contributions. CanSIA will provide monthly project budget updates summarizing the revenues and
expenses along with a brief description of the status of the budget in relation to the project deliverables
and objectives. Any remaining funds will be returned to the contributing companies or reallocated to other
projects at the discretion of each contributor.
To learn more about the opportunity to participate in this and other CanSIA Strategic Projects,
please contact: Lisa Hatina, Business Development and Member Relations Manager, [email protected]
613-736-9077 Ext.230 or toll-free 1-866-522-6742 Ext.230