Earthgauge Radio June 21, 2012: Solar power to the people!

On Earthgauge Radio this week, I have a special program on the coming solar power revolution.

Have you ever thought about installing solar panels on your roof or, if you don’t have a roof, what about investing in solar energy? Well if the answer is yes to either of those questions or if you are just interested in learning more about solar power and its potential as a viable energy source of the future, you’re going to want to listen to the podcast today.

I have four interviews on the show today:

• Janice Ashworth of Ecology Ottawa who explains the details of the FIT program
• Dick Bakker of the Ottawa Renewable Energy Cooperative who will tell us how you can invest in solar energy projects in Ottawa at a healthy rate of return
• Graham Thomas of iSolara Solar Power on what is involved in installing solar panels on your roof and
• Councilor David Chernushenko, an early pioneer in the home solar movement who will give us the experience of a homeowner who has gone through the process.

Earthgauge Radio is broadcast every other Thursday morning at 7:00-8:00 AM on CKCU 93.1 FM in Ottawa. Click the audio player above to hear the full show. Right click here to download today’s full show. Scroll down to listen to individual interviews only.

I attended the Ottawa Solar Fair this past weekend, and had the opportunity to talk to a number of well-informed people about the new Ontario Solar Rules, microFIT applications, investment options, joining the Ottawa Renewable Energy Co-operative, and expected rates of return. Did you know that through Ontario Power Authority’s Feed-In Tariff or FIT program you can sell the energy you generate through your solar panels at 54 cents per kilowatt hour? What does this mean exactly? We get into all the details in the show but suffice it to say that for a medium-sized set of panels, this means you can pay off your investment in about 7 or 8 years and then start generating a healthy annual profit.

 

Janice Ashworth interview, right click here to download:

Graham Thomas interview, right click here to download:

Dick Bakker interview, right click here to download:

David Chernushenko interview, right click here to download: