Severn Sun Solar Project. Invenergy LLC Public Community Meeting August 6, 2015

Transcription

1 Severn Sun Solar Project Invenergy LLC Public Community Meeting August 6, 2015

2 Invenergy LLC is a Qualified Applicant Invenergy LLC qualified to participate in the IESO Large Renewable Procurement - Request for Proposals (LRP I RFP) in The IESO is procuring 140 MW of solar in this RFP. Invenergy is preparing to submit a proposal for the Severn Sun Solar Project. The proposal submission deadline is September 1, 2015 and the IESO s proposal evaluation process will run until November December 2015.

3 What is Ontario s Large Renewable Procurement Program? In recent years, the Feed-in Tariff (FIT) Program was the vehicle that enabled large renewable energy development in Ontario. In June 2013, the Ontario Minister of Energy directed the Independent Electricity Systems Operator (IESO, formerly the Ontario Power Authority, or OPA) to cancel the FIT Program for larger renewable energy projects and develop a new competitive procurement process. In December 2013, the Minister of Energy released Ontario s new Long-Term Energy Plan (LTEP), Achieving Balance. Visit to learn more about this plan. Consequently, the IESO developed a Large Renewable Procurement (LRP) program in response to this new plan to include a two-phase procurement process: An initial Request for Qualifications (RFQ) process to qualify applicants who wish to participate in the LRP A Request for Proposal (RFP) process to evaluate the projects proposed by qualified applicants

4 Severn Sun Solar Project This Public Community Meeting is for the Severn Sun Solar Project Located at 4037 Uhthoff Line and 4062 Burnside Line in Severn, Ontario Estimated maximum name plate capacity of approximately 15 megawatts (MW) Proposed Connection Point would be the existing 44 kilovolt circuit that runs along Division Road across from the Project site

5 Preliminary Site Layout Preliminary Site Layout Severn Sun Solar Project, TNO Severn, MRC Simcoe County, Canada

6 Invenergy LLC Invenergy LLC headquartered in Chicago with regional offices in Toronto, Denver, Warsaw, Mexico City and Tokyo Invenergy Canada based in Toronto North America s 6 th largest renewable energy generation company (largest independent) Developed 9,000 MW+ in North America & Europe, including 980+MW in Canada Invenergy is committed to working with communities to develop projects that are successful for everyone involved

7 Invenergy Canada Invenergy has developed the following projects in Canada: Raleigh Wind (78 MW) Le Plateau I and II Wind (138.6 MW and MW) Des Moulins I and II Wind (135.7 MW and 21.1 MW) St. Clair Gas (584 MW) Sandringham Solar (10 MW) Woodville Solar (10 MW)

8 Solar Energy Capturing the sun s rays may be one of the oldest ways to harness energy. The Project will use solar photovoltaic (PV) technology. PV cells convert light into electricity. The more cells, the more electricity produced. All electricity generated by the Project will be fed directly into the provincial electricity grid. Solar PV is used primarily for grid-connected electricity to operate residential appliances, commercial equipment, lighting and air conditioning for all types of buildings. Solar PV panels can be ground mounted, installed on building rooftops or designed into building materials at the point of manufacturing.

9 Benefits of Solar Energy ECONOMIC COMPETITIVENESS Solar, other renewable energy, and energy conservation are strong drivers that will bolster Canada s economic competitiveness, ensure a reliable supply of energy and enhance our global reputation as an energy superpower. JOB CREATION Solar energy creates more jobs per megawatt output, and per dollar invested than any other energy source. PEAK ENERGY NEEDS Solar generation provides energy during the day, when demand is highest, making solar a fuel-free source of peak power. CLEAN, GREEN ENERGY Solar energy is infinitely renewable: Emits no climate changing greenhouse gases; Creates no air or water pollution; and Has little impact on land, wildlife or ecosystems, and leaves no hazardous waste.

10 How Solar Energy Works: Part 1 Molten silicon is used to make... wafers which are put together to create... cells that when put together make... a module that is mounted on a rack.

11 How Solar Energy Works: Part 2 When light shines on a cell, it frees electrons from the semiconductor wafers creating electricity Very low maintenance required

12 Equipment The solar modules will be poly or monocrystalline producing watts of direct current (DC) energy DC wiring will connect the modules through the racks and to the inverter Inverters will be 250 to 500 kilowatts (kw) each converting DC to AC (alternating current) AC wiring will connect the inverter to the substations

13 Solar Modules and Inverters Solar Module Installation Inverter Control Cabinet Inverters are required to convert DC module electrical output to AC electricity.

14 Construction Activities include: Site clearing and grading Installation of site fencing and erosion control measures Underground cable installation Rack foundation, module and wiring installation Inverter installation Substation construction Construction will be completed according to industry best practices. Any potential impacts will be minimized through the implementation of mitigation measures.

15 Visual Screening Mitigation

16 Community Engagement Approach Invenergy endeavors to keep members of the Project community informed throughout the Project s development process by adhering to the community engagement guidelines set by the IESO. Phase I: Pre-Contract Award Community, Municipal, and Aboriginal Engagement Contract Award Phase II: Post Contract Award Renewable Energy Approval (REA) Process Community, Municipal, and Aboriginal Consultation Establish a Project website Request to meet with the Township of Severn Identify and engage interested Aboriginal communities Post Notice of Public Community Meeting in local newspaper and Project website Host a Public Community Meeting Post a summary of the Public Community Meeting on Project website Provide a central address severnsuninfo@invenergyllc.com Incorporate feedback from community engagement activities into Project plan and LRP I RFP submission Maintain a Project website Respond to a central address severnsuninfo@invenergyllc.com Ensure local municipality is informed about project activities and milestone dates Continue to provide updates to interested Aboriginal communities Post results of REA studies and other REA reports to the Project website Host at least two public meetings in Project community Listen to community concerns and propose reasonable solutions Share a summary of community concerns and mitigation plans to address feedback on the Project website

17 Community Benefits If the Project is awarded a power contract, Invenergy would establish a community benefit fund to be administered by local volunteers for community projects and other local good works There would be an annual contribution to the fund for the duration of the power contract A steady flow of funds can have many positive impacts on a community The photos below highlight examples from the 78 MW energy centre south of Chatham, Ontario which has distributed over $150,000 locally since 2011 Merlin splash pad, summer 2013 $20,000 contribution from CBF 24 Ipads for Merlin Public School $5,000 contribution from CBF

18 Environment and Health It has been demonstrated that when Solar power plants are constructed using best management practices, they can provide a positive benefit to biodiversity Solar energy is often viewed as having very minimal waste because there is none produced during operation Currently, many solar companies meet or exceed national and international standards for handling and mitigating hazardous materials Evidence has been published that large-scale Solar plants use less land than some traditional energy sources, such as coal, when land used for mining (for the energy source )is taken into consideration (Fthenakis and Kim, 2009) Solar parks can increase the number of species in a given area (German Renewable Energy Agency, 2010). When solar parks are managed responsibly, they can create new habitats for endangered animals and plants and make positive use of marginal and remediated lands Recommended best practices include avoidance of pesticides and fertilizers, use of sheep for grazing to reduce site maintenance activities, and risk assessments Source: Assessment of the Environmental Performance of Solar Photovoltaic Technologies - Environment Canada, in partnership with Natural Resources Canada s CanmetENERGY

19 Property Values The following are based on research done on properties in North Carolina Concluded that there is no impact in sale price for residential, agricultural or vacant residential land that adjoins existing or proposed solar farms Larger solar farms using fixed panels are a passive use of the land that is considered in keeping with a rural/residential area Comparing a solar farm to a larger greenhouse as shown below is a very reasonable comparison given that a greenhouse is essentially another method for collecting passive solar energy. The greenhouse use is well received in residential/rural areas and has a similar visual impact as a solar farm Source: Appraisal Consult on Pit 64 solar proposal - Richard C. Kirkland, Jr., MAI State Certified General Appraiser

20 Next Steps The next step in the process is to prepare a meeting summary report (MSR) for IESO and post it on the project website. The report will be provided to the municipal Clerk (or other designate). The report will document your questions and comments as well as discuss how your input has impacted the project. The proponent will include the report in its Large Renewable Project (LRP) proposal submission to IESO in the Fall of 2015 (target). Once the complete proposal is received, IESO will evaluate all proponent proposals and notify selected proponents by the end of 2015 (target). It is expected that successful LRP proponents will commence the Renewable Energy Approval (REA) process that includes additional consultation in 2016.

21 Feedback Welcome Thank You For Attending! Your attendance at today s meeting is appreciated. We encourage you to write down your comments or questions and either place them in our comment box, or provide them to a company representative We welcome your feedback and thank you for attending this public community meeting Additional comments following this meeting can be sent to severnsuninfo@invenergyllc.com Visit for Project updates