The Solar Energy Research and Development cluster stems from Toronto Region's Photovoltaic Innovation

The Toronto Region is ...

Located in the heart of 25 million acres of farmland - an ideal place to set up solar power technology due to the relatively high annual south-facing photovoltaic potential
Part of a sophisticated electricity infrastructure and a growing demand for clean, reliable electricity generation:
The site of Canada's first solar-powered community in Waterloo in 2002
A growing hub with over 130 companies that design and install photovoltaic products for public and commercial needs, including: Arise Technologies, ATS Automation Tooling Systems, Bodycote, Danfoss, Enersource Hydro
Mississauga Services, GE Energy, Hydro One Networks, Meikle Automation, Mondel Engineering, Pall, Sanyo Corp., SkyPower Corp., Taco, Toronto Hydro, Umicore Catalyst, and Viessmann Manufacturing
Home to more than 100 university programs in engineering, physical and environmental sciences
Producing an educated and highly-skilled workforce - over 3,400 university graduates (all levels) in solar energy related programs in 2007

Supportive Government Programs

Government of Canada: Sustainable Development Technologies Canada; Scientific Research & Experimental Development Expenditures; NRC Industrial Research Assistance Program; New Environmental Technologies
Evaluation; Financial Support - Science & Technology; and Canadian Environmental Technology Information Centre
Government of Ontario: ecoEnergy for Renewable Heat; Ontario Solar Thermal Heating Incentive; Renewable Energy Standard Offer Program; Ontario Research Fund; Innovation Demonstration Fund; Investment Accelerator Fund; Business Mentorship and Entrepreneurship Program; Next Generation of Jobs Fund: Strategic Opportunities Program; and Ontario Business Research Institute Tax Credit

Solar Energy Research

Toronto Region universities are a hub of research excellence recognized by major Canadian granting agencies. Photovoltaic (PV) research and solar energy research projects are well-supported:

Canada Foundation for Innovation awarded $3.3 million in infrastructure grants related to solar power research projects in 2001-2008.
Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) awarded $3.5 million to solar power renewable energy research projects in the Toronto Region (2003-2008)

Research institutes based in Toronto Region universities conduct advanced research and development on photovolatics and solar energy, including:

McMaster University: Centre for Electrophotonic Materials & Devices, Management of Innovation & New Technology Research Centre, McMaster Institute for Energy Studies (MIES), McMaster Manufacturing Research
Institute, Power Research Laboratory, and Brockhouse Institute for Materials Research
Ryerson University: Thermofluid Research Lab
University of Guelph: Electrochemical Technology Centre, and Centre for Agricultural Renewability Energy and Sustainability
University of Toronto: Centre for Applied Power Electronics, Energy Systems Group, Photonics Group, Institute for Optical Science, U of T St. George Campus Sustainability Office, and UTM Environmental Affairs Office
University of Waterloo: The Center for Advanced Photovoltaic Devices and Systems (CAPDS), ?-SiDIC: Amorphous Silicon Devices and Integrated Circuits Laboratory, Power and Energy Systems Group, Building Engineering Group (BEG), Waterloo Institute of Sustainable Energy, Waterloo Inorganic Materials Division
York University: Institute for Research and Innovation in Sustainability

What's New

UToronto engineers develop new, more efficient and cost-effective solar cell MoreOntario adds 700 new clean energy projects More Ontario invests$1.86 million in Morgan Solar More