By Paul
Gipe
January 21, 2011 - The province of Ontario has
leapt ahead of New Jersey to take second place in solar
photovoltaic (PV) rankings for 2010. Ontario still trails
California. At the current rate of growth, however, the solar
upstart could rival California in
2011.
Ontario, like California, reports solar PV capacity in AC
ratings. The rest of the worldwide industry, including world leader
Germany, reports in DC ratings.
Using industry standard conversion rates, Ontario installed
about 168 MWDC last year, bringing total installed solar
PV capacity to 215 MWDC.
Of the total solar PV capacity in Ontario, 22 MWDC
has been installed under the microFIT program for small rooftop
systems less than 10 kW. The remainder of capacity has been
installed under the province's Renewable Energy Standard Offer
Program or RESOP, the forerunner of the current Feed-in Tariff and
micoFIT programs.
New Jersey installed 110 MWDC through the end of
November, 2010, and possibly as much as 125 MWDC by year
end. This would bring New Jersey's total installed capacity to
possibly 250 MWDC of solar PV through the end of
2010.
The only other competitor for the top slots, Colorado,
installed 44 MWDC in 2010, bringing its total installed
solar PV capacity to 103 MWDC.
California has no central clearinghouse for data on solar PV
installations. Responsibility for data collection is spread across
agencies, investor-owned utilities, and municipal utilities. "Official" California Solar
Statistics report that the state installed 152
MWAC, in 2010 or 180 MWDC. This is likely to
go higher as more data becomes available.
In 2009, the Interstate Renewable Energy
Council (IREC) reported that California installed a
total of 212 MWDC, and in 2008 nearly 200
MWDC.
If passed experience is any guide, California may have
installed as much 240 to 250 MWDC in 2010. At present,
no one knows for sure.
According to IREC, Ontario was third in North American solar
PV installations in 2009. Florida and Colorado were fourth and
fifth respectively.
In 2008, Ontario's total installed solar PV capacity was less
than 2 MW. Within two years the Canadian province has shot to the
top of solar PV markets in North America.
ClearSky Advisors, a Canadian
consulting company, estimates that Ontario could install 600
MWDC in 2011 if supply of solar PV systems can keep up
with demand