| The following is a paid bulletin from Sentinel Solar Corporation Fellow Environmental Advocates, Recently the OPA announced a proposed rate change for ground-mounted solar systems, effectively reducing the microFIT contract rate from 80.2c/kWh to 58.8c/kWh, a 27% decrease. They have based this change on the claim that ground-mounted systems are cheaper to install than roof mounted systems and therefore produce an unreasonable rate of return. Based on industry experience and information provided by installers and consumers this claim is clearly incorrect. Based on the OPA conference call on July 6th it is estimated that 10,000-11,000 of the received 16,000 applications are for ground-mount systems, which means nearly 70% of all applicants will be affected by this proposed rate change. As if a rate change was not bad enough, the applicants who in good faith applied for contracts as far back as January are going to be retroactively affected by the change should it be adopted. This rate change has the potential to cripple the industry before it has even gotten off the ground as public trust in the integrity of the program will be lost. The premise of the FIT and microFIT programs was to create green jobs in the sales, installation and manufacturing sectors. That call was answered, product was designed and fabricators have tooled up, and now with the rate change it looks like it may have all been for naught. The OPA has described this up and down rollercoaster as "the growing pains of a new industry". For those who have invested their life's savings, built businesses and endeavored to develop new products in Ontario this is much more than "growing pains", these are crippling and quite possibly bankrupting blows. More importantly, we need to promote green renewable energy in all it's forms, to as great an extent as possible, in order to live in a responsible and sustainable future! The microFIT program was supposed to take us in a green direction and hopefully encourage other Provinces and even countries to become more engaged in clean alternative energy. This move by the OPA has taken us two steps backwards when we are already far from where we would like to be! We are now in the midst of a '30-day comment period' before this change is considered final. We must act quickly and decisively to ensure our futures in Ontario and in the solar market. We must work together with a unified effort to contact everyone we can . We also encourage everyone to contact your local MPP's and inform them of the serious damage this proposed rate change will have, and how it will impact the economic growth and stability in their riding. (link below). We encourage you to make your voice heard by joining the call to action and filling out the petition located through the following link www.microfitaction.com. OPA rate change announcement:
http://microfit.powerauthority.on.ca/Program-updates/ground-mount.php A list of Ontario Members of Parliament:
http://www.ontariot enants.ca/government/mpp.phtml Sincerely,
Adam Webb
President
Sentinel Solar Corp | 
