FOR
IMMEDIATE
RELEASE










DATE:


July
14,
2010



PROPOSED
OPA
CUTS
TO
SOLAR
ENERGY
RATES
UNFAIR
&
MISGUIDED:

AN
INDUSTRY
LEADERSHIP
PERSPECTIVE



On
July
2nd,
the
Ontario
Power
Authority
announced
their
intention
to
reduce
rates
to

consumers
who
had
already
applied
for
Solar
PV
Energy
contracts
under
the
new
microFIT

program,
proposing
a
reduction
of
almost
30%
to
the
terms
of
compensation
published
when

the
program
was
announced,
directly
impacting
on
the
growth
and
stability
of
industry
and

consumer
investments
in
this
emerging
industry.



What
also
became
apparent
during
conversations
with
OPA
is
that
prior
to
this
announcement,

they
had
unreasonably
delayed
conditional
approval
of
over
10,000
applications,
while
they

reassessed
what
had
already
been
offered
to
Ontario
consumers,
despite
assurances
that
the

application
processing
was
moving
forward.

In
many
industries
this
practice
would
be
called

‘bait
and
switch’!





“At
the
encouragement
of
the
Ontario
Government
and
the
Green
Energy
Act,
the
solar
energy

industry
has
invested
millions
in
startup
costs
to
build
local
jobs
and
manufacturing
in
this

sector,
consumers
and
farmers
in
particular
have
made
significant
personal
investments
in
solar

PV
energy
systems
that
meet
all
of
the
initial
Government
program
regulations.
“
stated
John

Verway,
President,
Copperhill
Alternate
Energy
Inc.



Verway
continued,
“It
is
hard
to
understand
why
consumers
and
small
business
operators

should
be
penalized
and
their
investments
placed
at
risk,
because
the
adoption
of
the
ground

mounted
solar
PV
microFit
program
in
place
since
October
1,
2009
has
been
too
successful!”



Attached
is
an
Open
Letter
that
has
been
sent
to
Premier
McGuinty

and
a
link
to
the

www.farmersformicrofit.ca

website
and
facebook
page
for
more
details.




Farmers
for
microFIT
has
been
organized
by
John
Verway,
President
of
Copperhill
Alternate

Energy
Inc,,
and
is
a
coalition
of
concerned
citizens
and
solar
energy
suppliers
opposed
to
the

proposed
changes
to
the
microFIT
solar
PV
program.





According
to
Verway,
“Copperhill

Solar
has
been
serving
Canadians
for
over
seven
years
and


has
a
proven
track
record
for
standing
behind
our
products
and
customers.


Thousands
of
hard
working
farmers
and
businesses
are
at
risk
because
of
this
misguided
and

miscalculated
decision
by
the
OPA
and
according
to
Mr.
McGuinty
we
“just
have
to
accept
it.”



“The
lack
of
leadership
on
this
issue
by
the
Premier
,
our
local
MPP’s
and
the
OPA’s
lack
of

understanding
of
the
financial
impact
this
decision
will
have
on
Ontario
businesses,
farmers
and

loss
of
local
jobs
is
extremely
disappointing

and
harmful
to
all
concerned.”



The
leadership
provided
by
Copperhill
Solar,
the
Farmers
for
microFit

website
and
the
hundreds

of
frustrated
applicants
who
are
impacted
by
these
proposed
changes

is
only
the
beginning
of

righting
this
wrong.





Arbitrary
delays
and
changing
of
the
rules
midstream
by
the
OPA
and
its
representatives,
is

something
that
cannot
be
allowed
to
stand!




We
ask
you
to
listen
and
respond
to
the
growing
voice
of
frustration
that
farmers
and
solar
energy

suppliers
across
Ontario
are
feeling
and
inform
your
readers
and
listeners
about
the
implications
of

these
proposed
changes…before
it
is
too
late!

#####







FOR
ADDITIONAL
INFORMATION
AND
PERSONAL
INTERVIEWS
PLEASE
CONTACT:

John
Verway
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Greg
Crombie

President

 
 
 
 
 
 
 Bldg
No
4
Marketing

Copperhill
Alternate
Energy
 
 
 
 
 416.929.5550

1.866.820.7906

OR
647.388.7657
 
 
 
 greg@retailbrandresults.com

copperhill@nexicom.net
 
 
 
 


www.farmersformicroFIT.ca



COPPERHILL
ALTERNATE
ENERGY
Inc.

Copperhill
was
established
in
March
2003
to
provide
reliable
and
professional
solar
solutions
for

Canadians.

Copperhill
created
the
first
CSA
certified
evacuated
thermal
tube
system
under
F‐379.1

and
has
designed
,
manufactured
and
installed
containerized
systems
for
many
purposes

including

community
heating
projects,
building
heat
and
other
large
scale
solar
projects.

www.copperhill.ca



FARMERS
for
microFIT

A
coalition
of
concerned
citizens
and
solar
energy
suppliers
opposed
to
the
proposed
changes
to
the

Ontario
microFIT
Solar
PV
program,
organized
by
John
Verway,
President,
Copperhill
Solar
and

committed
to
advocating
a
fair
and
equitable
return
to
all
solar
energy
investors

www.farmersformicroFIT.ca