New On-Farm Solar Photovoltaics Program Announced Great News! The new On-Farm Solar PV funding program under the Alberta Agriculture and Forestry department has been released and are currently accepting applications for the On-Farm Solar PV funding program. The only program eligibility requirements are that the Customer is a resident of Alberta with a Distribution Rate Class of Farm, Irrigation, Grain Drying or Equivalent. This piece of information is available from the Wire Service Provider for the area of the Customer. The funding program is a migration from Alberta’s Growing Forward 2 services and programs. Under Growing Forward 2, approved projects had a deadline to complete and submit final reporting by March 31st, 2018 in order to receive the funding. The deadline has been lifted under Alberta Agriculture and Forestry in order for eligible Customers to apply for the grant right away and proceed with installations within a comfortable timeline.   The On-Farm Solar PV program funding is calculated as followed, no system size restrictions:
  • System sizes up to 100kW DC capacity:
    • $0.75/Watt up to a maximum of 35% of the total installation cost.
  • System sizes between 100kW – 150kW DC capacity:
    • First 100kW at $0.75/Watt up to a maximum of 35% of the total installation cost.
    • Remainder capacity at $0.56/Watt up to a maximum of 27% of the total installation cost.
  • System sizes above 150kW DC capacity:
    • Funding covered only up to 150kW at the two rates list above.
Before applying into the program, the Customer would need to select a solar PV contractor. Dandelion Renewables is a proud member of the recommended list of contractors for the On-Farm Solar PV program. Upon selecting Dandelion Renewables as their on-farm solar PV contractor, we take these following steps in securing the funding and completing the installation:
  1. Sign a Supply and Installation Agreement between the Customer and Dandelion Renewables.
  2. Provide final design of the solar PV system with the creation of the electrical wiring diagram, site plan, and engineered drawings.
  3. Fill out and send the AUC Microgeneration Application to the Customer’s Wire Service Provider for an Interconnection Agreement.
  4. After receiving the Interconnection Agreement, we fill out the On-Farm Solar PV Program application for the Customer and send the application with all supporting documents for funding approval.
  5. After the funding approval letter has been received by the Customer, we can proceed with getting a hold of all the construction permits and then on to installation and commissioning the system.
  6. Dandelion Renewables will send the final report to Alberta Agriculture and Forestry on behalf of the Customer, after which Alberta will deposit the funds into a bank account of the Customer’s choosing.
If you are an Alberta farmer and would like to discuss more details of this program and how it works, provide you a quote of the system cost or even if you are inquiring about solar PV, how a system works, or how it can help save energy costs, please do not hesitate to contact us. We would be pleased to answer any questions you may have. Look forward to hearing from you!