Generating Solar Energy from Brownfields

OPEL Solar, Inc., international supplier of high concentration photovoltaic (HCPV) solar panels, and TRUENORTH Solar & Environmental, L.L.C. (TRUENORTH), designer and installer of solar industry products, entered into a partnership to install solar installations at brownfield locations across North America. The conversion of this unproductive, potentially contaminated, or "brown" land into "green," solar energy generating fields creates a win-win situation for the environment and the province's solar market.

New Solar Partnership Good News for Land-Owners

HCPV panels produce about 40% more solar-generated energy than conventional panels, which could potentially increase revenue and drive down prices. According to Leon M. Pierhal, CEO of OPEL Solar, "Turning brownfields into solar fields represents more than just a tremendous business opportunity for OPEL Solar and TRUENORTH. It's a way for both companies to give back to these communities, generate badly needed municipal revenues by generating green energy, and help revitalize blighted and unusable urban land."

The solar partnership will also create a new revenue stream for both companies, a fact that bodes well for their shareholders. This idea is not lost on Pierhal, who adds, "â€¦we see this initiative as another example of our strategy to enhance shareholder value by continuing to uncover new, expanded market opportunities for providing our solar technology expertise."

Latest News Signal Green Job Opportunities

OPEL plans to position itself as a leading solar brownfield solution provider, and the partnership it announced with TRUENORTH is a key step on the path to that goal. "Not only will it generate revenue for OPEL and bring positive land remediation for communities across North America," says Pierhal, "it will also generate jobs for North Americans and get local manufacturers and suppliers moving again to support the solar development of brownfields."

Brownfields in Ontario

Brownfields exist across Ontario, and their redevelopment is encouraged through community improvement plans and financial incentives like tax deductions and development charge exemptions. The province is fertile ground for ventures like the partnership between OPEL and TRUENORTH, with its access to unused land and a solar industry fueled by the high prices of Ontario's feed-in-tariff program. It is only a matter of time before the province's brownfields bloom with solar panels.