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Fit Programs

Version 2 of microFIT Now Open!

What changes have been made?

  • Encourages Greater Community and Aboriginal Participation - Focus on building co-operatives and developing First Nations capacity.
  • Protects Agricultural Lands - Ensuring the long term sustainability of Ontario's farmlands
  • Clarifies Transmission and Distribution - Proposed projects must be located within 50km of a connection point
  • Adjusted timelines for microFIT - Shortened processing times for an offer to connect
  • New Pilot Program offering rooftop solar FIT contracts for un-constructed buildings

For full details, read the Directive from the Minstry of Energy

microFIT Program Rules

  1. Projects must use one of the following renewable energy technologies:
    • Biogas
    • Biomass
    • Landfill gas
    • Solar PV: rooftop and ground-mounted
    • Waterpower
    • Wind
  2. Projects must be located in Ontario
  3. Projects must not be the subject of an existing Ontario Power Authority contract
  4. Projects must be connected, directly or indirectly, to a distribution system.
  5. Projects must have a nameplate capacity of 10kW or less. The nameplate capacity is the manufacturer’s total installed rated capacity of the project to generate electricity.
  6. Projects must have metering that is suitable for data collection and payment calculation as specified by the local distribution company. All microFIT projects require a separate generation meter, so that the amount of electricity produced by the project can be accurately measured.

FIT Program Rules

The FIT Program is open to a variety of generators, project sizes and renewable fuel types. The principal requirements are that your project be located in Ontario and be fueled by a renewable fuel source.

The FIT Program is specifically designed for projects over 10kW. Incremental projects are eligible, provided they use the same meter as the existing facility. However, only the generation attributed to the incremental project will be eligible for FIT Program payments.

To qualify as an incremental project, you must meet these three additional eligibility requirements:

  1. You must be the owner of the existing renewable energy project
  2. The incremental project must use the same technology as the existing renewable energy project
  3. The incremental project must use the existing renewable energy projects connection and metering

Ground-mounted Solar PV projects greater than 100kW must not be located on:

  • Canada Land Inventory Class 1 Lands for agriculture
  • Canada Land Inventory Class 2 Lands for agriculture or specialty crop areas

Projects located on Canada Land Inventory Class 3 lands for agriculture can only be located on lands designated on the FIT Program website as Class 3 Available Lands.

Agricultural land restrictions do not apply to projects located on land that was re-zoned for non-agricultural use as of October 1, 2009.

FIT Guidelines on Rooftop Solar PV

Rooftop solar PV prices are intended to encourage the development of solar PV projects on existing permanent buildings, such as schools, commercial buildings, condominiums and small businesses that have walls, a roof, and a permanent foundation.

To qualify as a rooftop facility, the Ontario Power Authority must be satisfied that the building on which the solar PV project is located on is an appropriate type of building and that the primary intent of the building is not to support a solar installation.

For More Information

For additional details, please visit the Ontario Power Authority website