Today OYA Solar Inc. (OYA), Ontario’s premiere developer of solar PV systems, announced the commissioning of its largest project with Atlas Tube. OYA in conjunction with Atlas, North America’s largest independent manufacturer of hollow structural steel sections, has developed Canada’s largest rooftop solar PV plant. The 718.08-kW solar plant, which spans over nearly 120,000 square feet of roof top space (7 hockey rinks), is located at Atlas, a division of JMC Steel Group located in Harrow, Ontario, and is the first phase of a planned 3.5-MW rooftop project.
Currently, the rooftop solar installation in Canada, will supply enough electricity to power 60 homes for a whole year, with an annual power output of 897,128 kilowatt-hours (kWh). The plant will offset over 420 tons of greenhouse gas emissions, the equivalent of planting over 25,000 trees. The project features 2,244 solar modules and over 30 tons of steel tubing supplied by Atlas Tube and Polar Racking’s rooftop ballasted mounting system.
“This solar PV plant is a testament to JMC Steel’s continued corporate leadership and environmental stewardship. It showcases how traditionally energy intensive industries can make sustainable choices for their energy consumption and still benefit the bottom line. OYA Solar takes pride in our ability to engineer, deploy and finance large-scale solar solutions for our clients. We foresee the market for rooftop solar growing significantly across North America as commercial and industrial clients see the economic and environmental benefits of moving towards sustainable energy solutions,” said Manish Nayar, Managing Partner of OYA.
In addition to the announcement, Polar Racking, one of OYA’s sister companies, continues to forge its strategic alliance with Atlas. Polar, who designs, manufactures and assembles racking in Windsor, ON, has incorporated Atlas’ steel tube to manufacture its second generation of ground mount racking systems which was recently presented at Intersolar North America 2013. Atlas’ steel tube provides Polar with competitive cost, greater strength and structural rigidity over the use of aluminum as well as other benefits in solar applications.
“We are excited to have teamed with OYA Solar and Polar Racking to complete this project at our Atlas Tube manufacturing facility in Harrow, ON. This solar installation proves that steel tubing is a viable solution for rooftop applications,” said David Seeger, President of JMC Steel Group (parent of Atlas Tube). “As the demand for solar continues to grow throughout North America, JMC Steel Group looks forward to providing high-quality steel tubing to support those demands.”
In 2013 Ontario was the second largest market for Solar PV installations in North America. The industry has seen its ups and downs during the past year but OYA continues to grow and play a leadership role in spurring North America’s solar PV growth. “Our unique value proposition is appealing to commercial and industrial customers,” said Manish Nayar, “We can provide fully financed solar PV solutions that positively impact the bottom line immediately.”
— Solar Builder magazine
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