Ontario FIT Domestic Content Hardware

[Rob Beckers]

For those in the RE business in Ontario, you've probably been looking around for parts and mounting hardware that qualifies for the "domestic content" rules of the FIT/MicroFIT programs.

As for me, I've been spending the last few weeks looking particularly for roof and ground mounts for PV. There are a few roof mounts available, True North makes one, Conergy, and Green Sun Rising are others. Problem is that I am not overly impressed by any of them. None seems as straight forward as hardware from, for example, Unirac (which does not qualify). For ground mounts it is even worse; the only one I've found to date is from True North, and theirs is essentially a pole mount (there's an A-frame ground mount version called "Big Eh" but it just bolts the pole mount rack to an A-frame). Not great if all you need is a regular, fixed angle, ground mount. Expensive too.

I would like to start this thread to collect other sources of domestic content compliant hardware. While I'm mainly looking for mounting hardware it does not have to be limited to that. If you have found additional sources, please post.

-RoB-

[Chris Olson]

If you don't mind me asking, Rob, what is the problem with the Unirac system that causes it to not qualify for the Feed In Tariff program? I have all my panels mounted on Unirac rail mounts and as far as I'm concerned it's a top-notch mounting system.

I'm doing a turbine installation in Ontario in two weeks, and while that installation is off-grid I do have some other prospects that are already involved in the FIT program with solar arrays, all ground mounted. I saw one of those north of Thunder Bay, a tracking array, where somebody didn't read the specs right when pouring the foundation pillars and the legs of the ground mount didn't even fit the foundation so they cobbled on some flat plate steel on top of the foundation pillars to bolt the legs to. I got pictures of it (attached).
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Chris

[Rob Beckers]

Hi Chris,

You dragged up a year-plus old thread. The situation now is very different from early 2010. There are many more Ontario made racking options, including (I believe) Unirac.

-RoB-

[Chris Olson]

Hi Chris,
You dragged up a year-plus old thread. The situation now is very different from early 2010. There are many more Ontario made racking options, including (I believe) Unirac.


Well, it might be a year old but it just looked like a single post to me - not really a thread.

I was curious as to the status of this because the last I heard Unirac (from New Mexico) had partnered with Canadian Solar, Inc. Being Canada and the US have a trade agreement (for duty-free goods shipped across the border) I couldn't figure out why Unirac mounting systems didn't qualify. In fact, IIRC, Canadian Solar is building the mounting systems in Ontario under license from Unirac.
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Chris