August 15th, 2009

Sunpark Energy took one of its large mobile solar arrays to the Sunlight Music Festival in Guelph to provide a spectacular backdrop for the day's performers.

Among the line-up of 15 musical acts was Ashley MacIsaac (pictured) who wowed the crowd with an eclectic style of Celtic music, including Irish jigs, intermingled with country and East Coast ditties.

Although the crowd's attention was firmly on the stage during the performances, the Sunpark solar array (below) attracted a lot of attention from visitors to the event during the short breaks between performers.



"We're delighted to be able to support this exciting festival which raises money for such a worthwhile cause" said Richard Mash, President of Sunpark Energy.

"We're already looking forward to next year's event!" he added.

Full details of the Sunlight Music Festival can be found on their website at
www.SunlightMusicFestival.com

July 18th, 2009

People walking along the Trans Canada Trail in Guelph on Saturday 18th July were greeted by the sight of a giant solar sunflower gleaming in the late afternoon sunshine.

The 6.4 metre structure was designed and installed by Sunpark Energy to help promote the renewable energy services of its Guelph-based client, who had advertised the installation extensively, and had arranged for the media to be present at 5pm to witness the lifting of the huge solar structure onto the mast.

“We had to conform to very strict timelines” said Richard Mash, President of Sunpark Energy. “Our team completed the construction and installation of the entire project in only 9 hours and after a short delay due to rain and blustery winds the final lift took place only 3 minutes behind schedule”.



The Sunpark team will be tested again in a few week's time when they will be challenged with installing a large ground-mounted array for the Sunlight Music Festival.

"We will have about 6 hours to deliver and build an entire solar array at Riverside Park" said Mash. "The array will be present for the whole day of the festival, then we have 6 hours to remove it from the site".

It should be an interesting weekend!

May 1st, 2009

Sunpark Energy has been chosen as the solar energy supplier to the Sunlight Music Festival taking place in Guelph, Ontario on August 15th, 2009.

Sunpark will provide power from its own solar arrays and other EcoLogo certified sources to ensure all of the power requirements of the outdoor music festival are met by clean, renewable energy.

The Sunlight Music Festival will feature a wide range of local and national bands, and the organizers hope to make this an annual event in Guelph's calendar.

All profits from this year's event will go to Women in Crisis - a charity dedicated to ending violence against women and children.

Full details of the Sunlight Music Festival can be found on their website at
www.SunlightMusicFestival.com

Jan 21st, 2009

Solar Power Project Back on Track

GUELPH, Ontario - A solar tracker project in the city’s north end is back in motion after almost being derailed amid safety concerns from Guelph Junction Railway.

The concern was that the 6.4-metre structure that orients solar panels toward the sun would be too close to a nearby railway crossing. With at least two trains passing Speedvale Avenue on weekdays and the crossing lacking lowering arms, there was a perceived risk the tracker would limit train operator’s sightlines and distract motorists.

Sunpark Energy Corp. agreed to move the tracker’s planned location back a few metres and contracted surveyors to draft additional drawings to show the safe distance. “It’s moved back only by three or four metres, but it’s enough,” said Tom Sagaskie, general manager of Guelph Junction Railway.

Sunpark’s Bruce Fraser said he hopes to see the solar tracker outside the AgEnergy Co-operative office on Speedvale Avenue, northeast of Woolwich Street, this spring. “We are satisfied with the outcome,” Fraser said. “I believe all the conditions have now been met or are being addressed as we move forward.”

It’s the solar tracker project’s intention to be a highly visible example of solar generation and create public awareness about low-impact renewable energy. “This project will get public attention and we hope this will lead to other residents and businesses in Guelph to seek out information,” Fraser said. “This in turn should result in the advancement of solar energy in Guelph as set out in the goals of Guelph’s community energy plan.”

Nov 3rd, 2008

Solar Power Project Derailed

Plans for a new solar power project in Guelph have been delayed – possibly indefinitely - due to objections from Guelph Junction Railway.

Sunpark had planned to install a solar tracker outside their offices on Speedvale Avenue in order to promote solar power in Guelph and to support Guelph’s Community Energy Plan.

In a written submission to Guelph City Council, the Guelph Junction Railway stated that they are concerned the solar panel "will create a visual distraction taking motorists attention away from the railway crossing and signals [on Speedvale Avenue] thereby creating a hazard".

Sunpark’s Bruce Fraser commented "Our renewable energy projects are designed to attract the attention and interest of the public. It’s the high visibility of our solar panels that allow us to attract corporate sponsorship dollars. It’s a shame that the visibility of the project is what might eventually cause it to be cancelled".

After reviewing the comments regarding the location of the solar panels, Sunpark Energy offered to relocate the panels further away from the property lines and the adjacent railway, but the objection from GJR means that Sunpark will now have to commission an engineer to perform a full road and rail safety audit on the nearby railway crossing before GJR will reconsider their objection.

"We are reviewing our options." stated Fraser. "Due to the extra costs of the audit and reports requested by the railway, we may have to cancel the installation of the solar tracker at this location. The funding for the solar panels is already in place, so we’re starting to look for alternative sites. I’m optimistic that a business or property owner in Guelph will be interested in having our solar panels installed on their land in return for the very positive media and public attention that a project like this attracts".

Oct 18th, 2008

The Sunpark Energy team successfully defended their title in the 10th Annual "Curl for Cancer" event at the Guelph Curling Club!

This annual event is a fun way to raise money for the Canadian Cancer Society.

We would like to thank our colleagues and friends for donating their time and enthusiasm to this cause, and especially want to convey our thanks to FireFly Energy, Carmanah Technologies Corporation, Mezzanine Consulting and SunEdison Canada for their generous donations.

FireFly Energy supplies 'Green Energy' to the Guelph Curling Club and has a very visible brand presence at the venue (see photo).

FireFly has successfully used Sunpark marketing materials to promote their green energy products, and many FireFly customers are now proud owners of solar cells in Sunpark's solar projects in Ontario!

May 30th, 2008

Mario Bernardi, Executive Director of  ClimateCare Co-operative Corp. presented a sponsorship cheque to Sunpark Energy.

ClimateCare used Sunpark logos and marketing collateral to create a highly effective advertising campaign promoting their high efficiency furnace and air conditioner installations.

"Being environmentally responsible is something all our members take very seriously," said Mr. Bernardi. "We're glad to support a venture like Sunpark. We live, work and play in the same communities as our customers, and are committed to making them a better place."

As the environment is directly impacted by heating and cooling equipment, ClimateCare members pledged to be part of the solution by supporting Sunpark and by helping customers switch to the most efficient furnaces, boilers, air conditioners and other equipment available today, and through customer education about energy conservation.


You can find a ClimateCare contractor near you by visiting their web site here.

May 23rd, 2008

Members of Precept Group's "personal lines" sales team gathered at their Guelph branch office to present SANYO solar panels to Sunpark.

The Precept Group is one of Ontario's leading Insurance and Risk Management companies, and has been a sponsor of Sunpark's projects since 2006. 

The Precept Group has an impressive  history of contributing to the communities in which they do business, and we're excited that they are helping us promote solar power in Canada.

The Precept Group has offices in Acton, Cambridge, Dundalk, Elora, Erin, Guelph, Kitchener, Listowel, Orangeville, Waterloo, Wingham and Woodstock.


You can see the full list of locations here.

May 12th, 2008

Sunpark's Bruce Fraser recently travelled to Europe to visit some of the world's most successful solar farms.

Bruce returned with a lot of ideas and enthusiasm about the way Sunpark Energy can replicate the success of the European solar installations, both large and small. 

Bruce said "I was impressed by the way the solar farms blended into the largely rural landscape. The solar arrays were often installed right alongside existing farming operations, providing the farmers with revenue from traditional and modern sources at the same time".

In particular, the Portugese solar installation (pictured here) was of interest to Bruce. "The use of solar trackers allowed the installation to make best use of the available land, as the site consisted of a number of hills and valleys. The trackers were even installed on hills that did not face due south, and the tracker motors kept the solar panels facing the Sun at all times".

November 9th, 2007
The City of Guelph just released their update on the progress of Guelph's Community Energy Plan which includes their "Thousand Solar Roofs" project - an ambitious project to install a significant number of solar photovoltaic installations in the City of Guelph.

Sunpark is pleased to support this initiative, and has had several meetings with representatives from the City of Guelph and Guelph Hydro to determine ways in which we can work together to make the CEP a success.

You can see the CEP update here.

November 5th, 2007
ClimateCare recently announced the results of their ongoing campaign to support Sunpark. Since April, ClimateCare's members have raised over $10,000 to buy solar cells for our projects!

You can see their press release here.

September 17th, 2007
After many months of discussions with large corporate sponsors and interested landowners, proposals are invited from bidders to provide the goods and services required to build a ground-based 120kW solar installation in Ontario.

You can download the Request for Proposal here.

June 16th, 2007
We just received a letter from Dennis Bevington, Member of Parliament for Western Arctic. Mr. Bevington's letter states "I am a firm believer in protecting the environment for the future. As NDP Critic for Energy, I have been vocal about energy conservation in all forms."

Mr Bevington finishes by saying "I am please to sponsor this project by donating $25 towards a solar cell."

We're delighted to list another Member of Parliament as a Sunpark supporter!

May 13th, 2007

ClimateCare Promotion!

If you are considering installing a new air conditioner or furnace this year, don't forget to support our sponsors!

Not only will you get a great deal and excellent service from a ClimateCare contractor, they will also sponsor a solar cell in your name to help support The Sunpark Challenge!

You can view the promotion poster here, and find a ClimateCare contractor near you by visiting their web site here.

April 29th, 2007
We want to thank two of our corporate sponsors - SANYO and Solera Sustainable Energies Company who donated valuable time and resources to promote Sunpark at this weekend's Green Living Show in Toronto.

We also want to thank everyone who attended the show and visited the SANYO and Solera booths to speak with us about Sunpark!

April 3rd, 2007
Representatives from Sunpark Energy were invited to participate in meetings and presentations that culminated in the creation of Guelph's Community Energy Plan.

The final version of the Community Energy Plan has now been released. Significantly, the plan calls for 25% of the city's total energy requirements to be provided by renewable energy sources within the next 15 years. Solar power will most likely be a large part of that solution.

You can read the full Community Energy Plan here.

April 2nd, 2007

On March 5th we wrote to all 306 Members of Parliament asking them to lead by example and sponsor a single solar cell in The Sunpark Challenge.

The first MP to step forward and take up the challenge is Laurie Hawn, Member of Parliament for Edmonton Centre, who has sponsored 4 solar cells.

Mr. Hawn's letter notes "Canada's New Government continues to be committed to creating a cleaner, healthier environment that improves the quality of life of Canadians. Our Government supports the development and deployment of new environment and energy technologies. Canada has a bright future ahead as a world leader in green technologies such as solar power, and this is an important initiative in that direction".

The letter ends with "I wish you great success in building the solar park".

March 22nd, 2007

We just received a letter from the office of the Former Vice President of the USA - The Honorable Al Gore.

Al Gore won an Oscar for his film An Inconvenient Truth which documents his crusade to expose some of the myths and misconceptions surrounding global warming.

The letter notes Mr. Gore is "pleased to hear that others are taking the time to better inform themselves about the environmental challenges we are facing. We must continue to work together in this effort not only for the future of our children, but for the future of our planet. Certainly, each one of us will benefit from a cleaner, more protected earth".

The letter ends with "Keep up the important work that you are doing. Best of luck!"

March 13th, 2007
We're really excited to announce that SANYO has agreed to become a sponsor of Sunpark's projects!

SANYO is probably best known for its consumer electronic products, but the company is also committed to addressing climate change and pollution with environmentally friendly manufacturing processes and highly efficient products.

For instance - did you know that SANYO is the world's largest manufacturer of rechargeable batteries? Using rechargeable batteries means that we don't have to keep throwing old batteries in the garbage, eliminating all the associated problems of pollution and waste. SANYO's Eneloop battery is the most environmentally friendly product on the market, and it can be used right out of the packet as it is already charged when you buy it!

KC Chang of SANYO Canada summarizes their involvement by stating "“SANYO is committed to clean, renewable energy. We care for people and the Earth, and our sponsorship of Sunpark is in line with that spirit. We would like our customers to embrace solar technology and do their part to make Canada a better place to live.”

You can read the full press release about SANYO's involvement here.

March 5th, 2007
Today we wrote to all 306 Members of Parliament in Ottawa, inviting them to accept The Sunpark Challenge and sponsor a single solar cell for just $25. We're optimistic that our elected representatives in the House of Commons will lead by example and become sponsors of Sunpark's exciting projects.

Keep checking in for news on our MPs and new sponsors!

February 12th, 2007
We just received a media release from Guelph Hydro Inc., officially announcing their support of Sunpark.

Guelph Hydro Inc. is already an active participant in the renewable energy field. Its Guelph headquarters facility is one of the largest renewable energy business sites in south-western Ontario.

You can see the full media release here.

February 12th, 2007
Constellation NewEnergy is the largest competitive supplier of electricity to businesses in North America. Their customers represent more than 15,000 megawatts of peak electrical load!

Constellation NewEnergy is also our latest sponsor!

At first glance it might seem strange that a company that earns revenue from conventional electricity sales would be adding its support to a renewable energy project, but as Kelly Lorincz, vice president of Constellation NewEnergy's Ontario region pointed out "Our support of The Sunpark Challenge demonstrates our commitment to promoting renewable energy to our customers and indicates our interest in taking a leadership role in renewable energy supply".

We also approached Constellation NewEnergy because of their public commitment to environmental protection and their responsible management of natural resources.

You can see the full press release here.

January 12th 2007
FireFly Energy is a division of Ag Energy Co-operative, and we just received a copy of Guelph Co-op Council's newsletter containing an article about Ag Energy and FireFly Energy's green power initiatives, which of course include sponsorship of Sunpark.

As the article points out, "FireFly is very community minded and environmentally focused".

You can see the newsletter here.

January 8th 2007
Executive Magazine ran a story on Sunpark today, and included a picture of one of our first sponsors - RLB System Solutions.

The article also mentioned other key Sunpark sponsors, including Atlas Air ClimateCare and FireFly Energy.

Roger Grochmal of Atlas Air ClimateCare stated "There has been a lot of talk about alternative energy sources like solar being important for the environment and we felt it was time to publicly make a financial commitment that shows our support.”

You can see the full article here.

November 14th 2006
The world's newspapers are full of the story that Canada - historically viewed as an environmentally aware country (by those that don't know us!)- has just been ranked 51st out of a total of 56 countries that are taking measures to address climate change. To our shame,  we only just sneaked in ahead of Kazakhstan and the United States... not a great result for a country with such an embarrassment of wealth and natural resources at our disposal.

As our environment minister struggles to explain to the world why Canada is not committed to reducing our greenhouse gas emissions, it makes us proud that certain companies and individuals are saying "enough is enough" and taking the initiative to build renewable energy projects and reduce their impact on the environment.

One such forward-thinking company is Atlas Air ClimateCare, who have just signed on as the latest sponsor of The Sunpark Challenge!

Atlas Air ClimateCare's president - Roger Grochmal - states "It is an honour to be part of such a great initiative. Being environmentally responsible is something we take very seriously and it's great that we can support a venture like this in the province of Ontario. We live, work and play in the same community as our customers and we are committed to making it a better place." You can see the full text of of the press release detailing Atlas Air's involvement here.

October 15th 2006
The global warming debate is heating up again. This time the debate isn’t about whether or not global warming is happening. It’s about what Canada is doing about the problem. Or, more specifically, what Canada isn’t doing about the problem.

The David Suzuki Foundation is asking for help to "Keep Canada in Kyoto".

According to their web site:

"Thirty of 34 countries in Kyoto are on track to meet their targets, but Prime Minister Harper says Canada isn’t even going to try to meet ours. Instead, we’re going to ignore our promise and our international responsibility. In fact, Canada now has no real plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions at all".

October 6th 2006
Do you think Canada is a clean, environmentally friendly country?

Many countries around the globe see pictures of our breathtakingly beautiful scenery and have the impression that we are all a nation of "tree huggers"...

The ugly fact is that Canada’s environmental record is now among the worst in the industrialized world.

If everyone on Earth consumed as many resources and generated as much waste as Canadians do, we’d need the equivalent of nearly five more planets!

Let's start to make a difference! Help us to "create a better planet for future generations" by accepting The Sunpark Challenge and sponsoring a solar cell, or by encouraging your company to become a sponsor of the project.

Every journey begins with a single step...

September 25th 2006
All the companies that have signed up to be sponsors of The Sunpark Challenge have a fantastic commitment to the environment and to the community in which they do business.

A great example of this is The Precept Group Inc., who have offered to accept donations and solar cell sponsorships at all of their insurance offices around Ontario!

September 12th 2006
The Precept Group Inc., one of Ontario's leading insurance brokers has just become our latest sponsor!

It's very reassuring to have an insurance company as one of our sponsors... after all, if we're going to put millions of dollars worth of shiny solar panels in a muddy field, we probably need a good insurance policy!

I'm confident The Precept Group can give us all the necessary advice and attention to make sure we do everything right, as their reputation for providing a personal and friendly service to their clients is unrivalled.

You can read the full press release here.

September 6th 2006
We just received confirmation that RiskAdvisory has agreed to become an official sponsor of our project!

RiskAdvisory is a division of SAS, and the leading provider of integrated risk solutions to energy companies operating in today's volatile markets. They have provided solutions to over 220 clients in the global energy sector, and are a fantastic addition to our list of sponsors! You can read the full press release here.

August 22nd 2006
The largest solar photovoltaic (PV) system in Canada was revealed today!

Located on the rooftop of the Horse Palace at Exhibition Place in Toronto, the 100 kilowatt solar installation is funded by the City of Toronto’s Better Buildings Partnership, the Toronto Atmospheric Fund and the Green Municipal Fund.

This is great news for everyone involved in the solar industry in Canada, but we still have a long way to go before we catch up with other countries in the amount of solar power we install. This also gives us a new element to The Sunpark Challenge - if 100kW is currently the largest installation in Canada, then phase 1 of Sunpark will surpass that record straight away... Then we can claim to be the first solar park, and the largest photovoltaic installation in Canada!

August 18th 2006
The Sunpark Challenge - as seen on TV! We received a call at very short notice from City TV in Toronto, who wanted to interview us regarding The Sunpark Challenge on a show called 'Earth Matters".

Due to other commitments, we were worried that we might not be able to find someone to appear on the show, but Leonard Allen from Solera Sustainable Energies Company offered to become the Sunpark spokesperson for the evening, and did a wonderful job of introducing the concept of the solar park (and solar power in general) to the viewers.

Leonard's experience and lengthy involvement in the field of solar power is a huge asset to our project and we're excited about having Solera on board!

August 16th 2006
We're delighted to announce that Solera Sustainable Energies Company has become the first solar energy company to sign up as a sponsor of the project!

Solera is the leading provider of utility-grid connected solar power in Canada, and will bring a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the project. You can read the full press release regarding Solera's involvement here.

August 8th 2006
I read an article about The Sunpark Challenge in The Ontario Farmer magazine today. Farmers and landowners across Canada are very interested in renewable energy, so agricultural publications are starting to hear about our project! The beauty of a solar park is that it can be installed anywhere where the Sun shines... in a rural or an industrial setting.

Did you notice the facts on our home page regarding how badly Canada is lagging behind the rest of the world in installing solar solutions? I was shocked to learn that a single village in Austria has installed more solar heating than we have installed in the entire country of Canada... Check out more sobering facts in the report by the Canadian Solar Industries Association (CANSIA) here.

August 1st 2006
It is now exactly one month since the launch of The Sunpark Challenge and our web site is starting to attract more and more daily visitors!

It's still only 8am, and already the temperature is hovering around the 27 degrees centigrade mark... Apparently today is going to be the hottest day of the year by a large margin. The radio announcer said it will reach 36 degrees today, with the humidity making it feel like it is in the mid 40's.

So is this anything to do with global warming? I really don't know, but I can tell you that the 'smog advisory' that accompanied the weather report is definitely to do with our current lifestyle choices. The burning of fossil fuels to create electricity and to provide transport is slowly killing us all. Our offices are in rural Ontario - far away from the big cities that you would normally associate with smog, yet our local radio station has to issue warnings for people to stay indoors...

The next part of the weather report told us we would be getting a lot of sunshine today, and the UV  index is very high... What a great day for solar power!

Electricity consumption will probably peak this afternoon as homes and businesses use their air conditioners to reduce the temperature and humidity in buildings across Ontario. Normally, gas-fired power plants will be started to cope with the peak demand, or electricity will be imported from the USA where their coal-fired plants will be pumping even more greenhouse gases and pollutants into the atmosphere.

It's interesting to note that the maximum output of a solar power plant like Sunpark coincides exactly with the time that Ontario needs the most power - on those hot, sunny afternoons!  By installing more solar power we can reduce the need to import dirty power from our neighbours, and stop running the peaking power plants that use fossil fuels that create smog and greenhouse gases.

Now doesn't that make sense?

July 26th 2006
We just received a copy of a press release from FireFly Energy officially announcing their sponsorship of The Sunpark Challenge.

Sales of individual solar cells are starting to pick up as our web site starts to appear in the major search engines.

July 19th 2006
We're delighted to announce that a leading computer systems company has signed up to be the latest sponsor of The Sunpark Challenge!

When we started to build such a high-tech project, we knew we would need to find a good technology partner to keep all the bits and bytes working properly. With the addition of RLB System Solutions to our list of sponsors, we're confident that we've found the right company to do just that.

RLB System Solutions have added some banners to their web site at www.rlbsolutions.com to invite all their customers and suppliers to accept the challenge! We're excited that they will also be helping us promote the project through their company newsletters and press releases.

Our press release today has a great quote from Lennart Berglund, director of RLB System Solutions, regarding why they chose to become involved.

July 15th 2006
It's been exactly 2 weeks since the official launch of our website, and things are starting to gather momentum...

We have sent out a whole stack of sponsorship contracts to companies that are interested in accepting The Sunpark Challenge. We're hopeful that over the next few days you'll see the 'featured sponsors' section fill up with all the logos of companies that have decided to make a difference to the environment.

We will be visiting The University of Guelph tomorrow to take some publicity photos for the project that we can use on the web site and in promotional literature.

Keep visiting the site over the next few days as the project really starts to come alive!.

July 5th 2006
We just received a great news release from FireFly Energy - one of our first sponsors. FireFly are committed to ensuring their customers receive practical and valuable advice regarding renewable energy, so we recently worked with them to install a 10kW solar photovoltaic array on the roof of their office building.

You can see the full press release here:

FireFly Energy takes initiative converting sunshine into energy for their new building.

The system has only been operational for 3 weeks, and it has already generated over 1MWh of electricity!

FireFly Energy are continuing their involvement with solar energy by contributing time and money to The Sunpark Challenge. We really appreciate their involvement.

July 1st 2006
Well - what a wonderful day to launch a solar power project! It always seemed like a good idea to launch The Sunpark Challenge on Canada Day, but who could have predicted this wonderful weather?

Today is the official launch of the project, but this is where the work really starts... Over the next few months we will be asking companies and individuals to prove they can give something back to the community by sponsoring The Sunpark Challenge.

A recent opinion poll confirmed that 92% of Canadians would like to see more solar power developed in Canada.. unfortunately, the high cost of solar projects makes it difficult for most people to install solar power in their homes or businesses.

The Sunpark Challenge is designed to let everyone contribute to renewable energy at a level they can afford. As our web pages show, every solar cell we install will make a contribution to the environment. If 92% of Canadians really do want to make a difference, we should easily be able to build Canada's first solar park with hundreds of thousands of solar cells, and generate sustainable, non-polluting power for 20 years or more.

Please take the time to learn more about this fabulous project, and help us "to create a better planet for future generations" by spreading the word about the web site to all your friends and colleagues.

join us today