Association: Canadian Solar Industries Association

The Canadian Solar Industries Association (CanSIA) is the nationalized voice of the solar industry and a major non-profit advocate of sustainable energy.

In the past year, the association has seen Canada transition from a small-time player in the solar industry to Ontario becoming the third most significant solar jurisdiction in North America in both photovoltaic and thermal. The country expects a further jump from 35 MW of solar PV to 500-800 MW of PV, mostly in Ontario, within the next two years.

"Since the Ontario government passed the Green Energy Act this June to promote renewable energy projects and help the economy - and feed-in tariffs were introduced in October - there has been huge growth in the province," says Elizabeth McDonald, CanSIA President. "Our membership has doubled in the past year and our 2009 Solar Conference was sold out in just two weeks."

There are now roughly more than 500 CanSIA members, including industry giants GE, Sharp and Siemens. Overall membership is comprised of individuals, companies and local governments that share an interest in solar technology.

THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX

Canada's remote territories led to the early development of off-grid solar and passive solar (building houses to face the sun.) In 1978, CanSIA was founded with the goal of promoting Canada's solar thermal industry. The Canadian Photovoltaic Industries Association (CPIA) was then established in 1989 to represent the interests of the emerging PV industry. By1992, however, financial support from the Federal Government was dwindling and the two associations decided to join forces to promote solar technologies in Canada.
CanSIA today works to strengthen the nation's solar industry, increase the professionalism of companies, foster domestic and international markets, and promote the use of renewable energies. The association's bylaws are represented by an executive committee chosen from the PV and solar thermal boards.

McDonald took the helm as CanSIA's President in 2007 following a career with four trade associations. She was previously VP of Television for the Canadian Association of Broadcasters; VP for the former Canadian Cable Television Association; and President and CEO of the Canadian Film and Television Production Association, which she grew to a staff of 20, managing a budget of nearly $6 million before leaving.
After years of attending meetings and seeing the same issues time and again - and family responsibilities as the mother of a 16-year-old - she opted to consult before coming on board with CanSIA.

"I came into it knowing nothing about the solar industry and it's been utterly fascinating. It's about thinking out of the box. It's easy to find people that know the subject matter, but better to find the people who will be challenged to think and stretch," McDonald explains. "If people come to me with something I can't understand, I'd say 'if I can't follow you, how would you expect the politician that sees it to understand?'"

EDUCATION AND OPPORTUNITIES

McDonald is well poised to lead CanSIA forward with its initiatives, which include advocating for the renewal of solar thermal incentives before they expire at the end of March 2011.

"We'll be looking for further opportunities in the upcoming budgets - tax incentives that will help renewable energy companies as the oil and gas companies have been helped. We're also holding a solar conference on May 26, 2010, in Calgary, Alberta, where there's growing interest and opportunities for the solar industry," says McDonald.

CanSIA's continuing goals include introducing programs and activities to enhance and accelerate widespread solar use in Canada and assist individual members of the industry through training and continuing education.

CanSIA offers how-to workshops on generating solar power through the Kortright Center for Conservation in its Renewable Energy Demonstration Cottage. The association is additionally partnered with Seneca College for its Photovoltaic Technician Program. That partnership will soon be one of many through the Association of Canadian Community Colleges, who are developing standard conservation programs.
Another major goal is educating Canada on why solar power works from a business standpoint.

"The business case for solar is not well understood globally," McDonald says. "It's expensive technology initially, but it has great paybacks and its rising popularity will bring the costs down."

"There also needs to be a better understanding of the technology so it makes sense to the average citizen. We'd like to see Canada step up its renewable energy strategy."

www.cansia.ca