SWITCH, Kingston's Alternative Energy Cluster

Kingston Unplugged, An Earth Hour Event, is scheduled to take place on Saturday, March 27^th from 7 to 10 pm, in Springer Market Square. Please click here if you are interested in sponsoring Kingston Unplugged.

SWITCH has received a grant from the Community Adjustment Fund for Green Energy Economic Development. Please welcome Mark Gibson, Andy Mills, and Pierre Nadeau who have joined SWITCH from October 2009 to March 2010 to work on this important initiative.
SWITCH will be looking to help small and medium enterprises throughout Eastern Ontario become a part of the green energy supply chain, or benefit from being consumers of green energy technology. if you are or know of a small or medium enterprise that is or is potentially a provider or consumer in the renewable energy sector, please contact us. SWITCH is looking to apply its enhanced resources to help you succeed and grow.

Thank you for attending the Renewable Energy 'How To' Workshop for Homeowners organized by SWITCH members, and held at St. Lawrence College. To look at slides and video from previous sessions, Click Here.

Read SWITCH's 2009 Annual Report.

SWITCH's September 4^th, 2009 Open Meeting set an attendance record of 80. SWITCH is the place to keep in touch with members of the Kingston area's sustainable energy community

Wintergreen Studios, an off-grid education and retreat centre located in the Frontenac Arch Biosphere Reserve, offers meeting and retreat facilities, as well as one and two-day workshops at a 10% discount to SWITCH members. Please advise them you are a SWITCH member when registering in order to receive the discount.

Interested in generating electricity from solar PV and participating in the new Feed-In tariff program? Or are you interested in solar hot water for your house? Contact our member firms that sell and install solar energy systems.

You may also wish to participate in the Utilities Kingston Solar Domestic Hot Water rental program. For general information to help you out, here are some answers to frequently asked questions from homeowners.

The Ontario Government, through the Ontario Solar Thermal Heating Initiative (OSTHI), has increased the incentives available for solar hot water systems fivefold. OSTHI will now provide a maximum of $400,000 per project. For more information, please click here .

The Community Energy Partnerships Program, is offering one time financial assistance of up to $200,000 for project planning, environmental and engineering studies. The program is open to community groups, including cooperatives, non-profit groups and local partnerships. Projects are eligible to receive a graduated incentive, based on the percentage of local ownership, of up to 1 cent/kilowatt hour in addition to standard feed-in-tariff rates.

SWITCH is advocating on behalf of its members

On April 16, 2009 SWITCH made an oral presentation to the standing committee of the Ontario Legislature on the Green Energy and Green Economy Act in order to bring the concerns of its members to the attention of the committee.

In the spring of 2009, SWITCH made a submission to the City of Kingston's planning department regarding the new City Official Plan on behalf of its members, and specifically about the draft Official Plan's statements on the use of land for renewable energy.

SWITCH has been out making contacts in the community

SWITCH director Ted Hsu spoke at the 2009 Council of Outdoor Educators of Ontario conference

SWITCH director Ted Hsu spoke at the KEDCO Going Green and Staying Profitable small business forum

SWITCH director Ted Hsu spoke at the 2009 Commerce and Engineering Environmental Conference.

SWITCH director Ted Hsu and SWITCH members spoke about SWITCH and local renewable energy projects to the 2009 Ontario East Municipal Conference in September.

Thanks for visiting our tables at Green-Up! 2008 and 2009, Attendance at Green Up! was over 1000 each year!

SWITCH was a Green Sponsor of Innovation 2009 in Kingston.

Thanks for visiting our tables at the 2008 and 2009 Quinte Conservation Sustainable Living Symposium. Attendance was over 500.