OPA Feed-in Tariff Program: Table of final interpretations

The OPA, in collaboration with the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, is providing responses to questions related to the designated activities in the domestic grids found in the FIT and microFIT contracts. These responses will be updated periodically as new questions are received.

DOMESTIC CONTENT UPDATE DECEMBER 14, 2009

Please note: these interpretations are provided as assistance only and are specific to the specially listed table items. These interpretations do not waive any contractual terms regarding Domestic Content and Designated Activities. All capitalized terms have the same meaning as in the FIT contract. This table may be updated from time to time without notice.

General information

The OPA will not review specific project developers' cost breakdowns to determine compliance with domestic content requirements. The OPA will respond to requests for clarification and its responses will be based on a determination of reasonable compliance with the description of the designated activity.

FIT or microFIT Program	Domestic Content Table no.	Grid Cell Reference no.	Description of Designated Activity	OPA Answers
FIT	1	1	Wind turbine blades cast in a mould in Ontario and instrumentation that is within the blades has been assembled in Ontario.	Instrumentation includes, but is not limited to, any sensors and associated signal processing within the blade.
FIT	1	4	Hub and hub casing, where the hub has been entirely machined in Ontario, i.e., without any pre-machining performed outside Ontario, other than peeling/roughing of the part for quality control purposes when it left the smelter or forge.	Casting of the hub is not included in this designated activity.
FIT	1	8	Drive shaft has been entirely machined in Ontario, i.e., without any other pre-machining performed outside Ontario other than peeling/roughing of the part for quality control purposes when it left the smelter or forge.	Forging of the shaft is not included in this designated activity.
FIT	1	9	Power converter where the assembly, final wiring and testing has been done in Ontario.	Final wiring refers to the wiring internal to the converter. Wiring of the converter to other components is not included in this designated activity.
FIT	1	12	Control panel and electronics, where the assembly, final wiring and testing have been done in Ontario.	Final wiring refers to the wiring internal to the control panel and electronics. Wiring of the control panel and electronics to other components is not included in this designated activity.
FIT	1	15	Pad mount or equivalent transformers that have been wound and tested in Ontario.	For greater certainty, transformers can be located inside the base of turbines or in the nacelle.
FIT	2	6	Mounting systems, where the structural components of the fixed or moving mounting systems have been entirely machined or formed or cast in Ontario. The metal for the structural components may not have been pre-machined outside Ontario, other than peeling/roughing of the part for quality control purposes when it left the smelter or forge. The machining and assembly of the mounting system must have entirely taken place in Ontario (i.e., bending, welding, piercing and bolting).	This designated activity does not include the actuator or motor for solar tracking systems. This designated activity does not include standard bolts, screws, nuts, washers or clamps, where the clamps are used specifically to secure the module to the mounting system. Non-metal materials in the structural components will also have to be formed or shaped in Ontario in order to qualify. Where the mounting system uses the module frame to secure it to a roof and the module has one single frame, only the non-module components will be considered as part of the mounting system components. Building integrated solar photovoltaic (BIPV): for a solar PV module that replaces a building part but has additional or special structural components that attach the module to the building, those components shall count as the mounting system.
FIT	3	4	Same as above.
FIT	4	6	Same as above.
microFIT		6	Same as above.
FIT	3	1, 2	Thin film photovoltaic cells where the active photovoltaic layer(s) have been fabricated (by methods including but not limited to vapour deposition, evaporation or sputtering) in Ontario. Where the manufacture of the module is inseparable from the manufacture of the cells, there shall be no separate requirement for the module. Solar photovoltaic module (i.e., panel), where the electrical connections between the solar cells have been made in Ontario and solar photovoltaic module materials have been encapsulated in Ontario.	Where designated activity 1 and designated activity 2 are inseparable (i.e., where there is no separate step to encapsulate a thin film solar module), the qualifying percentage for each of these activities will be awarded for the completion of the combined activity.
FIT	2	5	Inverter, where the assembly, final wiring and testing have been done in Ontario.	In order to qualify as inverter "assembly", the following subcomponents have to be fully integrated in Ontario, with no steps in such integration occurring outside Ontario: circuit boards enclosure housing enclosure lid cables any other components required for the functioning of an inverter. Printed circuit boards integrated into the inverter are not required to be populated in Ontario.
FIT	3	3	Same as above.
FIT	4	5	Same as above.
microFIT		5	Same as above.

You can also view the table in PDF format:

Domestic Content Update December 14, 2009