3940 & 3986 North Service Road East
Windsor, ON N8W 5R7
Chute-à-Blondeau Agrivoltaics
Chute-à-Blondeau Agrivoltaics (the “Project”) is a proposed sheep farming and solar generation project. The Project will consist of approximately 9.5 Mega-Watt AC (“MWac”) of solar power that will be located in The Township of East Hawkesbury. The Project will be submitted to the Independent Electricity System Operator’s (“IESO”) Request for Proposals under the Long-Term 2 Procurement.
It is important to us that the Chute-à-Blondeau Agrivoltaics Project be successfully integrated into the Township of East Hawkesbury and we are seeking to incorporate feedback through this Project Website into the development of this Project.
What is Agrivoltaics?
Agrivoltaics is dual use of land for agricultural and solar generation activities.
We are excited to share that this project will be one of many of Compass Greenfield Development’s (CGD) commitment to Agrivoltaics in Ontario. The Project will continue to utilize the land for agriculture purposes while simultaneously contributing to Ontario’s goal to reduce greenhouse emissions through solar power generation.
Agrivoltaics is already common in Ontario, where sheep are used on several projects to maintain the vegetation on solar farms.
See a video of sheep co-existing in fields of arrays.
The solar panels present many benefits to this type of livestock while contributing to the overall efficiency in the facilities operation. For more information on agrivoltaics visit Agrivoltaics Canada.
Provincial Needs
Ontario is entering a period of emerging electricity system needs where electricity demand is forecast to increase 75% between 2025 and 2050.
This increase is primarily driven by continued electrification as well as recent developments in industrial and data centre growth. To meet these emerging needs, new energy and capacity resources will be required in the 2030s and beyond.
Industrial sector and data centre growth are the primary drivers of new demand, but commercial sector growth, increasing population, and electrification are also continuing to escalate electricity demand across the province.
In response, the IESO is conducting various procurements, including the ongoing Long-Term Request for Proposals (“LT2 RFP”), to secure approximately 2,000 MW of energy producing capacity in Ontario. Facilities that successfully demonstrate their capabilities will be contracted by the first quarter of 2026, with operations starting on or before 2030.
More information about IESO’s procurements are available here.
The Chute-à-Blondeau Agrivoltaics Project, among other electricity generation sites, will help address emerging provincial and regional electricity needs for the coming decades.
Project History and Description
The Project proposes to co-locate solar—up to 9.5 (“MWac”)—and agriculture on the same land within the Township of East Hawkesbury, under development by Compass Greenfield Development Inc. The Project will participate in contributing to the 75% increase in energy demand by 2050 in ON through the IESO’s LT2 RFP bid submission in Q4 of 2025. This infrastructure project will bring significant investment and local benefits including employment, lease payments and capital spending in the local economy.
Components
The Project will consist of photovoltaic modules connected in strings and installed across motorized mounting racks. The mounting rack’s height would be around 7 feet above the ground and each row would be spaced about 25 feet apart. The height of the panels allows for the sheep to easily pass underneath and provides them shade.
The enclosed area will also house the balance-of-plant equipment such as an inverter, combiner boxes, transformers, along with other interconnection equipment. The solar module strings feed inverters that connect to a transformer tied to the power grid. The Project will also have private access roads.
Visual Screening
We are committed to reducing any visual impact on neighbouring properties by i) maintaining existing perimeter vegetation and ii) adding additional vegetative screening where required.
Compliance
The Project will comply with all regulatory permitting requirements including IESO, the Regional Municipality, and Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks.
Security
The Project will have restricted access to prevent any health and safety incidents and will be monitored 24×7 through a secure remote-monitoring facility.
Location
The Southern Saskatchewan region has been identified as having the highest solar resource potential across Canada. The Cymri Solar Power Project has engaged an independent, local environmental consultant to conduct a desk-top review to better understand the environmental permitting requirements for the proposed project site. Figure 1: Cymri Solar Power Project Map provides an overview of the proposed location of the Project.
Figure 1: Chute-à-Blondeau Preliminary Project Design
Benefits to the Community
There are various economic and non-economic community benefits associated with the Project. The Project will provide power to meet growing electricity demand in Ontario, and provide local economic benefits during the design, construction, and over 20 years of operation. These benefits include:
- Optimize Land Use: The land will be used for grazing while solar generation is added.
- Job Creation, Local Economic Stimulus: Construction will lead to a creation of jobs. We are actively engaging with local contractors to perform site construction. On-site activity will boost the revenues of local business during construction.
- Community Benefit Agreement (CBA): CGD will commit to an annual payment of $1,000/MWac to the municipality.
- Decommissioning Securities: CGD is required to decommission the Project at the end of its useful life. To ensure there are funds available for decommissioning, we post financial security.
- Diversified income stream for local landowners: keep landownership within your municipality.
- Increased tax based for the municipality.
Anticipated Project Timelines
Successful developments require up to five years to reach commercial operation.
2025
Land Lease
- Permitting review
- Municipal Support
- Interconnection
assessment
2025 → 2026
IESO Procurement
- Consultation with municipality and neighbours
- Proven process ensures success
2025 → 2026
Engineering, Design & Approvals
- IESO contract award
- Provincial Permitting
- Municipal Permitting
- Electrical Permitting
- Design and construction is planned with the landowner’s land-use in mind
2027 → 2028
Commercial Operation
- Construction
- Solar array is installed
- Local electrical grid connection occurs along existing lines and connection points.
- Remote monitoring
- Annual maintenance
2050+
Decomissioning
- Equipment is removed
- Land fully remediated
- Opportunity for re-commissioning
Project Updates
Watch this space for updates on the Chute-à-Blondeau Agrivoltaics Project.
Notice Of Public Community Meeting
Meeting Date and Time
April 23rd, 2025
7:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Meeting Location
Chute à Blondeau Community Centre
2005 Principale Street, Chute-à-Blondeau, ON K0B 1B0
Public Community Meeting Minutes
Community Meeting Presentation
Additional Resources
University of Western Ontario: Grazing ‘solar’ sheep offer lucrative solution for farmers, Western research shows
Agrivoltaics paired with sheep production makes nearly 100 per cent of land grazable
Western professor Joshua Pearce collaborated with professional shepherd Rafael Lara on a study that shows the profitability of “solar” sheep, raised specifically to trim grass and weeds under traditional solar panels or agrivoltaic arrays.
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) Solar Market Research & Analysis: Agrivoltaicas
Agrivoltaics pairs solar with agriculture, creating energy and providing space for crops, grazing, and native habitats under and between panels. NREL studies economic and ecological tradeoffs of agrivoltaic systems.
Indigenous & Community Engagement Plan
Chute-à-Blondeau Agrivoltaics has developed an Indigenous & Community Engagement Plan that identifies a strategy for establishing and sustaining a transparent and productive engagement with Community stakeholders and Indigenous Communities. We encourage interested stakeholders to review this document to understand the Chute-à-Blondeau Agrivoltaics community engagement process.
Developer Background
Capstone is generating our low-carbon future, driving the energy transition forward through creative thinking, strong partnerships, and a commitment to quality and integrity in how we do business. A developer, owner, and operator of clean and renewable energy projects across North America, Capstone’s portfolio includes approximately 776 MW gross installed capacity across 30 facilities, including wind, solar, hydro, biomass, and natural gas cogeneration power plants. Please visit www.capstoneinfrastructure.com for more information.
Wahgoshig Solar FIT5 LP
Wahgoshig Solar FIT 5 LP (“Wahgoshig Solar”), is a partnership formed between Wahgoshig First Nation and Compass Renewable Energy Consulting Inc. Wahgoshig Solar developed, constructed, and operates four 500 kWac/600 kWdc (2.4 MWdc total) ground mount Feed-in Tariff (“FIT”) projects under the former FIT program in Ontario. Wahgoshig Solar engaged Compass to manage the development, permitting and construction of these facilities.
Compass Greenfield Development (CGD) was born out of Compass Renewable Energy Consulting Inc., and our team members have been developing in Canada and the U.S. for over a decade, with experience across the development lifecycle from pre-screening, contracting, construction, commissioning and operations. CGD leverages our consulting DNA, implementing a proven process, to identify and advance greenfield development opportunities for solar and battery energy storage. We have a long-term strategic perspective coupled with on the ground experience in doing the doing that results in projects getting to commercial operation. All of our stakeholders benefit including landowners, municipalities, Indigenous partners, investors and the public at large.
CGD was successful in securing Battery Energy Storage contracts in both the Expedited Long Term 1 and Long Term 1 procurements in 2023 and 2024 respectively.
Frequently Asked Questions
PV systems are subject to third-party certification to ensure they comply with all of the required codes and standards.
Solar facilities have an expected lifespan of 20 plus years with equipment replacement and repowering. At the time of decommissioning, the installed components will be removed and reused/recycled, where possible, and the site restored. All removal of equipment will be done per the applicable regulations and manufacturer recommendations. The below summarizes the decommissioning procedure that would be enacted at the end of project life for each component.
Solar PV – Disconnect all above-ground wirings. Remove all PV modules and support structures.
Medium Voltage (MV) Stations, Substation – Disconnect and remove all electrical equipment. Remove the inverter and associated equipment. Remove high-voltage substation transformer. Remove concrete foundations for MV Stations and substation components.
Access roads and other components – Consult with the property owner to determine if access roads should be left in place for their continued use. If roads are to be removed, the aggregate materials will be excavated by a backhoe/front-end loader, along with any underlying geotextile fabric. Compacted areas restored.
The IESO procurement and Ministry of Agriculture guidelines restrict solar development on Prime Agricultural Areas as defined in the Provincial Policy Statement. The Chute-à-Blondeau Agrivoltaics Project is located on rural lands as per the United Counties of Prescott and Russell Official Plan, the local transmission station supports the projects capacity, and the project property will be used for sheep grazing, and eventually hand-picked crops in addition to being used for solar generation. We have leased up to 59 acres of land for this project.
Agrivoltaics is the co-existence of a farming activity and solar generation facility. Compass Greenfield Development is committed to initially siting the solar project with sheep grazing and eventually handpicked crops.
Where a natural visual screen isn’t already present we will add a vegetative screen.
Yes, as part of our project costs we are committed to providing a community benefits contribution to the municipality on an annual basis. Additionally, we pay for all costs that the municipality incurs in evaluating and permitting our proposed project.
Our projects are designed to comply with the provincial regulations on noise and our equipment will be selected to ensure we meet noise limitations as outlined by the Ministry of the Environments, Environmental Noise Guideline – Stationary and Transportation Sources – Approval and Planning (NPC-300) for Class 3 receptors.
Construction will last about 9 to 12 months.
Once operating we will attend to site for scheduled maintenance about four times a year, excluding any unscheduled maintenance activities and any farming requirements.
The solar farm will not have any impact on surrounding well or other water. The foundations will be about 2 to 3 metres deep, above the minimum depth required for domestic wells in Ontario. The only potential pollutant is the oil used in the step-up transformer. In the unlikely event of a spill or leak, the transformer will have an oil containment system which is typical for transformers used by local electrical utilities like Hydro One.
There have been several third-party studies demonstrating large-scale solar arrays often have no measurable impact on the value of adjacent properties, and in some cases may even have positive effects. Some of these studies can be found here:
S. Hao and G. Michaud, Assessing property value impacts near utility-scale solar in the Midwestern United States, Solar Compass, vol. 12, p. 100090, December 2024.
Marous & Company, Market Impact Analysis: Koshkonong Solar Energy Center Dane County, Wisconsin. April 13, 2021.
Chisago County Press, County Board Real Estate Update Shows No “Solar Effects”. (11/03/2017).
Bell, Randall, PhD, MAI. Real Estate Damages. Third ed. Chicago, IL, Appraisal Institute. 2016. (Page 33).
Kirkland, Richard C., Culpeper Solar Impact Study. Kirkland Appraisals. March 7, 2018.
Christian P. Kaila & Associates. Property Impact Analysis of Round Hill Solar, Proposed Solar Power Plant, Augusta County, Virginia. June 2020.
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Contact Us
It is important to us that the Chute-à-Blondeau Agrivoltaics Project be successfully integrated into the Township of East Hawkesbury, Ontario and we are open to incorporating feedback through this Project Website for the development of this Project.
To submit feedback or send us any questions about the project, please contact us:
Email:
info@chute-a-blondeauagrivoltaics.ca
By mail:
192 Spadina Ave, Suite 506
Toronto, ON M5T 2C2