Helping farmers access cheaper power with solar panels

 These in-their-own-words pieces are told to Patricia Lane and co-edited with input from the interviewee for the purpose of brevity. 

Sonia Vinogradova is helping small farmers gain more energy independence. This 25-year-old woman from Montreal and her business partner, Joe Workentin, broke new ground, persuading regulators to allow solar panels on the BeetBox Co-op Farm’s barn. The panels will supply 20 per cent of the farm’s electricity. 

Tell us about your project.

Everyone knows that solar is cheap, efficient and reduces carbon pollution. But in Ontario, it is relatively new. People love eating local, organic foods packed with nutrients that come from small independent farmers, but it is difficult for these businesses to meet their operating costs and keep food prices down. With support from Student Energy, Joe and I formed Spark Source Consulting to work on both problems at once. Making solar power easily accessible met both goals, so we decided to focus our attention there. Student Energy gave us a grant to cover the costs of installation. Next, my partner Joe and I rolled up our sleeves. 

We screened a number of possible installation sites but chose BeetBox because it grows organic food, is a locally-owned co-operative and treats its workers well. 

I knew the manager of BeetBox from my university days, and I admired their farm for its commitment to training new farmers and paying them fairly. They need electricity to provide cold storage for their produce and to clean and prepare food for the market. They had tried to install solar but got bogged down in the paperwork. Upfront costs were also a barrier. 

When I approached the manager to facilitate a solar installation on her farm, she agreed, but without much faith that it could be done. She had no capacity to help with paperwork or deal with red tape or ensure the work got done well. These were our responsibilities.

We researched contractors and found one who knew the farm site and whose values aligned with the owners. All we needed now was permits for the nine panels we hoped to install, along with the necessary electrical upgrades to the aging farm buildings. We had a year and figured this would be a very relaxed timeline.

Much to our surprise and dismay, this was the biggest obstacle! Regulations are designed to guide large enterprises with teams of full-time, dedicated employees. There is also a lack of understanding of the needs of small-scale businesses and the time and labour pressures they face. It took almost the entire year, and in the end, we had to scale back our panel installation from providing 30 to 20 per cent of the power the farm uses. But, on November 5, 2024, the installation was complete, and the system began working! The installation is designed for easy expansion for the farm to invest in at a future date. 

On November 7, 2024, we hosted a demonstration of the project for 35 policy- and decision-makers, so they could see the impact of their work. While it took us a lot of time and patience to get them to pay attention, we are hopeful that we paved the way for others to have an easier path.

It sounds as if it was a stressful process. What gives you hope?

The business case for solar panels in agriculture is strong. We had an ideal demonstration project in some ways because it was an older building with old infrastructure. Our success means there is now a showcase to prove that solar can work in these circumstances. 

The Ontario grid is reasonably clean, demand is growing and needs more zero-carbon energy. Solar is four per cent of Ontario's energy mix, and we helped it grow! I take satisfaction knowing we contributed six months of a typical Ontario home’s energy usage from the sun to the grid. 

We now have some proven expertise and are being approached to help other projects navigate the path to solar energy. That is very gratifying.

What is the future you are working toward?

We see the value of economic and earth-friendly approaches as one and the same. Climate solutions exist, and Spark Source Consulting is making them easier to access.

How does the way you were raised affect you now? 

I was raised to see creating the common good as a common responsibility. We all owe each other something, and we all have gifts to bring to the table. 

What would you like to say to other young people?

Sometimes, it is best to be blindly confident knowing that obstacles will arise but you can meet them along the way, if you learn where your community is and how to lean on them. Hopelessness is too easy.

What about older readers?

It is easier to talk about why something won’t work than to help make it happen. We need your support, experience and expertise. Stand with us.

Young people and older people are less likely to be polarized if they are in the same room. We can find our way back to each other if we let respect and collaboration guide us to a strong community.