ELMVALE - The Rounds family near Elmvale is well known in the community for their entrepreneurial spirit.

Back in the early 1990s, husband and wife Ken and Geri Rounds left their corporate careers, sold their home in Newmarket and bought a poultry farm just west of Elmvale on County Road 92.

The couple grew up on farms and looked forward to once again living a rural lifestyle.

A few years after moving to the country, they started a market and bakery on their property and later branched out by growing strawberries and asparagus.

In 2001, they bought a 125-acre property across the road and launched Rounds Ranch, an agri-tourism operation, where visitors can learn about farming and other aspects of life on the land, such as horseback riding.

Now they’ve launched a company called EthoSolar.

The company sells and installs solar panels at farms and rural properties, allowing the owners to in turn sell electricity to companies such as Hydro One.

“The simplicity of solar is really attractive,” 48-year-old Ken Rounds said.

He explained that selling solar generated electricity to the grid is a viable way for farmers to generate passive income.

The couple’s daughter and son-in-law are partners in EthoSolar, which began operation about two months ago.

The company’s business strategy is permitted thanks to Ontario’s new Green Energy Act.

The act came into place in May and it allows renewable energy projects to connect to the grid and sell electricity.

The act allows for what’s called a fee-in tariff, meaning providers are guaranteed a specific rate for the renewable energy they contribute to the grid.

Ken and Gerri are just in the process of connecting a large solar panel to their century-old farmhouse.

A trench has been dug from the solar panel to the house. It will accommodate a cable that will be connected to their breaker panel, along with a production meter, which feeds the electricity to the grid.

The energy collected by the solar panel is converted from direct current to alternating current on the Rounds’ property, using a device called an inverter and then sold to Hydro One.

The Rounds secured a 20-year contract with the Ontario Power Authority (OPA) to provide electricity to Hydro One.

Rounds said the solar panel should generate 13,000 kilowatts a year.

Hydro One is going to pay them 80.2 cents per kilowatt hour, which he said is pretty good considering they pay the provider 11.5 cents per kilowatt hour for what they consume.

An Ethernet cable from the solar unit to their home will allow them to use their computer to monitor how much electricity is being collected.

Kitchener-based Canadian Solar, a leading manufacturer of solar technology, supplies the equipment that EthoSolar is selling and installing.

The cost to install one of these solar units varies. Jim Swales, who handles media relations for EthoSolar, points to a sheet, which outlines prices.

The cost can range from $72,000 to $95,000 for a 10-kilowatt unit, depending on the type of system: rooftop, fixed or tracker, meaning the unit follows the sun.

Rounds said depending on your comfort level with technology, buying solar panels and having them installed on your property can sound complicated.

But not to worry, he said, because EthoSolar will walk you through the whole process.

In a nutshell here’s how it works: Once EthoSolar arrives on your property they do what’s called a site survey to determine where the best spot is to situate the solar panels. The company then goes over the cost versus the revenue that can be expected.

“We’ll even help you set up your contract with OPA,” Rounds said.

The whole exercise takes four to six weeks, he added.

The actual installation – the connection to the grid is done by a qualified electrician – can be done in three days.

So far EthoSolar has sold five systems and is fielding several other inquiries.  

Rounds said he’s using his extensive contacts in the agricultural community to spread the word about EthoSolar.

“My vision is to see these on as many farms as possible,” he said. “I’d like to see farmers have this opportunity.”

Selling electricity to the grid will help deflect some of the variability that people in the agricultural business face, he added.

Rounds noted the technology they install requires virtually no maintenance.

The components are covered by warranty too, anywhere from 10 to 25 years depending on the piece.

Swales said one of the great things about solar technology is there’s no noise.

As society and government places a greater importance on the need for renewable energy sources, Swales and Rounds said solar technology will only grow in popularity.

For more information on EthoSolar, call Ken or Geri Rounds at 705-322-6293.