As Ontario’s solar energy industry continues to grow, the Canadian government has been investing in the green economy. The government recently contributed $246,750 to the Stratford Shakespeare Festival to fund energy-efficiency measures, including some solar features, according to a press release.

The most significant energy improvement to the festival building will be an innovative solar wall.

SolarWall manufactures a specially designed system that heats the air between the building interior and the exterior paneling with heat from the sun before it’s cycled for heating purposes. The SolarWall technology has been proven to decrease heating costs by 20 to 50 percent, according to the company’s website.

“It doesn’t generate electricity,” said Anita Gaffney, the administrative director for the Stratford Shakespeare Festival. “We’re not going to hook up to the grid and feed electricity back into it.”

Though the new SolarWall system isn’t using traditional solar photovoltaic technology, it has the same effect of using the sun’s endless energy to supply power and reduce the draw on the Ontario grid.

“I will save us a significant amount in our energy cists,” Gaffney said. “And it will help us to reduce our carbon footprint, which is really important to us.”

Established in 1953, the Stratford Shakespeare Festival has gained international acclaim and draws audiences from around the world. It has grown over the years to become one of North America’s largest classical repertory theatre companies.

The Canadian government funds dedicated to this solar project were granted by the Canada Cultural Spaces Fund with the Department of Canadian Heritage.

"We know that the installation of energy-efficient equipment will help ensure the company's continued success and further promote its environmental leadership," stated James Moore, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages. The government is "proud to support a quality organization like the Stratford Shakespeare Festival."

In addition to reducing the energy bill and carbon footprint for the festival, the solar installation is expected to contribute to Ontario’s growing green jobs market.

Demand for workers in the solar industry has spiked dramatically in recent years, according to the press release, and new schools and programs have sprung up around the province to train them.

Image courtesy of SolarWall.