Edmonton building Canada's largest rooftop solar array
Edmonton will soon be home to the largest rooftop solar array in the country.
The city is installing panels on the roof at the Edmonton Expo Centre.
Phase 1 of the $5.03 million project will include the installation of 5,754 solar panels across 193,735.5 square feet above Hall D through H.
“With over 2,300 hours of bright sunshine every year, Edmonton is a city made for solar energy,” said Pascale Ladouceur of the City of Edmonton.
“The electricity generated here will be equivalent to the electricity consumed by 375 residential homes.”
The city believes the energy generated will yield operational savings of $290,000 to $460,000 per year.
“Anytime we can save money through our operations by having to spend less money to run this facility, it’s more money we can reinfect into Edmonton’s economy,” said Melissa Radu of Explore Edmonton.
And Radu says while you won’t be able to see the panels, they’ll still be a tool for attracting business.
“Major international events, we know that they want to host their gatherings in cities that are demonstrating environmental sustainability and leadership in innovative technologies, so our rooftop installation allows us to attract more of those events.”
The panels are expected to last about 25 years, and will yield a payback between 10 and 17 years with energy prices and whether energy consumption aligns with generation.
Construction is expected to be complete in November.
The Edmonton EXPO Centre will remain open during construction.
Phase 2, which has not yet been approved, would see additional panels installed above Hall A through C, adding a production of about 1.9 gigawatts to the system.
The additional cost would be $3.4 million, with savings of about $185,000 to $300,000 per year.
This is one of 11 solar projects currently underway in the city with a goal of increasing energy efficiencies.
There are currently six city-owned solar arrays operating in Edmonton. The others are Queen Elizabeth Pool, the Meadows Fire Station, Jasper Place Fire Hall, Blatchford DESS, Davies Garage, and the Edmonton Convention Centre.
With files from CTV News Edmotnon's Joe Scarpelli.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Maple Leafs fall to Bruins in Game 3, trail series 2-1
Brad Marchand scored twice, including the winner in the third period, and added an assist as the Boston Bruins downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series Wednesday
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
New Indigenous loan guarantee program a 'really big deal,' Freeland says at Toronto conference
Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was among the 1,700 delegates attending the two-day First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) conference that concluded Tuesday in Toronto.
'Life was not fair to him': Daughter of N.B. man exonerated of murder remembers him as a kind soul
The daughter of a New Brunswick man recently exonerated from murder, is remembering her father as somebody who, despite a wrongful conviction, never became bitter or angry.