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Airdrie rec centre claims Canada’s largest municipal rooftop solar array
The installation is intended to reduce the facility's electricity costs by up to $80,000 annually.
July 12, 2019 By Peter Saunders
The government of Airdrie, Alta., and electrical utility Enmax have unveiled a 1.55-MW rooftop solar panel array—which they say is the largest municipal installation of its kind anywhere in Canada—on Genesis Place Recreation Centre. It is expected to meet up to 30% of the facility’s needs and reduce costs by up to $80,000 each year.
The array comprises 3,800 photovoltaic (PV) panels (see video below). During peak summer months, it is expected to supply approximately 140 kWh back to the city’s electrical grid. A second phase of the project, scheduled for completion in September, will add 240 solar modules on a double-wing carport within Genesis Place’s parking lot (see rendering below).
The project was funded in part by Alberta’s Municipal Climate Change Action Centre (MCCAC) and the federal gas tax. Enmax has reportedly installed 50% of all solar power generation capacity across Alberta.
“Airdrie is proud to be leading the way in Canada with respect to the generation of solar energy through municipal infrastructure,” says Peter Brown, the city’s mayor. “This project is an example of what we can accomplish when different levels of government work together with organizations like Enmax.”
Rendering courtesy Airdrie municipal government.
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