The Town of Banff is shining a light on plans for rooftop solar panels on the Fenlands recreation centre.
The municipality is receiving $244,466 in federal funding and $84,150 in provincial dollars to go towards a 187kW solar photovoltaic installation on the Fenlands, which comes with a total estimated price tag of $488,930.
On Monday (Dec. 13), council approved changes to its 2017 capital budget to include these grants, as well as the addition of $160,300 to make up the balance, which will come from the municipality’s environmental reserve.
Councillor Chip Olver, who took advantage of the Town of Banff’s incentive program to have a solar PV system installed on her own home, said she is grateful for the federal and municipal grants.
“It brings this project in at such a reduced cost to the municipality,” she said. “It does lead towards our statement in our community plan about being an environmental leader.”
Solar panels for the Fenlands recreation centre’s roof was conceptually part of the 2008 design for the multi-million dollar redevelopment of the facility, but ended up being cut due to costs.
The Fenlands is one of the Town’s largest municipal consumers of electricity, second only to the wastewater treatment plant. The electricity bill grew significantly after the rec centre’s expansion in 2009, growing to $130,185 in 2015 alone.
Shannon Ripley, the Town’s environmental coordinator, said a 187kW photovoltaic system, based on current electricity prices, would create about $10,000 in savings a year, as well as a reduction in greenhouse gas production.
“It would be the largest solar installation in Banff,” she said.
Councillor Stavros Karlos voiced strong support for the initiative, commending administration on continued work to make this solar project happen.
“I truly believe a low carbon future is upon us and we need to make choices as a community. To not, is not even up for debate scientifically,” he said.
“I look forward to more initiatives coming forward to achieve this goal of a low carbon future for us and our children and our grandchildren because, if not, it’s not going to be a very pretty place.”
A quote earlier this year suggested 722 solar modules (187kW) could be installed for $488,932. An updated quote suggested a total cost of $370,000 rather than $488,930 for a solar installation of about 188kW, leaving the Town’s contribution at $111,000.
Ripley said the price for solar modules has decreased quite significantly over the past six months.
“It would be possible to construct a solar installation larger than 187kW in size on the Fenlands, for the project budget we have available,” she said.
“That will result in higher renewable energy generation than currently anticipated, and more energy, financial and greenhouse gas savings in the long-term,” she said.
