All Alberta’s New Schools Are Going Solar

October 28, 2016

As part of its Climate Leadership Plan, the Alberta Government has committed to including solar electricity generation in each of the province’s 36 new schools now in the planning or design phase.

This initiative comes in response to a recommendation made by students to the Alberta government as a way to demonstrate leadership on tackling climate change. The total investment is expected to be at least $9 million.

“We have heard directly from students from across Alberta and their message is clear — they want us to be leaders on climate change,” says David Eggen, Minister of Education. “A number of school boards had already been asking about the possibility of installing these panels and we are pleased to be able to partner with them to invest in our public infrastructure.”

Shannon Phillips, Alberta’s Minister of Environment & Parks (and Minister responsible for the Alberta Climate Change Office) announced the province’s intent recently at the Solar West 2016 conference in Edmonton, hosted by CanSIA for the solar energy industry. The process, if successful in identifying a supplier or suppliers that can construct and operate a solar farm that meets the province’s economic criteria, could give rise to 100 MW of new installed generation capacity in the province — enough to power 18,750 Alberta homes for a year.

“There is no doubt that solar electricity will become an important component of Alberta’s decarbonized and diversified electricity supply mix as the cost of our technology continues to significantly decline,” says John Gorman, President & CEO, CanSIA. “The solar farm that would meet half of the Government of Alberta’s annual electricity needs would support the delivery of many firsts. Canada’s first 50% solar-powered government. Western Canada’s first large-scale solar farm. Alberta’s first utility-scale solar jobs. The success of this initiative will secure the government and public confidence in a larger future role for solar energy in Alberta.”

Image courtesy of Graphics Mouse at FreeDigitalPhotos.net.