GP JOULE to Build Alberta’s First Merchant Solar Project
June 24, 2020
GP JOULE Canada has been awarded the Engineering, Procurement and Construction contract for the 25.43 MW Innisfail Solar project located in Red Deer County, Alberta, midway between Calgary and Edmonton. Elemental Energy Inc, the British Columbia based renewable energy developer and investor, owns the utility-scale project which will be the first of its kind in the province as a merchant project, where the electricity generated will be traded daily within the diversified and competitive Alberta energy portfolio. GP JOULE will also supply its proprietary and CSA-classified racking technology to support the 69,000 bi-facial solar modules.
“Our entire team looks forward to breaking ground this fall in Innisfail with the Elemental Energy Team and the local community, after nearly 6 months of engineering optimization”, says David Pichard, CEO, EPC Business Unit North America. “The fact that it is Alberta’s first merchant project shows that GP JOULE’s cold climate experience, vertically-integrated supply chain and proven ability to provide customized, reliable and optimized engineering solutions pay off on such forward-looking projects”, Pichard adds. “The system has been engineered to maximize energy yield for the next 35 years, with unique features like advanced asset management control capabilities and a plug-and-play solution to allow for battery storage coupling at a later time.
“Innisfail Solar is an exciting project for us to follow up on the success of our Brooks Solar project, and we are pleased to contribute to the continued growth of renewable energy in Alberta. This unique project will generate considerable positive impact in the local community and contribute to Alberta’s energy transition and emissions reductions”, says Jamie Houssian, Principal of Elemental Energy.
