Airdrie’s Genesis Place Recreation Centre will soon be the home of the largest commercial rooftop solar panel system in Canada, once installation on the project wraps up over the coming weeks.
“Currently, we’re at about 90 per cent modules installed on the roof itself, and we’re about 85 per cent wire management complete,” said Chris Reason, project manager of Corporate Properties with the City of Airdrie.
The project, which was approved by City council in September 2018, got underway in mid-January, according to Reason – which means crews from CBI Solar worked right through the icy month of February to have the installation in place for the estimated completion date of spring 2019.
“The time and dedication that CBI Solar has put into the project really helped it move along quickly – they were up on the roof even in -36 C days, moving ballasts around on the roof and moving the racking system,” Reason said. “Their heart and hustle was definitely in the project, that’s for sure.”
According to Reason, the project was undertaken in an effort to offset some of the operational costs at Genesis Place. The City engaged ENMAX to examine potential options for installing solar panels at City facilities, and ENMAX identified the expansive roof of Genesis Place as an ideal location.
“You have to have a situation where it makes sense – with the energy consumption portion and the size of a facility to accommodate a substantial amount of panels to make it worthwhile,” Reason said. “There are definite circumstances that have to be met in order for it to be a viable project.”
While the solar project came with an attached price tag of approximately $2.06 million, $1.54 million will be covered by grant funding provided by the provincial and federal governments, according to Shannon Shindeler, City manager of treasury. The remaining $514,140, she said, will be funded through a 1.5 per cent 15-year loan from ENMAX.
And, with Genesis Place producing revenue from selling generated power back to the local grid, Reason said he anticipates the solar project will eventually offset approximately $80,000 of electricity per year.
“It’s not going to show up for residents as specific to Genesis Place – like, you’re not going to get a reduction on your Genesis Place membership,” Reason said. “But it will go to the holistic City of Airdrie, so it’ll offset your tax base, which is something residents like to see.”
Before that can happen, however, CBI Solar will need to wrap up its work on the rooftop of Genesis Place. According to Reason, the only remaining tasks are for crews to finish installing the panels and wires, and then complete the final hookup. While he said he is hesitant to give a specific date, he said he estimates the project will be ready to go by the end of May.
The resulting solar system will be the largest municipal rooftop installation in the country, Reason added – something he said is helping put Airdrie on the map.
“We’re crossing all kinds of water that haven’t been crossed before,” he said. “Aside from the obvious, that we’re being good stewards of the environment, it’s huge. I think you’ll start to see more and more of these systems on civic facilities – not just in Airdrie, but throughout the province and, hopefully, across Canada.”
