Town of Mayerthorpe’s New Solar PV Installation

OVERVIEW

Over 2021, the Town of Mayerthorpe completed construction of their new solar PV installation, a 36 kW solar PV system on the roof of their Public Works Shop. The system is made up of 80 solar modules and is conservatively estimated to generate 31,608 kWh per year, enough to power 4 average sized homes per year. The system allows the Town of Mayerthorpe to produce renewable energy, lower their carbon footprint, and lead by example in the community. The system received a rebate through the Municipal Climate Change Action Centre’s Alberta Municipal Solar Program for $19,994.79.

APPROACH

By investing in a solar PV system now, the Town can immediately generate savings on electricity usage reducing operating costs on this key public facility.  The $66,649.31 system is anticipated to have a 25+ year lifespan, will produce a capacity of 36,000 Watts direct current, and has a calculated energy yield of approximately 878 kWh alternating current per year.  The Town has also applied to the federal Green and Inclusive Communities Building Program to fund the remaining costs being $46,654.52 plus an additional $40,000.00 to replace the facility’s boiler and indirect hot water tank.

RESULTS

The investment in solar PV is consistent with the Mayerthorpe Community Sustainability Plan Goal A39 to develop microgeneration energy projects for the community and 2020 Building Condition Assessment recommendations completed in 2020. The system will offset about 18 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions annually, equivalent of removing 5 passenger internal combustion engine vehicles driven for a year off the road.

“The Town is always on the lookout for ways to save money and cut costs. Once complete, we’ll have two Town-owned facilities generating their own power; the Public Works shop and our arena, which had solar panels installed last year. The lifespan of these installations means the Town will be producing some of its own power long into the future. We’re grateful for the funding available through MCCAC and similar federal programs that enables us to complete these worthwhile projects”. – Mayor Janet Jabush