Alberta Municipal Solar Program

Why participate

By investing in a solar PV system now, you can begin to see immediate savings on your electricity bills and reinvest those savings into other priorities across your municipality. Even if you don’t produce 100 percent of the energy you consume, solar reduces your utility bills and can save you money.

Installing a solar PV system will:

• create jobs and help your local economy,
• generate free power any time the sun is shining for your system’s entire 25+ year life,
• demonstrate your municipality’s commitment to sustainability and social responsibility,

Who can apply

1. Municipalities within Alberta are eligible to participate.
2. Community-related organizations, such as non-profit community-related organizations, are eligible to participate if the solar system is located on a municipally owned facility or on municipally owned land.

While community related organizations are eligible to participate, the municipality must be the signatory to the funding agreement and all reimbursements made under the program will be directed to the municipality. Such instances will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

See how communities are benefiting from solar: Village of Carmangay, Parkdale Community League, Big Lakes County, City of Airdrie.

Related: Alberta municipalities are ideal solar generators – here’s why

Funding

To qualify for funding, each solar PV system project must meet the following criteria:

• For the life of the solar system, it must be wholly owned and located on a facility or parcel of land by the participating municipality.
• The solar system must be new and greater than or equal to 2 kilowatts (kW DC PV array capacity) and, it must be grid-connected and compliant with the Government of Alberta’s Microgeneration Regulation.
• The solar system must be designed and installed by a qualified installer (not self-installed) who is a member of either Solar Alberta or the Canadian Renewable Energy Association.
• The municipality can stack funding incentives with the Alberta Municipal Solar Program, as long as all funding does not exceed the total costs of the solar installation.

Public engagement

Participants must integrate a public engagement component for the community that shares the importance of taking action on climate change and how renewable energy can help achieve this goal.

The options for public engagement include:

1. Issuing a media release for the solar project, mentioning funding from the Municipal Climate Change Action Centre, a partnership of the Alberta Urban Municipalities Association, Rural Municipalities of Alberta and the Government of Alberta
2. Hosting a ribbon cutting event with community members, municipal administration, elected officials, solar installers, or other stakeholders
3. Other, approved on a case by case basis by the Action Centre

Tip: Learn more about eligible projects, warranty levels, public engagement and other requirements in the program Guidebook.

Municipalities in Alberta can submit multiple applications, but each municipality can only apply for rebates up to $1.5 million, including any bonuses. 

Receive a rebate per watt of total installed capacity ($/W), up to 30% of eligible expenses, as per the table below.

HOW TO APPLY

Step 1: Submit an Expression of Interest. This is a quick, non-committal step that will help us get to know more about your project, estimate how much funding you may receive, and walk you through next steps. 

Step 2: Find solar contractors and get three or more quotes to confirm pricing and the size of system your appropriate for your municipal building or land. Many solar contractors will provide this service free of charge if the site is within their service area.

We recommend that you solicit quotes from a minimum of two vendors prior to entering into any contract. Here is how to choose a solar provider and a checklist to help you create a request for proposals for solar PV installations.

Step 3: Allocate capital reserve funds or include the project in an existing infrastructure project budget. Then if required, find additional funding sources that you can stack with the Alberta Municipal Solar Program. Check out the Alberta Funding Guide for more funding opportunities.
 
Step 4: Sign a contract with your selected solar installer and work with them to complete the program application. Then, sign a Funding Agreement, install your solar system, engage the public, and receive your funding when the project is complete.

Tip: A set of high-resolution photographs of the solar system project suitable for print publication are required. Photographs must show the solar project during construction and after completion and include one photo in which all the solar PV modules are visible. Photographs including people are encouraged.

Get started

1. Read the Guidebook and download the resources
2. Submit and Expression of Interest as the first non-committal step
3. Once contacted by the Action Centre, complete the Application Form

Tip: No time? Choose a solar installer that will do this all for you.

Download the resources to learn about solar PV technology, calculate the costs, understand permitting and how to engage your community.