Carmangay Ground Mount Solar PV

OVERVIEW

As part of the MCCAC’s Alberta Municipal Solar Program (AMSP), the Village of Carmangay installed an 146 kW solar PV ground mount system at the Carmangay Lift Station. The project will produce enough renewable electricity on an annual basis to offset the rest of the Village’s municipal consumption, making municipality electrically net-zero in its operations. The project was completed in 2020.

APPROACH

The solar PV array consists of 384 x 380 watt DC solar modules (panels) and 96 x 1.5 kW AC micro-inverters. It is expected to produce 213,764 kWh of electricity per year, which is enough to offset all of the annual electricity used in Village operations. The system cost was paid in full upfront by the Village who received an Alberta Municipal Solar Program rebate of $145,920. The expected annual electrical cost savings and rebate result in a payback period between 14 and 15 years against the 25-year lifecycle of the solar farm. 

RESULTS

The electricity produced is expected to reduce annual electricity costs for the municipality by more than $21,000. As electricity on the Alberta electrical grid is produced mostly by natural gas and coal generators, reducing the Village’s grid electricity consumption will also reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 122 tonnes per year, which is equivalent to removing 34 passenger vehicles from the road each year of the system’s minimum 25 year expected lifespan.

The solar PV system has made Carmangay net-zero electrically in their municipal operations

Here’s what Stacy Hovde, Mayor of the Village of Carmangay, had to say about the project and participating in the Alberta Municipal Solar Program:

Carmangay is fortunate to be able to leverage an MCCAC grant to make our Village greener and a viable destination for new business.

Stacey Hovde, Mayor of Village of Carmangay