2021Completion Year
12kWInstalled Capacity
$41,760Project Cost
$1,400Cost Savings
$10,800MCCAC Funding
14,040kWh/yearElectrical Energy Generation
8tonnes CO2e/yearGHG Reductions
Greenhouse gas emissions reductions for this project are calculated based on Alberta’s Carbon Offset Emission Factors Handbook Version 2.0
OVERVIEW
As part of the MCCAC’s Alberta Municipal Solar Program (AMSP), the City of Calgary installed five 2.4 kW solar PV systems on the newly constructed Bridlewood Affordable Housing complex. The goal of the solar arrays is to reduce electricity costs for tenants of the housing units and help the City’s advance it’s greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets. This is the tenth solar project completed by the City through AMSP (the largest of the ten is the 4.39 MW ground-mount array at the Shepard Organic Composting site). The Calgary Bridlewood Affordable Housing project was completed in 2021.
APPROACH
Each of the five solar PV arrays mounted on the roof of the Bridlewood Affordable Housing complex is made up of 6 x 400 Watt DC solar PV modules (panels) and six 290 W AC micro-inverters, mounted to the back of each module. Combined, the arrays are expected to produce 14,040 kWh of electricity per year (which is enough to fully power two average Albertan homes). The total cost for all five systems was $41,760. Twenty-six percent of the total cost was covered by the $10,800 rebate from the Alberta Municipal Solar Program. The expected annual electrical cost savings and rebate result in a simple payback period of 22 years against the 25-year minimum lifecycle of the solar arrays. Without the AMSP rebate, the simple payback period would have been 29 years.
RESULTS
The electricity produced will offset a portion of the annual use at five of the housing units and is expected to reduce annual electricity costs for each of the five units by $280. As electricity on the Alberta electrical grid is currently produced mostly by natural gas and coal generators, reducing the City’s grid electricity consumption will also reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 8 tonnes CO2e per year, which is equivalent to removing 3 passenger vehicles from the road each year of the systems’ minimum 25 year expected lifespan.
“The Bridlewood affordable housing project is another great example of a successful partnership with the MCCAC, adding to over 7MW of solar at City of Calgary facilities. We look forward to our next collaboration as we seek other opportunities to green our affordable housing portfolio and civic buildings.
Brian Lee, Project Coordinator, Sustainable Infrastructure
