2021Completion Year
33.6kWInstalled Capacity
$112,298Project Cost
$4,381Cost Savings
$25,200MCCAC Funding
43,814kWh/yearElectrical Energy Generation
25tonnes 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 a 33.6 kW solar PV system at the newly constructed Haskayne Legacy Park Pavilion. The goal of the solar array is to offset 100% of the electricity used in the pavilion. When combined with the geo-exchange heat pump system used for heating and cooling, the solar PV array makes the building net zero, in terms of energy use. The Haskayne Legacy Park project was completed in 2021.
APPROACH
The solar PV array mounted on the ground near the Pavilion is made up of 84 x 400 watt DC bifacial solar modules (panels) and two 15 kW AC string inverters. Bifacial modules take advantage of sunlight reflected off of the ground underneath them and collect sunlight from both the front and back, increasing their efficiency. The system is expected to produce 43,814 kWh of electricity per year (which is enough to power six average Albertan homes). The total system cost was $112,298. Just over 22% of the total cost was covered by the $25,200 rebate from the Alberta Municipal Solar Program. The expected annual electrical cost savings and rebate result in a simple payback period of 19 years against the 25-year minimum lifecycle of the solar array. Without the AMSP rebate, the simple payback period would have been over 25 years.
RESULTS
The electricity produced will offset 100% of the annual use at the Haskayne Legacy Park Pavilion and is expected to reduce annual electricity costs for the facility by over $4,300. As electricity on the Alberta electrical grid is currently produced mostly by natural gas and coal generators, reducing the Town’s grid electricity consumption will also reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 25 tonnes CO2e per year, which is equivalent to removing eight passenger vehicles from the road each year of the system’s minimum 25 year expected lifespan.
“We set a target for a net-zero annual emissions building on this site. With the help of the MCCAC, we were able to integrate solar PV as part of the solution to achieve this goal. Combined with other technologies such as on demand hot water, ground source heat exchange, and energy efficient lighting, this project is setting the standard for the integral role solar PV technologies will play in helping achieve our building sustainability targets”
David Harrison, Senior Project Manager, Calgary Parks
