2021Completion Year
88.8kWInstalled Capacity
$208,715Project Cost
$7,832Cost Savings
$62,614MCCAC Funding
78,322kWh/yearElectrical Energy Generation
44.64tonnes 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 Leduc installed an 88.8 kW solar PV system on their Protective Services facility. The goal of the solar array is to reduce electricity costs and help meet the City’s greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets. The system will offset about 16% of the annual electricity consumed at the facility and is the second solar project completed by the City through AMSP (the first was a 17.3 kW array on one of the City’s Eco Stations). The Leduc Protective Services project was completed in 2021.
APPROACH
The solar PV array mounted on the roof of the Protective Services Building is made up of 222 x 400 Watt DC solar PV modules (panels) and three 20 kW AC string inverters. It is expected to produce 78,322 kWh of electricity per year (which is enough to power 11 average Albertan homes). The total system cost was $208,714.58. Thirty percent of the total cost was covered by the $62,614.37 rebate from the Alberta Municipal Solar Program. The expected annual electrical cost savings and rebate result in a simple payback period of 18 years against the 25-year minimum lifecycle of the solar array. Without the AMSP rebate, the simple payback period would have been 26 years.
RESULTS
The electricity produced will offset 16% of the annual use at the Protective Services Building and is expected to reduce annual electricity costs for the facility by over $7,800. 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 45 tonnes CO2e per year, which is equivalent to removing 14 passenger vehicles from the road each year of the system’s minimum 25 year expected lifespan.
“Adding solar panels to the Leduc Protective Services facility demonstrates how the city continues to show care and respect for our planet while balancing the need for growth and development. By reducing electricity consumption and carbon dioxide emissions at the facility, the city has taken another step forward in our efforts to meet our greenhouse gas reduction targets and reduce operating costs.”
Bob Young, Mayor
