Commonwealth Recreation Centre becomes latest City of Edmonton building with solar installation

The City of Edmonton announced Tuesday that it now has 12 city-owned facilities with solar photovoltaic (PV) installations in operation now that Commonwealth Recreation Centre’s installation is complete and in operation.

The installation at the rec centre, which is adjacent to the stadium of the same name that houses the CFL’s Edmonton Elks, has 1,128 panels that the city said cover an area of 40,760 square feet.

“The City of Edmonton is committed to becoming a climate resilient city,” Mayor Amarjeet Sohi said in a news release.

“Using innovative technology, including the installation of solar photovoltaics on city-owned buildings, we are reducing greenhouse gas emissions and building a low-carbon city, protecting the environment for future generations.”

The city said it expects the solar panels to produce 708 MWh of energy in the first year of operation, “the equivalent to powering 100 residential homes for one year.”

According to the city, the power generated can also offset between 75 and 100 per cent of the recreational facility’s energy needs “in ideal solar conditions on a day with average building consumption.”

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The city said the solar power project received $340,000 in funding from the Municipal Climate Change Action Centre, which is a partnership of Alberta Municipalities, the Rural Municipalities of Alberta and the Alberta government.

“Funding for the Alberta Municipal Solar Program was provided by the Government of Alberta,” the city said.

Environment and Protected Areas Minister Rebecca Schulz said the Alberta government is “pleased to help fund a project that not only reduces emissions but also saves taxpayer money by lowering energy costs.”

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