The City of Edmonton will install solar panels on Edmonton EXPO Centre’s rooftop to create one of Canada’s largest rooftop solar arrays, capable of powering the building with its own renewable, clean solar energy.
During Phase 1 of the project, anticipated to reach completion in November this year, 5574 panels will be installed to cover 18,000 m2 (193,735 sf) of roof space over Halls D through H of the centre. If Phase 2 gets the go ahead, there will be additional panels installed over Halls A, B, and C.
According to Global News, program manager Brad Watson related the projected cost for the solar installation to be $5 million, and explained once operational, it is expected to generate more than 2.8 gigawatts of annual energy, equivalent to energy consumption of nearly 375 homes.
“The Edmonton EXPO Centre is a unicorn of sorts when it comes to rooftop solar panels,” said Watson. “Its size and dimensions, unobstructed sightlines and lack of interfering rooftop infrastructure allowed us to build an array of this size.”
The cost savings from the solar array are estimated to be $290,000 to $460,000 annually.
With an expected life of a minimum of 25 years, the city of Edmonton has predicted the system to cover the project costs within a period of 10 to 17 years.
If the city proceeds with Phase 2—with an estimated cost of $3.4 million—it will expand the production capacity by approximately 1.9 gigawatts, and result in further cost savings of nearly $185,000 to $300,000 every year.
