(L-R): Councillor Sharolyn Sanchez, Mayor Mike Yargeau, Councillor Tyrone Muller and Multiplex Manager Michael Szewczuk with one of the 1092 solar panels going on top of the facility. (rdnewsNOW/Josh Hall)

By Josh Hall (Twitter: @Vancan19)

going green

Solar panels going up on Penhold Multiplex

Jul 5, 2019 | 4:52 PM

The Penhold Regional Multiplex will soon be operating off of 1092 solar panels installed on its roof.

The panels are to be put in over the next four weeks by crews from CBI Solar in Red Deer.

Town council initially began exploring such a project last November, and decided to move forward with in April after securing a rebate from the Alberta Municipal Solar Program.

“This project creates an opportunity for a green energy focus on an existing building reducing our carbon footprint while also reducing operating costs for our facility,” says Mayor Mike Yargeau.

“Our appreciation goes out to the (previous) provincial government and Municipal Climate Change Action Centre in assisting Penhold to make this project possible. The Town has partnered with Enmax to utilize the power generation from the solar panels feeding excess power back into the grid system.”

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Yargeau also shared that green projects have become much cheaper in just the last five years, though the level of opportunity to do them under a UCP government is still unknown. As of now, the Alberta Municipal Solar Program is on hold while the new government creates its first budget.

“The costs were astronomical (five years ago). It would have taken us 30 years before we would’ve seen any money coming back to us, whereas now we’re looking at reducing our costs in the first year,” Yargeau continues.

“I’m not sure you can put a price on it. We see it every day with how climate change is affecting our day to day lives, so it is something we have to keep in mind when we look at projects like this where you weigh the costs versus the environmental impact and positive change it can create.”

The partnership with Enmax is for 15 years.

Total project cost is a shade off $740,000. The Town received a provincial rebate of $371,250, and net savings in year one will amount to just over $11,000.