Upgraded Eco Station home to a net zero solar panel array
The City of Leduc’s Eco Station is now more user friendly than ever. The Municipal Climate Change Action Centre awarded a grant on behalf of their Alberta Municipal Solar Program (AMSP) which enabled the city to complete a 44-panel solar panel array on the roof of the facility. Among several other upgrades to the facility, the solar panels offer enough energy to power the entire station, making it the second net zero city facility in Leduc – the first being the Operations Building. The Eco Station’s 44 panels add to the over 5600 existing solar panels on other city facilities, including the Operations Building and Leduc Recreation Centre.
“We’re committed to looking after our environment,” says Leduc Mayor Bob Young. “By installing solar panels on the facility, we contribute to eco-friendly solutions for keeping unnecessary waste out of the landfill, as well as create a building that is eco-friendly itself. The substantial contributions of the Municipal Climate Change Action Centre (MCCAC) for the solar panel array on the facility are helping us realize our environmental goals and priorities set out in Council’s 2019-2022 Strategic Plan.”
The Eco Station completed upgrades in late 2019 and saw 40,592 users in 2019, an increase of 32% over 2018. The addition of 44 solar panels, made possible by the Alberta Municipal Solar Program, renders a 17 kilowatt system. With a minimum 25-year lifespan, the system will pay for itself after 14 years (2033) and have positive cash flow thereafter. The annual greenhouse gas offset is over 10 tonnes; this is equivalent to taking 2 vehicles off the road and would power 2 residential homes on an annual basis.
“The City of Leduc is committed to our natural and built environment, and we strive to balance our growth and development with care and respect for our natural environment,” says Environment Manager Kerra Chomlak. “Being committed to our environment means taking pride in the facilities we own and the services that we offer. By creating an expanded eco-friendly eco station, we hope to propel environmental initiatives within the City of Leduc and our region at large.”
For more information, please visit Leduc.ca/EcoStation
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MEDIA CONTACT:
Megan Hall, Communications Officer
780–980–1554
mhall@leduc.ca