September 29, 2015 – The City of Calgary and ENMAX celebrated the installation of the city’s largest solar electricity system earlier this month. Six hundred solar panels spread across the roof of the Southland Leisure Centre will offset a portion of the facility’s electricity usage and support Calgary’s continued commitment to reduce greenhouse emissions from the city’s infrastructure, according to ENMAX.

 
The 1740-square metre panel array—about the size of one NHL sized hockey rink—will produce enough electricity to offset electricity usage and GHG emissions equivalent of up to 24 average Calgary homes in a year, ENMAX said. The new solar electricity system will produce up to 184,000 kWh annually, it added, and at that rate, the estimated annual cost savings will ensure the system is paid off in less than 14 years.
 
Calgary’s other recent sustainable initiatives include:

• The connection of city facilities, including the Calgary Municipal Building, the Alberta Trade Centre and the Andrew Davidson Building to ENMAX’s District Energy Centre;
• A solar thermal project at Southland Leisure Centre which contributes to displacing natural gas in heating water;
• A 50kW solar power plant at Bearspaw Occupational Work Centre;
• A city-wide LED street lighting program that will reduce operating costs by an average of $5M annually when completed in 2018; and
• Dozens of facility retrofits, sub-metering and energy audits at recreation facilities.

For more information on this project visit Calgary.ca/solar.