June 29, 2011 – EBMag was there as the City of Kitchener in Ontario hosted a ceremony celebrating the installation of a 262,000-sf solar roof on its Operations Facility. Joining in the celebration was John Raepple, principal of John Raepple Electric Ltd., whose firm executed the electrical portion of this massive install.

The 500-kW installation will create enough energy to power 100 homes. The establishment of the Kitchener Operations Facility included rehabilitating 45 acres of industrial land and upgrading a 300,000-sf industrial building. Once complete, the facility will have room for about 500 city staff, vehicles and equipment, and house various municipal services including road, watermain and sewer maintenance, snow clearing, and parks and woodland services.

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“With the largest solar roof installation in Canada, Kitchener demonstrates our commitment to reducing our environmental impact,” said Mayor Carl Zehr. “This federal, provincial, municipal partnership allows us to effectively re-use existing industrial lands, get people working, and enhance our service delivery. At the same time we are being environmentally responsible, budget conscious and proactive. It is a win-win-win situation.”

The governments of Canada and Ontario and the City of Kitchener have each committed about $1.37 million toward eligible costs for the installation of the Kitchener Operations Facility solar roof. The total eligible cost for the roof project is $4.1 million.

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