Dandelion Renewables is delighted to announce that we have successfully installed one of our increasingly significant solar projects, the Bon Accord Solar Project. The solar farm installation is located in Sturgeon County, Alberta, on the south side of Bon Accord. On September 18, 2020, Bon Accord Mayor David Hutton unveiled the new 648kW solar farm at the ribbon cutting ceremony held at the project site.
Cost Of Bon Accord Solar Array
With a total cost of $1.1 million, the Bon Accord solar power system is the most extensive solar panel array located in Sturgeon County to date. The system size and power generation capacity is large enough to provide solar power for all the buildings present in Bon Accord, and save a significant amount of money for the town, said Mayor David Hutton.
Approximately 47 percent of this solar project’s total cost was funded through a grant directly from the Municipal Climate Change Action Centre, a partnership of the Alberta Urban Municipalities Association and Alberta Rural Municipalities. The solar project, constructed by Dandelion Renewables has been generating solar power for the town since mid-August, and supplying it with pollution-free electricity.
What You Can Expect From The Bon Accord Solar Array
It was announced that the Bon Accord solar array had made the municipality one of the few Albertan communities to have achieved net-zero carbon emissions when it comes to electricity. Mayor David Hutton said, “This provides enough energy to power all the town’s facilities, including the arena, and would save the town money on electricity. We don’t have to pay taxes to pay the utility bills.”
Samantha Peck, the Alberta Energy spokesperson, confirmed via email that the Bon Accord Array was the most extensive solar panel system in St. Albert and Sturgeon County. Mike Deising, the Alberta Electric System Operator spokesperson, reported that Sturgeon County already has 418kW of solar and wind energy systems installed at 42 different locations, excluding Bon Accord.
Mayor David Hutton termed the Bon Accord solar array as something that came right out of the blue. He also added that he never imagined anything like this solar panel system would turn up in Bon Accord.
With Larger Size, Comes Greater Power Production
The Bon Accord Solar array covers 1.6 hectares of scrubland and consists of 1,728 solar modules (enough to cover more than eight basketball courts). These modules are mounted in six 144-meter by 4-meter south-facing rows. According to Mikhail Ivanchikov, the President of Dandelion Renewables, the Bon Accord array utilizes bifacial solar panels to capture light that bounces off the snow during winter.
After it was first turned on in mid-August, the solar array had already produced about 90 MWh of electrical energy, which is about a 7th of the total annual energy anticipated. Even on a mostly cloudy day, the system has still been observed cranking out about 130kW power. Mayor David Hutton also said that the useful long lifespan of the solar array and the energy cost savings convinced the council to go ahead.
Dandelion Renewables offers efficient solar power solutions to its municipal, residential and commercial clients across Alberta, British Columbia, and Saskatchewan. Visit our website to learn more about our expert solar energy services or contact us for customized care.