New Westminster is preparing to plant a garden that will generate energy for years to come.
The city’s electric utility is proposing to create an urban solar garden pilot project at the city’s operations yard at 901 First St. Community members would be able to buy a solar panel and use the energy generated by the panel as credits toward their power bills.
“We can put roughly 170 to 180 solar panels, subject to getting approval, on the structure,” said Rod Carle, general manager of the electrical utility. “That would be the start. Then if it is fully supported we can grow it from there.”
Before proceeding with the pilot project, the city would want to have a commitment for about 75 per cent of the panels. The program, which would be available to customers of the New Westminster electric utility, would feed into the city’s electric grid and become part of the electrical utility’s capital assets.
“The assets are actually owned by the city, but the power generated through that panel is owned by the customer that purchases it,” Carle explained. “We are looking at the panels having a 30-year lifetime. Roughly around year 20, the panel is paid for and the last 10 years is all uptake.”
Council supported the electrical utility’s plan to proceed with the urban solar garden pilot project. Staff plan to report back by the end of March with more detailed information and dates for public events to discuss the plan.
Carle said he’s received calls from residents in highrises who’d like to put a solar panel within their unit but found it challenging and expensive to do. He said the works yards was suggested as a suitable location by solar panel contractors who visited the site.
“The first thing they noted was the southwest siting of the operations yard and the sun that was hitting the tin roof,” he said. “They thought, certainly as a start, that would be good area to start at.”
Coun. Chuck Puchmayr is so smitten with the idea that he pledged to purchase three solar panels from the City of New Westminster.
“It’s an amazing idea. I am looking forward to it,” he said. “I think we really need to promote this and get the word out there. It really makes sense. Some people want to do this but they are living in areas where they are shadowed a lot by highrises and trees, but highrises particularly. I think that’s a really great way for people living in the shady side of a highrise to contribute and benefit from it as well.”
According to Carle, Nelson Hydro had tremendous interest when it unveiled a plan to create a solar garden. Like New Westminster, Carle said Nelson was looking for about 75 per cent take-up on the panels to proceed.
“They went out and had two public meetings. By the end of the second one they had 150 per cent take-up,” he said. “They actually had to double the size of the solar garden that they were originally prepared to install.”
Coun. Bill Harper said utility customers get the benefit on their electrical bills without having to install and maintain solar panels themselves.
Mayor Jonathan Cote said the pilot project will provide residents with an easier way to connect with solar panels.
“I think a lot of people love the idea of producing this type of energy but when they actually look into the details of putting a solar panel on their house or those type of things it becomes overwhelming. I think this is going to be an easy way for residents to buy in and connect with that,” he said. “I look forward to seeing more details on this program. I have a feeling New West residents are going to connect with this program. You probably won’t have a program getting the sign-up needed to get this going.”
