Saskatoon Light and Power plans to soak up the sun

Saskatoon Light and Power has an ambitious goal: to someday generate 10 per cent of its overall power output using local renewable energy sources.

We would like to deploy a megawatt scale solar facility.- Kevin Hudson

That effort takes a baby step forward today, as a committee at city hall forwards an agreement between the utility and Saskatchewan Polytechnic on a small solar power test project to city council.

"We really want to evaluate the best type of system for a larger scale deployment," said Kevin Hudson with Saskatoon Light and Power.

The partnership will see Saskatchewan Polytechnic supply $18,000 in solar panels. The city will pay for the installation (about $6,000). Construction is set to begin soon. The power generated will be the property of the city.

Data could help green homeowners

This project will deploy a variety of panels, some stationary, and some that move and track the sun. Data collected every 15 minutes will help Saskatoon Light and Power understand the type of solar installation that will produce the most energy in this climate. It will be vital information, and not just for the power company but also for consumers, according to Hudson.

"Homeowners similarly could make a best decision, on what type of system they might want to use."

Fifty Saskatoon Light and Power customers already have solar panels they are using to generate power, feeding the grid and collecting credits on their utility bill.

There is also a partnership with the Saskatchewan Environmental Society. Ninety solar panels have been installed on the roof of a building on 20th Street West.

Data collected from both solar installations will be collected over the next three years or so with the goal of moving forward with a big project in the city's Green Energy Park by 2019.

"In the future when solar is more financially feasible we would like to deploy a megawatt scale solar facility."

That would be enough to provide electricity to 125 homes.