ST. PAUL – The County of St. Paul discussed the potential of solar photovoltaic technology (Solar PV) as a source for electricity during a public works meeting on Aug. 23.
Solar PV converts sunlight directly to electricity and in the end, County council decided it needed more information before moving forward.
Ron Dechaine has been appointed as the Regional Municipal Energy Manager through a grant received from Municipal Climate Change Action Centre (MCCAC), with Public Works Director Daniel Reid as the project sponsor, according to a Feb. 18 presentation introducing Dechaine. Among the expectations of MCCAC for energy managers is working to reduce greenhouse gas emission (GHG) by five per cent and developing an energy management plan.
During the Aug. 23 public works delegation, Dechaine said since the implementation of the Municipal Energy Management Program (MEM Program) in May of 2021, the County has reduced electricity consumption by six per cent and GHG reduction by 3.2 per cent on County-owned infrastructure. By implementing the Solar PV Ground Mount System, he said it could push the County closer toward the goal of net-zero emissions.
According to Dechaine, the Solar PV Ground Mount System will produce 375,000 kWh and eliminate over 200 Tonnes of GHG, which is around 37 per cent of the County infrastructure's overall average annual electricity consumption. Dechaine also pointed to the expected increase in Carbon Tax, which will increase costs for homeowners, businesses and municipalities.
The trend indicates the County will spend in excess of $516,000 by 2030. Reid and Dechaine stated the estimated cost of the Solar PV System will be $501,337, making it slightly more cost effective. The Solar PV system is proposed to be built at the County Public Works Shop.
Concerns
Among the concerns brought forward by council during the delegation include recycling the material needed for the system, and the life cycle of the Solar PV System. There are no recycling options yet, and the lifespan of the Solar PV system is expected to be at about 25 years, with parts having 15 years of warranty.
In response, Reid said, “It's only a matter of time when you've got all these solar panels all over the country, and somebody's going to capitalize and figure it out." He added further, “I think that'll come with more uptick and usage, and we should see some smart technology around recycling and reusing or repurposing some of this stuff.”
Dechaine said the footprint of the project will be about 130x60 meters, with a potential for expansion. For visualization, Reid said, “If you were to visualize the staff parking lot in front of our shop, not the area in front of the bays, it’s about the same size as that.”
Among the questions posed is why it was necessary to building the Solar PV system at the County Public Works Shop. Reid said the Solar PV system will work more efficiently the closer it is to the shop.
Reid clarified that power from the grid would not be turned off to the shop, in case there was some sort of anomaly, but the connect from the solar power source would be direct to the public works shop.
“To make it efficient, you want that length of that connection to be as short as possible,” explained Reid.
He said they are also exploring potential grants to help pay for the project. Council requested more information on the potential project before making a decision.
Other Discussions
During the Aug. 23 Public Works meeting, council also postponed the sale of MG-05 (2014) and MG-10 (2013) graders to give administration time to advertise with appropriate used equipment companies.
A resident from the Lafond area recently requested a “Children at Play” sign be installed close to her property, for the safety of her two young grandchildren due to fast traffic in the area. If council does not approve her request, the resident has asked for permission to put up her own sign.
County council denied the resident’s request for a sign and also denied approval for the resident to install her own signage.
