Saskatoon environment committee recommends construction of solar farm

The City of Saskatoon is one step closer to installing its own solar farm.

At Monday’s environment, corporate and utilities committee meeting, councillors voted unanimously to recommend the project to city council.

Saskatoon Light and Power manager Jose Cheruvallath says city council has reserved 14 acres just east of Dundonald Avenue and south of 11th Street West for the project.

“The proposed site would comprise over 5,000 ground-mounted solar panels that would be installed for a period of 30 years. Space would be maintained at the north for any potential alignment of 11th Street West. The panels would be approximately four metres or 13 feet above the ground,” he explained.

The project would generate 2.7 gigawatts of power, or enough to power 330 homes.

Cost of the project is estimated to be $4.25 million, with $2.56 million coming from both the federal and provincial governments. Saskatoon Light and Power would fund the remaining cost.

According to Saskatoon Light and Power president Trevor Bell, it will take some time to pay off that amount.

“Capital reserves are being used to fund the development of the project and then it will take about seven years to repay the capital. So in the short term, it’s a negative for utility. In the long term it’s a positive … It will generate about $300,000 of net benefit for us after seven years,” he told councillors.

SL&P customers won’t see any rate increases related to the project and there would be 24 full-time equivalent (FTE) jobs created during construction.

If city council gives the thumbs up, construction could begin next summer, and the solar farm could be operational by the spring of 2023.