Eight facilities going solar
Four years after solar energy panels at Station on the Green exceeded revenue projections, Clearview will get eight more facilities generating solar power by summer.
At its April 28 meeting, Council accepted 13 contracts totalling $460,883 for Creemore company, Gravity Sun Power, to install the 10 kW micro-fit solar systems at a cost of $300,000.
Since then, Collingwood company R.J. Burnside approved the structural engineering of eight of the proposed facilities.
The solar power systems will be installed on Avening Community Centre, Clearview Administration Centre, Nottawa Community Hall, Clearview Works Building, Duntroon (Nottawasaga) Hall, Stayner Community Centre, Stayner Granite Club and the Creemore Medical Centre.
At press time, the structural engineering approval for the building at 200 Huron Street in Stayner was still pending.
The revenue generated by the solar panels will be applied to each facility to offset its operating costs.
Because the Stayner Granite Club is the only approved facility that does not have a committee of Council, its revenue will be placed in reserve for the Granite Club to use for future improvements.
The estimated completion date for the solar power systems is June 2014.
Four of the 13 proposed facilities didn’t make the cut because there were design issues, said Steve Sage, Clearview’s General Manager of Transportation and Recreation.
“Although they are new buildings, the Creemore Fire Hall Station #4 and the Singhampton Fire Hall Station #5 were constructed as post-disaster facilities,” Sage explained. This means that extra weight cannot be added to them.
In addition, the design of the interior of the roof of the Creemore Community Centre prohibited it from passing structural approval for the solar power systems.
The Creemore branch of the Clearview Public library would require renovation to accommodate a solar panel system, Sage said.
In 2010, the Township installed a solar energy system on Station on the Green with an expected gross revenue of $8000; it got $11,000 instead.
“Since then, the system has exceeded expectations,” said Sage. The system generated about 30% more revenue than expected in 2012, he said.
To pay for the installation, Treasurer Edward Henley will apply for a loan from Infrastructure Ontario for an amount up to $500,000 with an amortization of up to 20 years.
Twenty-six buildings were originally on the list for receiving solar panel systems. However, the Ontario Power Authority would only approve one building per property.
Another reason some facilities are not receiving solar panels is because Ontario Hydro’s power lines didn’t have enough available grid space.
