Yara Centre is the first to receive the upgrade. The south-facing entrance roof will have 139 modules and the south-facing wall will have 88, for a total of 227 solar panels.
The City of Moose Jaw has begun its solar panel installation project as part of its ongoing commitment to climate action. A total of 730 solar panels will be installed on the city buildings.
Buildings to receive the upgrade include the Yara Centre, City Hall/Moose Jaw Police Service, and Mosaic Place. The work is expected to be complete by the end of August 2022.
The project cost $1 million even and was made possible by a joint funding effort. The federal government contributed $415,120; the province contributed $345,899; the City of Moose Jaw’s share was $238,981.
The return on investment for the city will be rapid, with the panels projected to reduce the city’s utility bills by $170,000 annually. Greenhouse gas emission savings should be approximately 829 tonnes annually.
Climate action plan (CAP)
As part of the 2022 municipal budget, Moose Jaw City Council adopted a Climate Action Plan (CAP). The CAP has set targets and is data-driven, including:
- 20 per cent reduction of corporate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2025
- 45 per cent reduction of corporate GHG emissions by 2030
- Elimination of 100 per cent of water loss from municipal buildings
The city will partner with Greenwave Innovations for the first step of the plan, which will see energy sub-monitoring systems installed in the city’s 10 largest GHG-emitting, community-facing buildings. An additional building within the city’s water/wastewater portfolio brings the total to 11.
The 11 facilities represent 48 per cent of the overall corporate emissions. They were selected for their energy usage and their high profiles within the community.
Once the energy sub-monitoring systems are installed, public engagement dashboards will be placed in the monitored buildings. The dashboards will enable citizens to stay up to date with progress toward the CAP targets.
The city hopes residents and business owners will be inspired by the visible progress on the public engagement dashboards to implement their own actions on climate change.
“The City of Moose Jaw is very proud of our previous commitments to seek opportunities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and the actions detailed within this climate action plan,” said city manager Jim Puffalt. “We look forward to guiding our community through this climate change journey and showcasing our city as a leader in environmental responsibility.”
The city’s full Climate Action Plan can be read at https://moosejaw.ca/climateactionplan/.
