Solar Power Initiatives
City Hall Solar
City Hall has two distinct solar arrays. The solar panels help the City of Grande Prairie reduce its environmental impacts and its targets of lowering emissions.
• The two arrays combined produce approximately 6 kW of energy or 3% of the building’s energy needs.
• These panels were part of a study conducted by NAIT to understand the impacts of snow on solar panels.
The study found that energy loss is about 3% when solar panels are covered by snow. The success of these panels has proven that solar is a viable option for the Grande Prairie area.
Solar Panels at City Hall
Grande Prairie Bus Barn Solar
The City of Grande Prairie has 5 electric buses powered by 480 solar photovoltaic (PV) panels. Energy is generated from these panels and stored in a Battery Energy Storage System (BESS). Any surplus energy is sent to the City’s energy grid.
Solar power is ample from March to October. During the winter months, the energy grid fills up the BESS.
The cost to operate and maintain an electric bus is $1/km versus the $1.25/km for a traditional diesel bus.
These panels can be found on the top of the City Service Centre.
