Solar Showcase Project a Success - Regulations Streamlined

The prospects for wider diffusion of grid-connected solar photovoltaic projects in Alberta have brightened, thanks in large part to a two-year Alberta Solar Showcase project that is now concluding.

Conceived in part to demonstrate the relative ease of solar installation and operation, the project attracted 20 Alberta municipalities where solar systems of roughly one kilowatt were deployed on everything from village schools to town halls to city buildings. Sponsored by Climate Change Central and funded by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities and the municipalities themselves, the project also coincided with sweeping changes in the grid-connection process for micro‑generators - from a 60-step process to just five.  

"The project certainly accomplished what it set out to do and will have a life long beyond the end of the funding period," said project manager Janne Hicklin. "It really allowed us to help the municipal partners understand the previous complicated process.  That process in itself was a real disincentive for anyone considering a grid-connected solar PV system.

"Now that the municipalities understand the significance and simplicity of the new micro-generation regulations, they can offer support and encouragement to anyone else who goes out to do something like this, knowing they will have a much easier time of it. So, the regulatory side of the project has been a huge, huge component."

"This was a fantastic project in that it built capacity at the municipal level and with suppliers and installers - many of whom were doing this for the first time, including managers, architects, engineers, electricians, consultants and contractors," said engineering consultant Gordon Howell. "But even more than that, the project raised awareness of the difficulties of interconnection.  I was pleased to see that (the Alberta government) decided to simplify the grid-connection process."

Managers and leaders at the municipal level also praised the project. Russell Smith, environment manager with the City of Medicine Hat - the first participant to join the showcase initiative - said the experience advanced the city's efforts to educate and build community awareness.

"The biggest thing from a community perspective has been getting discussion going around renewable versus non-renewable energy," said Smith. "Just getting some solar PV modules  up on municipal facilities has generated interest in what it does and how it ties in to what we already have, and has helped define how we move forward in this area."

Hicklin said community awareness was built into the project from the beginning. In addition to real-time tracking of energy produced at each location, the project's website (www.lassothesun.com) also provides background information on solar photovoltaic energy and a brief history of each installation.

"It just blows my mind how we've been able to rally people around this," said Cayley School Principal Bill Holmes. "We started talking about this a number of years ago because we needed to keep the school open, and then people started to come together on it.  Now, we're at a point where we've won a number of awards because there's a good tie-in for the students and the curriculum. We're also talking about expanding the solar project and looking at other environmental initiatives, including solar thermal heating and a wetlands project."

Hicklin said that by finding a way within their bylaw structures to not just accommodate but also to encourage installations, municipalities have already promoted a way for people to do more. 

"It's one of the reasons we targeted municipalities for this project," said Hicklin.  "It's not clear if the provincial government is going to do anything to promote solar, although the change in regulations is certainly enabling.  A lot of people are familiar with solar electricity because they've got a solar module on top of their RV, but they never thought about it as a grid-connected opportunity until this project showed them how."

Kyle Kasawski, president of Conergy Sales Canada, a main supplier of solar modules and other components to the project, said the public interest is there.

"I was really impressed with the diversity of communities in the project," said Kasawski. "It really challenges Alberta's rural, conservative image when you find people are very open to this technology and are interested and attracted to it.  I think people are craving this kind of information and opportunity."