Trans Canada Energy is proposing a huge solar installation at the Saddlebrook site south of Aldersyde.

The site started as the MagCan plant during Premier Don Getty's term in office but after that collapsed the building was used to recycle tires and make the lining for diapers.

After the 2013 flood the Province built a huge development using Atco trailers to house flood victims.

Project manager Michael Edwards says it's a huge project generating 102.5 megawatts (MW) of energy, enough to power approximately 30,000 homes and equivalent to taking the emissions of 25,000 vehicles off the roads.

Edwards says it's hard to say exactly how many solar panels will be used because there's a wide difference in sizes available but they expect there'll be between 185,000 to 420,000.

He says they're using what are called bifacial panels.

"It essentially a double sided solar panel so it allows us to pick up energy from very direct sun rays and light that is reflected off the ground or other surfaces, so during winter if the top side of the panels are covered we're still able to produce energy as the sun is reflected off the snow on the ground and that can be picked up on the back side of the panel which actually has a double benefit of being able to melt the snow on the front side of the panel as it heats up," he says.

Edwards says it'll cost about $150-million with a portion of that coming from Emissions Reduction Alberta.

"They put out a challenge to companies to look for ways to reduce emissions in Alberta and our particular project was chosen through that challenge and received partial funding through that process.

They'll send in their application to the Alberta Utilities Commission in the next couple weeks and, after hopefully receiving approval, start construction in May of 2022.

 

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