By Lara Fominoff

Province’s municipal solar rebate program benefits Lethbridge Sports Park

Oct 27, 2017 | 9:40 AM

Eight solar panels have been added to the roof of the main building at the Lethbridge Sports Park, as part of the Provincial Government’s initiatives to become more environmentally friendly and to save money.
 
Mayor Chris Spearman says the panels cost about $6,800 dollars, and the city will get about $1,260 of that back as a rebate.
 
“This is the first one [project] that we have received a subsidy for, but we have others like it at Nicholas Sheran picnic shelter and our signs are up and powered by solar. It’s important to reduce the carbon footprint, and be part of energty conservation in the province of Alberta.
 
The panels will generate 2,572 kilowatt hours per year, or about 20 per cent of the sports park’s needs.
 
Environment Minister Shannon Phillips says Alberta burns more coal than the rest of the country combined, and trying to lower that carbon footprint is a priority.
 
“And so when people do this, they’re reducing their draw on either their coal or natural gas, which is a good thing. But the better thing is that they’re also making an investment for the long term in their facility and what that allows them to do is reduce their costs for utilities, for electricity, so they can invest those funds into other things.”
 
Spearman says other projects may be in the works in the near future to take advantage of the province solar initiatives.