Solar farm (photo courtesy of the Town of Sexsmith)

By Jeff Henson

Sexsmith Solar Farm

Solar farm is now powering most of the Town of Sexsmith’s facilities

Nov 30, 2020 | 8:33 AM

Construction of the Town of Sexsmith’s Solar farm is complete, and the facility is now providing power to several sites and buildings owned by the town.

Sexsmith mayor Kate Potter says the facility opened in late October, and so far it’s been all positive.

“We are still in the beginning stages of operations, so we are waiting for ongoing data to come in, so that we can guarantee that everything is working like it is supposed to.”

Potter adds the $1.8-million farm is very impressive.

“It is an 18-hundred panel solar installation. It is located on our reclaimed landfill site, so it is actually a really great use of land that does not have a lot of use.”

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“So this was an excellent project to both do that and to provide savings, sort of looking to a sustainable community moving forward.”

Grande Prairie’s Empower Energy was selected to install the solar panels.

Potter says 70 per cent of the electricity used by 32 sites and facilities owned by the town will now come from this solar farm.

“In the winter, when we have less daylight, we will not produce as much energy. But in the summer, when we are producing a lot more, we can sell that back to the system and build up credit, so that as our usage goes up in the winter, we can then off-set that. So it is actually a really big win for us.”

Even though the farm is now in operation, the public will have to wait until the spring to get a look at it. Plans for a grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony have been pushed back due to the COVID-19 pandemic.