City Council and Enmax energy are working together to create Canadas largest rooftop solar project.

 Genesis place will be receiving roughly 3680 solar panels that will line the rooftop as well as an additional 100 panels that will be placed on the gymnasium exterior wall.

The City has recived additional funding from a grant from the province and received enough funding to expand the system to 1550 kilowatts. 

According to Jason Atkinson, Director of Operations with Enmax says the panels will reduce the cost of energy to the building significantly.

"The genesis place has to services coming to the building, with this system, 33% of the annual consumption will be covered."

There will be a display in Genesis place for the public to observe weekly, monthly and lifetime energy saved as well as how many trees you have saved, vehicles off the road or lightbulbs saved, the system has real-time information on the energy absorption that takes place throughout the day.

According to Atkinson, the forever changing Alberta weather will not be a problem with these panels.

"With solar projects you only produce 8% of your production through the winter months, we allow for 90 days of non-production in the winter, so the snow doesn't bother us at all. You still see a really good harvest, the highest harvest is from April 1st to November 1st with the highest peak production month being in July."

The modules will self-clear snow by heating up the panel to make the snow melt. 

During the massive hail storm that damaged houses and cars in Airdrie a few years back none of the solar projects in Airdrie, we lost or damaged. 

According to Atkison, the makers of the panels are tested by shooting a golf ball sized hairball at 80 kilometres an hour to test the glass.

"Generally mother nature doesn't hurt these panels its normal humans dropping stuff on them, they are tested and proven."

Construction is planned to start by the middle of November depending on the permitting process and is expected to be wrapped up by the new year.

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