MHPSD expects to take advantage of Alberta’s $15M solar support for schools

The local public school division plans on taking advantage of the $15 million in funding the province announced Wednesday to put more solar panels on schools, its superintendent says.

“Medicine Hat Public School Division will apply to expand their contingent of solar panels,” Mark Davidson said.

He says it’s too early to say which schools would apply for the grant.

“Some buildings, because of their age, can’t sustain having the panels installed on their roofs, so you need to install them in the field adjacent. And some schools don’t have a field sufficient to do that, so we’ll have to really take a look at what grounds and which buildings are best suited,” he said.

Ken Sauer School, which opened for the 2017-2018 school year, is the only MHPSD school with solar panels.

“We’re certainly pleased with the solar panels that we have currently in our system and we’re encouraged by the opportunity to secure more,” said Davidson.

Ecole St. john Paul II School, the Medicine Hat Catholic Board of Education’s newest facility, is another generating solar energy.

The school is on pace to receive a gold LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Efficient Design certification, which opens up the school to further grant opportunities.

Prior to being hired as St. John Paul’s principal, Robert Dumanowski attended a webinar on the opportunities for schools to take the lead in solar power, from building walls out of solar panels to having canopies above playgrounds that generate solar.

“I definitely see now that the webinar I participated in is coming to fruition,” said Dumanowski.

The province’s Solar for Schools program will provide rebates of up to $1.50 per watt on solar energy generated to offset energy costs.

The grant is available to public, Catholic, francophone and charter schools that haven’t received Alberta Education’s Solar Technology Systems grant.

“I can’t think of a better classroom project than rooftop solar panels,” Minister of Environment and Parks Shannon Phillips said at the press conference announcing the initiative.

“Alberta is as sunny as Rio de Janeiro and the future of solar in this province has never been brighter.”