Going solar

Montague council approves tender for solar panel array

The Cavendish Farms Wellness Centre may soon see its hefty electricity bill cut in half with some help from the sun.

Montague council voted unanimously last week to accept a proposal of $479,454.17 from Aspin Kemp and Associates to install a solar array to power the centre.

Coun. Debbie Johnston said the project should cut the centre’s electricity bill, which is about $70,000 annually, almost in half.

“This is going to offset a lot (of the electricity bill) . . . and it’s a local company, which is great,” said Johnston. “We’ve got funding all in place, we’re using some gas tax funding. It’s a great project for the town.”

While the project will cost nearly half of a million dollars, CAO Andy Daggett said the town will be contributing about $50,000, approximately 10 per cent, through its budget.

The rest of the amount will come through other government funding like the town’s gas tax allocation. Late last year, the town had re-allocated about $251,000 in gas tax funding towards the future project.

Daggett noted the project will also effectively pay for itself, with the town already giving a grant to the facility every year for about $70,000.

“The power bill is a big chunk of what it costs to run this place,” said Daggett.

The array will be installed on a parcel located behind the centre, which the town was in the process of purchasing from Town and Country Aquatics Plus.

Council ultimately decided against the original plan of having the solar array located on the facility’s roof.

“That would have cost us more money and really it’s a roof that’s 10-years-old. You’re probably going to have to replace it in another 10,” said Daggett. “This property came up and it’s right next to it. It’s visible but not in your face visible and it’s not being used for anything else. It worked out really well and it helps them and us.”

At the time of the meeting, the town hoped to have the array operational to produce power next summer. The array’s life expectancy is 20 to 25 years.

Council made the decision prior to the province’s approval of amalgamating Montague with six other municipalities in the area. Since then, the town’s council was effectively dissolved and there is currently an interim Three Rivers council now governing the area.