Province energy project installs solar panels at Annapolis Valley community buildings
The Annapolis Valley just went a little bit greener.
Community buildings owned by the Town of Wolfville, the Nova Scotia Community College Annapolis Valley campus, the Southwest Hants Fire Society and Centrelea Community Club acquired solar panels through the Solar Electricity for Community Buildings Program.
Peter Craig is the team lead for the Solar and Smart Energy Strategy project, which is overseen by the provincial energy department. He said the purpose of the project and program is to build on current renewable energy projects, and seek to help communities benefit from clean energy.
“Nova Scotians identified in a 2015 electricity plan survey they had an interest in solar energy. There was no appreciable solar deployment in the province, so it was thus identified as something that could be worked with,” said Craig.
The project helps such community organizations acquire panels to community buildings used by four specific groups — educational institutions, nonprofits, municipalities and First Nations.
The groups apply to the program, and are selected based on their submitted plans using a best-value for energy provided system, said Craig.
He said these types of community buildings, because they are used daily, can better help further the conversation around renewable energy.
“We find these buildings provide the ideal grounds to do this work... and we get to more Nova Scotians through these types of institutions,” he said.
These are four of the 27 selected projects which purchased solar panels through the program.
The Wolfville Farmers’ Market was one of the buildings which received solar panels, and will hold an information session to explain how they will be used at their Sept. 26 market night from 4-7 p.m.