Guelph, Ontario: Canadian Solar Inc. announced February 15 that it had won three solar power contracts with Alberta’s Ministry of Infrastructure, totalling 94 megawatts (MWp) of solar power systems in southeast Alberta. When in operation, the solar fields will provide 55 percent of the electricity needs for Alberta provincial government. The provincial government says it is likely the largest public sector solar energy procurement contract in Canada in 2019. The systems have an average contracted PPA price of $48.05 per megawatt-hour.
Left to Right: John Gorman (CanSIA), Ryan Tourigny (Canadian Solar), Shirley Tremblay (President of Conklin Metis Local 193 and CRDAC Board of Director), and the Honourable Shannon Phillips (Minister of Environment and Parks and the Minister Responsible for the Climate Change Office). Photo supplied by the Conklin Resource Development Advisory Committee.
The Government of Alberta’s operations have been powered 100 per cent with wind electricity since 2007. Upon the expiration of some of these contracts, they have been renewed to switch from wind to solar energy. The average contract pricing will be $0.048 per kilowatt hour. The government announcement says the price represents a lower Levelized Cost of Electricity (LCOE) than the average annual wholesale price paid by the power pool to combined-cycle and single-cycle natural gas-fired electricity generation, which was 7.1 cents/kWh and 11.2 cents/kWh respectively from 2008 – 2018.
In the fall of 2018, Canadian Solar entered into a 50-percent equity partnership with Conklin Métis Local 193 on the three projects. The Conklin Métis are an indigenous community based in the rural hamlet of Conklin, part of the Athabasca Oil Sands region in eastern Alberta.
“We are extremely excited about our partnership with Canadian Solar, a global leader in solar energy. As a Métis community, we highly value the opportunity to invest in renewable energy projects within Canada,” said Shirley Tremblay, President of the Conklin Métis Local 193. “This partnership will help us diversify our investment portfolio, and its financial benefits will support key social and economic initiatives within our community. We applaud the Government of Alberta and Canadian Solar for their progressive mentality and look forward to a long-lasting, prosperous relationship.”
The three projects in the contracts are the Jenner, Tilley, and Hays solar projects. Once completed in early 2021, these solar plants are expected to generate enough power for more than 20,000 homes.
All three projects are expected to use bifacial solar panels, which generate up to 20 percent more energy than standard solar modules due to their ability to produce electricity from both their front and back sides. These modules are particularly well-suited to snowy climates like Alberta in the winter, as snow will increase reflection of sunlight.