Raymond, Alta. - The Town of Raymond is proud to announce the completion of seven significant solar installations. Retrofitted buildings include the Firehall, Town Public Works Shop, Aquatic Centre, Ice Arena, Victoria Sports Park and Golf Course and Ridgewater Treatment Plant.
With the completion of these projects, as well as the upcoming Town Hall and Victoria Park Carports in spring, 2019, The Town of Raymond will meet 100 per cent of its operational electricity needs through solar power, reducing emissions by over 800 tonnes per year, the equivalent of taking about 169 cars off the road.
"Having the opportunity to sell excess power back to the grid and reduce our annual operating expenses over the life of the project made adopting solar an extremely easy decision for Council to make," said Kurtis Pratt, Chief Administrative Officer for the Town of Raymond. "Our Council saw the long-term benefits of this decision and demonstrated tremendous leadership by allowing us to become electrically net-zero operationally."
Upon completion of the final projects, The Town of Raymond's municipal buildings will be powered entirely through solar, making it one of the first net zero municipalities in Alberta. In total, these installs will reduce electricity costs by up to $150,000 annually, based on current consumption.
The project was facilitated by ENMAX and funded in part by the Municipal Climate Change Action Centre (MCCAC).
"ENMAX has been providing renewable energy to homes, business and municipalities since 2009," said Jason Atkinson, Director, Solar Operations, ENMAX. "We work closely with municipalities across the province to understand their goals and help develop customized energy solutions."
Project details*
- 2,826 solar panels
- $100-$150,000 annual savings on electricity costs
- 1,252 MWh generated annually
*Numbers include completion of phase two in Spring, 2019.
About Raymond
Raymond is a growing, innovative and opportunistic municipality of 4,252 people, located 20 minutes south-east of Lethbridge. We strive to be a sustainable community and have reduced our water consumption, embraced the sun to become one of the first municipalities in North America to be electrically net-zero operationally, expanded our stormwater retention capacity and enhanced our waste management facilities. Raymond places quality of life at the highest level; with many city-like amenities such as an aquatic centre, ice arena, theatre, annual rodeo and a state-of-the-art feature field, Raymond is an excellent choice to live and work in.
About ENMAX
ENMAX Corporation, through its subsidiaries, makes, moves and sells electricity to residential, small business and large commercial customers and is headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, with offices in Edmonton. ENMAX Power Corporation owns and operates transmission and distribution infrastructure in Calgary and ENMAX Energy Corporation owns diverse electricity generation facilities throughout the province. ENMAX Energy is currently the retailer of choice for both The City of Calgary and The City of Edmonton.