After Central Saanich council declared a climate emergency on July 8, the municipality installed 360 solar panels on the roof of Central Saanich’s Fire Hall 1.

The district's goal is to showcase an example of cost-effective renewable energy.

“These highly visible panels demonstrate what’s possible as we move toward a target of 100 per cent renewable energy community-wide by 2050,” said Central Saanich Mayor Ryan Windsor.

“Solar is able to provide energy with minimal environmental impact compared to other sources.

The district says it's the largest solar array on Vancouver Island.

The fire hall demands significant energy because of its building size and the equipment it supports. Batteries on the fire rescue trucks and tools like the Jaws of Life all need power 24 hours a day.

“Just like in your house when you plug in your cellphone, we do the same. We plug in the trucks so they are ready for use when we need,” said Central Saanich Deputy Fire Chief Neal Widdifield.

“In all our trucks we have all our radios being charged up, ready to go.”

The solar panels will be able to generate as much as 80 per cent of the electrical power needed at the fire hall. Installed on the roof of the hall, the photovoltaic system can produce enough energy to power about 12 residential homes.

The installation of the panels by Hakai Energy Solutions of Cumberland was made possible by funding from the District of Central Saanich Climate Leadership Reserve Fund.

The district says it will recoup the costs for panels through savings from reduced hydro costs without any impact on property taxes.

"While it requires an investment upfront, the costs of solar panels is projected to decrease considerably and it is going to be a critical source of energy in the future,” said Windsor.

The district expects the solar system will recover the installation cost in just over 11 years.

It is projected the net earnings are estimated to be over $500,000 after 25 years. If the panels reach their full lifespan, they will return over $1 million dollars in savings, according to the district.

The municipality hopes to achieve energy neutrality through new energy conservation measures.

The district, like other B.C. municipalities, has pledged to reduce its community-wide greenhouse gas emissions by up to 80 per cent by 2050.