A new solar farm is putting some added practicality behind the city’s slogan. The city earned its slogan — “Saskatoon Shines” — by getting some of the most sunlight among major cities in Canada. Now, Mayor Cynthia Block says the city can harness that sunlight into something meaningful. Block flipped the switch on the new 14-acre Dundonald Avenue Solar Farm Tuesday morning, ushering in a new era of power generation for Saskatoon. “This has been a long time in the making,” she said in her opening remarks. “I remember the day we approved this and wondering whether or not Saskatoon would be ready to make a transition to diversify ... and here we are,” Block said. “I think that all of those metaphors and analogies here are appropriate today to remind ourselves how lucky we are to not only have that natural resources part of living here, but how we are able to embrace it, and use it to help support the generations ahead.” The 2.8-megawatt solar project is situated between Dundonald Avenue and Circle Drive South, just east of the Montgomery Place neighbourhood. Consisting of more than 4,500 solar photovoltaic modules, the solar farm is expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by over 23,000 tonnes over its 30-year lifespan — equivalent to removing 160 cars from the road every year as it produces enough electricity to power over 400 homes annually. The cost of the project roughly doubled from the $4.25 million originally approved in 2021 to $8.46 million when construction began last year. The project is now expected to come in under that budget at approximately $7.3 million, with just under $2.6 million in funding provided by federal and provincial governments through the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program (ICIP). The remaining portion was paid by Saskatoon Light and Power through its reserves and a loan. Trevor Bell, the director of Saskatoon Light and Power, said the project will pay for itself in roughly 15 years through an estimated $300,000 in annual revenue from reduced electricity purchases from SaskPower. Bell said given the changes in electricity demand and generation in recent years, he expects the city will beat its 15-year target as rates changes. “My best guess is that we’re probably going to pay it off faster than we think we are,” Bell said. “We don’t know what the future of electricity holds. It’s a very, very dynamic time for electricity. Lots of wind and solar, nuclear. All kinds of technology has been developed. So how that impacts rates, we’ll have to see.” The city says Tuesday’s grand opening represents a significant step towards achieving long-term climate commitments like its goal of reaching net-zero emissions by 2050. Jim McAllister, the president of the Montgomery Place Community Association, says this solar farm is already doing a lot more than the weeds which were overtaking the land in previous years. “It’s way better, and it’s a sign of progress. I mean, I think we all realizing solar is not the end-all for power generation. But I mean, we have lots of sun. We’ve got a perfect spot here for it,” McAllister said.
