LETHBRIDGE
Home to two post-secondary centres of excellence and other major research campuses, the City of Lethbridge is proud of its reputation as a smart community. Thus, it’s no surprise Lethbridge is part of the innovative Alberta Solar Showcase.
Central to the city’s strategic plan, Towards a Sustainable Future, is a commitment to reduce the community’s environmental footprint. For example, Lethbridge has, since 2000, successfully operated an award-winning waste water treatment plant, which turns methane gas into heat and electricity.
Partnering with a local builder and Lethbridge College, the city constructed a house that showcases practical, environmental technologies. In 2009, the city engaged citizens in preparing its Community Sustainability Plan to guide future development decisions. Lethbridge is also an active member of the Southern Alberta Alternative Energy Partnership, a consortium of 37 communities that’s promoting a sustainable energy future for the region.
“Developing an understanding of the economic and environmental benefits of various forms of grid-connected renewable energy is key to our vision for the future,” says Lethbridge Mayor Robert Tarleck. “It was appropriate, then, that the city should seize the opportunity to connect the Alberta Solar initiative with our own one-kilowatt PV project.”
The City mounted its solar PV system on a wall of the centrally-located Civic Ice Centre. The site is visible from the busy intersection below and provides abundant opportunities to promote sustainable energy solutions.
Solar Team: Dorren Electric, Conergy Canada