City of Winnipeg considering adding solar panels to some of its properties
Committee will vote Friday on motion that would explore possible partnerships with school divisions
Winnipeggers could soon see solar panels installed on some city buildings.
The city's water, waste and environment committee will vote Friday on a motion that would fulfil an election pledge by Mayor Scott Gillingham to explore potential properties where the panels could be installed.
"I think it's an attempt to say … if we can generate this ourselves, this environmentally clean power, we should be looking at the opportunity, if we can do it economically," said Coun. Brian Mayes (St. Vital), the committee chair, who is bringing forward the motion.
It calls on city staff to see if there is a business case for the solar panels.
Most buildings in Manitoba use hydroelectric power, so the solar panels would not do much to reduce carbon emissions from city properties, but they could be a way of reducing costs, Mayes said.
Mayes also wants the city to explore possible partnerships with school divisions for solar power generation.
Crews have begun construction of an addition to Collège Jeanne-Sauvé, a French-immersion high school in the St. Vital area, which will include solar panels providing most of the new building's power.
The school is right next to the city-owned Louis Riel Library and the Dakota Community Centre. Excess power from the school could potentially be used to supply those city facilities, Mayes said.
"It just seemed to me almost foolish to miss this opportunity, if the school divisions are doing this exact thing," he said.
The superintendent of the Louis Riel School Division hopes the Collège Jeanne-Sauvé project is just the first of many.
"This project is the only rooftop that will have solar panels in LRSD and, but hopefully will serve as a proof of concept for more panels in the future," said Christian Michalik.
If the water, waste and environment committee passes the motion, the report is expected back in about six months.
