Aside from a little rough weather two weeks ago, the sun has been bathing the area this September. Residents have had the chance to enjoy what little of summer and the sun remains.
Starland County is hoping to enjoy the sunshine, though in a different way. The county is working on a new initiative to help farmers in the area get hooked up to solar power.
“We are excited that the alternative energy industry has had some major advancements that make it a smart and cost effective investment. We are working to help in every way we can so businesses, farms, and residents of our region can access and utilize the technology,” said Jordan Webber, Economic Development Officer for Starland County.
A new initiative, though in its early stages of development, would involve creating solar packages for farmers, where the farmer could do some of work to set it up themselves. In other words, the equipment would be in a do-it-yourself solar kit.
The project is in the works and the county is hoping to have it ready once funding is more forthcoming from the province.
“Alberta Agriculture has a program, which is a little limited at this time. The province has a pot of cash, which is joint money from the provincial and federal governments, called Growing Forward. They cover up to 50 per cent of the cost of on farm solar,” said Starland County CAO Ross Rawlusyk.
“We’re in the initial stages to gear it up, so when they come up with a new Growing Forward framework with more of an emphasis on alternate energy, we’re ready.”
Solar power can be quite expensive. The aim of the project would be to cut costs to make it more affordable for farmers to use the alternate energy source.
“What we’re looking at doing is to get it as cheap as we can. There would be a component where the farmers could do some of the installation themselves, like the racking,” said Rawlusyk.
“The racking systems are essentially pre-made. So there could be savings in the racking and putting panels on, but you would still need someone to hook it up in the end.”
The county is also working on a modelling program where those interested could enter their current power bills and the size of solar array they want, and they would get an estimate of the energy savings they could expect.
Once harvest season is over, Starland County is inviting county residents to a meeting in Delia to outline the project and how to get hooked up to solar power.
The Alternative Energy Symposium will feature alternative energy suppliers and experts. Area residents are invited to learn more about the options available in the area.
“We’ve been collecting names of farmers who are interested,” said Rawlusyk. “We’re hoping to have a standard package so we can carry forward.”
The meeting is scheduled for most of the day of November 1 in the Delia Community Hall.