The Summerland Energy Centre, the Okanagan Valley’s first utility-scale solar and battery storage facility, has officially opened.
The opening ceremony was held on Nov. 14, following eight years of planning and project execution.
The $6.98 million project was completed on time and on budget. The funding included $6 million from the Canada Community-Building Fund (formerly the Federal Gas Tax Strategic Priorities Fund) and $980,000 from Summerland’s electrical utility capital reserve.
Summerland mayor Doug Holmes said the project will benefit the community.
“The Summerland Energy Centre directly benefits everyone in the community, since every resident, business and farm pays for electricity,” he said. “Besides demonstrating leadership in local sustainability and achieving a level of control over our future energy needs, the opportunity for peak shaving means we can start seeing a return on our investment almost immediately, not 10 years down the road.”
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Sean Fraser, Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities, said the project fits with a provincial goal of building more sustainable and more resilient communities.
“The completion of the Summerland Energy Centre symbolizes our commitment to delivering funds to funding projects that support that goal,” he said.
Anna Kang, Minister of Municipal Affairs, said the facility sets the stage for an adjacent eco-village, promoting objectives such as reduced water and energy use, healthy lifestyles, protection of threatened species, and a diversity of housing types.
“This new facility gives people in Summerland energy independence and security from supply shortages, helping to cut bills, create jobs, enhance the local economy and make the District of Summerland a leader in cleantech,” she said.
The facility has a solar array with 412 kilowatts of solar capacity, one megawatt of battery storage, a 3.56 megawatt hour power supply and upgrades to Summerland’s existing electrical system.
The facility feeds power directly to the grid and can also release stored power as needed to provide resiliency for critical infrastructure and allow for daily peak shaving on the purchase price of wholesale power.
Summerland is one of five local governments in British Columbia to own and operate an electrical utility. The community purchases wholesale power and resells it to Summerland residents and businesses.
In 2015, the municipal council prioritized a renewed commitment to its electrical utility and proposed the idea of generating a small quantity of power from renewable sources. The solar project is the first step in this goal.
On Sept. 21, 2023, the Community Energy Association presented the municipality with a Climate and Energy Action Award for the development of the facility. This is the second time in the three years that Summerland has received the award. In 2021, the municipality was recognized for its corporate climate action initiatives.
The Summerland Energy Centre is part of a larger Integrated Solar Project that also includes the installation of rooftop solar panels on Municipal Hall and the George Ryga Arts and Cultural Centre, and a distributed generation (net-metering) program where residential utility customers can connect their home renewable energy source to the Summerland grid.
The municipality is offering a public tour of the facility on Saturday, Nov. 18 from 9 to 10 a.m. Those interested in joining the tour can sign up at signup.com/go/rgtoVvH by Nov. 16. Details of how to get to the Energy Centre and where to meet will be shared two days prior to the tour to those who have signed up.
