Yara Centre is the first to receive the upgrade. The south-facing entrance roof will have 139 modules and the south-facing wall will have 88, for a total of 227 solar panels.

The City of Moose Jaw has begun its solar panel installation project as part of its ongoing commitment to climate action. A total of 730 solar panels will be installed on the city buildings.

Buildings to receive the upgrade include the Yara Centre, City Hall/Moose Jaw Police Service, and Mosaic Place. The work is expected to be complete by the end of August 2022.

The project cost $1 million even and was made possible by a joint funding effort. The federal government contributed $415,120; the province contributed $345,899; the City of Moose Jaw’s share was $238,981.

The return on investment for the city will be rapid, with the panels projected to reduce the city’s utility bills by $170,000 annually. Greenhouse gas emission savings should be approximately 829 tonnes annually.

As part of the 2022 municipal budget, Moose Jaw City Council adopted a Climate Action Plan (CAP). The CAP has set targets and is data-driven, including:

• 20 per cent reduction of corporate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2025
• 45 per cent reduction of corporate GHG emissions by 2030
• Elimination of 100 per cent of water loss from municipal buildings

The city will partner with Greenwave Innovations for the first step of the plan, which will see energy sub-monitoring systems installed in the city’s 10 largest GHG-emitting, community-facing buildings. An additional building within the city’s water/wastewater portfolio brings the total to 11.

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