Summerside solar farm expected to produce enough electricity to power thousands of homes

First at Five: A Bright Idea First at five we head to Summerside to learn about a new solar power initiative.

While many cities across Canada are talking the talk about the green transition, Summerside, P.E.I., is walking the walk.

Summerside Sunback, a 68-acre solar farm nestled in the province’s second-largest city, is expected to produce enough electricity to power more than 2,500 homes each year.

Now that the site is up and running, 62 per cent of the power used by the city comes from local renewable sources.

“By building this we have more energy security and independence,” said Summerside Mayor Dan Kutcher. “So when the lights go off in New Brunswick or elsewhere on the Island, we have an opportunity now to try to keep them on here in Summerside.”

Officials say it reduces the power the city has to buy each year by 20 per cent, representing almost $2 million a year.

There are more than 48,000 solar panels at the farm. With an acre of battery capacity, that means they can save excess power generated by the farm during the sunniest part of the day for high demand times in the evening.

It also mitigates some of the unpredictability of solar power.

The site is built on the city’s old wellfield, land which couldn’t be used for most kinds of development, but which is well suited to solar panels.

“It’s replicable to many communities across Canada because everybody has land that isn’t used, whether it’s landfills or wellfields,” said Greg Goodie, director of municipal services for the City of Summerside. “They all come with their own challenges of course, by I think you can readapt use of land and not have to give up your economy.”

It’s far and away the biggest solar project in Island history.

It took nearly two years and $70 million to complete. Costs were mostly split between the city, province, and federal government.

“We are showing, not just Prince Edward Island, and Atlantic Canada, and Canada, but the world, what can be done if you put your mind to it, put good people behind it, and invest in a brighter future,” said Kutcher.

They say the farm reduces the city’s greenhouse gas emissions by the equivalent of 1,700 cars each year.

Those involved say projects like this could serve as a blueprint for how Canadians power their communities amid rising electric needs and the transition away from fossil fuels.

For more Prince Edward Island news visit our dedicated provincial page.