Jasper has entered the realm of alternative energy and I don’t know about you but I think it’s monumental. If you didn’t hear, we are now capturing some of our sweet mountain sunshine and turning it into electrical power. Since Jasper’s power is generated from natural gas, that means we’re reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Solar technology has come a long way in a reasonably short amount of time; worldwide it is a 15 billion dollar industry. While the cost of “conventional” energy continues to rise, solar technology is the one type or renewable energy that continues to drop in price. That’s great news for anyone that is interested in capturing the sun! Solar hot water heating, solar air heating, solar PV systems, passive solar heating … the possibilities are heating up.

The Jasper Solar Project is part of a province-wide solar demonstration, funded in part by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities. Jasper is one of 14 municipalities installing solar photovoltaic (PV) systems on municipal buildings. Ours is on the roof of the Activity Centre, proudly visible for all to see. What you can’t see, is that this project will reduce Jasper’s CO2 emissions by one metric tonne per year.

On a large place like the Activity Centre this is a small system, producing only a fraction of what the building actually uses. It is more of an educational example of sustainable, non-polluting energy producing enough energy to operate four of the computers in the building for regular work hours. 

Solar PV systems are relatively simple, have no moving parts and require virtually no maintenance. Sunlight hits the solar module and the light energy is converted to direct-current (DC) electricity. This electricity passes through an inverter, which converts it into alternating-current (AC) electricity, the type of electricity that the building uses. For our system we will still draw supplemental electricity from the grid but with larger systems the excess solar energy could actually be sent back to the grid or stored in batteries for later use.

With the PV system up and making juice, attention can now be directed to the educational component of the project. A permanent display that monitors our solar productivity will be part of an interactive learning station at the Activity Centre. You will be able to see in real-time how our system is doing and learn all sorts of nifty solar information (like how many cups of coffee one kw of power can make!), all from a sun powered computer. Solar communities across the province will be linked to Jasper and have the capability to share resources and experiences. 

A new Municipal Environmental Stewardship Policy and involvement with the FCM Partners for Climate Protection program has committed us to diversifying our energy portfolio, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Did you know that the municipality is now buying 20 per cent green power in addition to plugging into the sun? Since Alberta is the sunniest province it only makes sense, as does reducing our green house gas emissions one tonne at a time.

For more information about the Alberta Solar Municipal Showcase Project visit www.lassothesun.ca!

It’s all about sharing at the Enviro Café, so join the conversation. Submit any environmental questions or comments to envirocafe@fitzhugh.ca

— Nicole Ward is the Environmental Stewardship Coordinator for the Municipality of Jasper and Parks Canada.