Owen Sound is getting into solar power generation.
Council has agreed to purchase and install ground-mounted solar panel arrays at two sites in the city — the Kiwanis Soccer Complex and the public works building.
The city will take out a debenture to pay for the purchase and installation, which will cost 171 thousand dollars — pus HST.
Revenues from the generation of electricity will be used to pay off the debenture.
Councillor Bill Twaddle — the Chair of the Environmental and Waste Advisory Committee — says the capital costs will be paid off in 10 years or less.
He adds after that — the revenues will be clear profits for Owen Sound.
Twaddle says the two sites were chosen because they’ll be relatively easy to secure — but they’ll also be visible to the public.
Twaddle says this will help make people aware of what the city is doing and why.
Owen Sound will be guaranteed a fixed price for electricity generated by the arrays under the terms of a provincial program designed to increase green energy production for the power grid.
And Twaddle says this is just the beginning.
He says it’s likely the city will soon issue a request for proposals for more panels on the roof of the Harry Lumley Bayshore Community Centre.
