By: Deanna McArthur
In 2017 we shared how Camrose Energy, a local electricity and natural gas company, had set out to help Habitat for Humanity Camrose install 25 solar panels on the roof of its ReStore building to reduce its emissions and overall operating costs.
ReStore’s goal is to raise funds for Habitat for Humanity Camrose. It accomplishes this by accepting donated items from the community and surrounding area and reselling those items to the general public.
Phase I of the project, completed in 2018, was made possible through over $26,750 in government grants, sponsorships, and donations from Solar Harvest, Green Alberta Energy, and Camrose Energy.
The panels, which can generate 325 watts of electricity each, produced enough electricity for Habitat Camrose to reduce their annual grid consumption by nearly 13,000 kWh (close to the yearly electricity consumption of two average Alberta households).
Not only does the solar project reduce the building’s environmental impact, it also provides savings on the ReStore’s utility bill.
Cody McCarroll, Executive Director of Habitat for Humanity Camrose, said the transition to becoming a micro-generator has made a huge difference in helping the organization realize its ultimate goal - to provide opportunities for families to achieve homeownership as a means of breaking the cycle of poverty and strengthening communities.
“At the ReStore, it’s helped to lower our operating costs,” said McCarroll. “This has, in turn, helped increase the funds available to help build homes.”
In February 2021, Habitat Camrose saw the completion of Phase II of the project, with the installation of 22 large PV panels capable of generating a combined 8,900 watts of electricity. It is estimated that this addition to the system will help Habitat Camrose reduce its grid power consumption by a further 11,000 kWh.
“At Camrose Energy, we are ecstatic about the long-term residual savings that the project will bring for Habitat,” said Denise Hawkins, Director of Camrose Energy. “There’s been so much pressure placed on non-profits throughout the COVID-19 pandemic that anything that can be done to lighten the financial burden for them is a positive in a year of negatives.”
Membership in the Solar Club Provides Even More Benefits
As a Solar PV Micro-Generation customer of Camrose Energy, Habitat Camrose is eligible for membership in the Solar Club, a unique program designed to help micro-generators get more out of their solar investments.
Most micro-generators in Alberta use a “bi-directional meter”, which means they can both export and import electricity to and from the grid when necessary. When electricity is not being produced by the solar system, the micro-generator imports electricity from the grid at a set retail price. When a solar system generates electricity, the building utilizes what it can, and any excess that cannot be consumed is then sold back to the grid at the same import retail price.
When micro-generators sell excess electricity back to the grid, they receive “micro-generation credits” on their electricity bill. These credits can be used to pay down future bills or cover other costs found on an electricity bill, such as distribution and transmission fees.
Membership in the Solar Club will provide Habitat Camrose with the ability to toggle between exclusive electricity rates based on seasonal generation fluctuations. The High Export Rate of 25.85 ¢/kWh is designed for months when solar generation potential is the highest (typically the summer months). Conversely, the Low Export Rate of 7.10 ¢/kWh is designed for months when solar generation potential is the lowest (typically the winter months).
“We’re making the necessary steps to a greener, less carbon-dependent future,” said McCarroll. “We are on the front end of the movement. Phase II will produce more energy than we consume, so we will be selling the surplus back to the power grid.”
As an additional benefit of membership in the Solar Club, Habitat Camrose will also receive 5% cashback for any electricity imported from the grid, paid annually. Furthermore, as a Solar Club Member, Green Alberta Energy will offset 50% of Habitat Camrose’s electricity imported from the grid with Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) at no additional cost. These Club benefits are all designed to help Members like Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore achieve the goal of becoming net-zero in their electricity consumption.
With the benefits of the solar system and the Solar Club combined, Habitat Camrose anticipates a savings of $100,000 over the course of the 30-year guarantee of the Solar PV array.
“It is amazing to see the programs we have created, like the Solar Club, provide such worthwhile benefits to consumers, small businesses, and non-profits,” said Nick Clark, Director of Green Alberta Energy. “Hats off to Camrose Energy for their dedication to the local community and helping to make a difference in the lives of so many.”
To read more about Phase II of Habitat Camrose’s solar array, click here.