Grid parity solar power generation has been Solar Krafte's exclusive focus from inception.
We build green, benign solar farms intelligently, with scale, through contiguous build-outs, resulting in power prices that beat carbon burning generation now, and even much more so in the future.
Solar Krafte's Prairie Sunlight family of solar farms brings world class, utility-scale, solar PV to Alberta.
Prairie Sunlight I Solar Project
The proposed project is sited on the east half of Section 28, the north west quarter of Section 27 and the south half of the south west quarter of Section 34, Township 15, Range 18, Meridian 4 (click here for detailed map).
About the Project
The proposed Prairie Sunlight I Solar Project is a 74.9 megawatt (MW) solar facility, located on 552 acres of private land in M.D. of Taber, Alberta, north of Enchant and south east of Lomond, immediately adjacent to the Enchant Substation.
The project is estimated to offset 89,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions annually, generating enough electricity to power more than 18,000 Alberta homes.
The total capital cost of the project is expected to exceed $125 million, bringing an important source of direct and indirect economic activity to M.D. of Taber and the communities of Enchant and Lomond.
The project is expected to be completed in one phase with commercial operations commencing in Q4 2022 and continuing over the next 30 years and beyond.
The project will tie directly into the local FortisAlberta electricity distribution grid, benefiting neighbouring businesses, residences, and farming operations with the use of clean, renewable power during daytime periods.
Attend our Open House
To learn more about the project and provide input, we invite you to join us at our community open house:
June 22, 2017
Enchant Community Hall
5 to 8 PM
Prairie Sunlight I
Solar Project
Clean, renewable power without subsidies
Solar Krafte focuses solely on power generation in solar rich jurisdictions, where the price for power is not subsidized, delivering power to consumers at the best price, and without emissions or waste.
Through technological advances, and substantial global manufacturing supply increases, the cost to build a commercial scale solar power plant has dropped dramatically over the past few years. What cost us $100 million to build eight years ago, we can build today for $25 million.
The solar panels for this project will be mounted on horizontal trackers, which allow the panels to move throughout the day as the sun arcs across the sky.
Project Schedule
Notify stakeholders
Ongoing
Start of Construction
Q4 2021
Solar Module Installation
Q2/Q3 2022
Commissioning
Q4 2022
Expected
Commercial Operation Date
Q4 2022
Visual Impact
The project equipment will have a maximum height of approximately 3 metres. The project will only be visible within proximity and will blend in with the horizon at distances of 100 metres and greater, allowing for minimal visual impact to the surrounding communities.
The solar panels are designed to absorb light to convert it into energy, rather than reflect it. This means there will be minimal visual impact caused by glare.
Solas Energy Consulting completed a Solar Glare Analysis of the project, which concluded that there would not be any hazard due to glare at any of the observation points evaluated, and we have commissioned Green Cat Renewables to perform a second study to confirm that there would not be any hazard due to glare resulting from revisions to the solar panel layout.
Noise
The project would result in temporary noise increases during construction but would not create any substantial permanent increase in the ambient noise levels. We anticipate little to no increase in existing noise levels during the lifetime operation of this project.
Once operational, the only source of noise will be the inverters, which are designed to operate within municipal noise standards. In any event, we locate them centrally in our systems, well away from site boundaries.
FDI Acoustics completed a Noise Impact Assessment of the project, which concluded that the cumulative daytime and nighttime cumulative sound levels of the Project were predicted to be within the regulated, permissible limits.
Environment
Solar Krafte is committed to mitigating any potential negative environmental impacts.
The project area consists of cultivated cropland, which we specifically targeted to avoid potential conflicts with wildlife habitat.
Our solar generators produce clean, renewable power without emissions or waste, and therefore help to reduce the amount of greenhouse gases emitted during the production of electricity.
Basin Environmental completed wildlife and wetland assessments of the project, which concluded that the availability of wildlife habitat within the project area was low, and that the 32 wetlands identified within the Project area were heavily disturbed by cultivation.
Historic Resources
We anticipate limited potential for archaeological and palaeontological resources given that the land use is cultivation. Relatedly, we received Historical Resources Act clearance from Alberta Culture and Tourism which consisted of a review of potential effects to historic resources, such as archaeological resources, historic sites, and Aboriginal traditional use sites.
Construction
The construction period is expected to last eight to ten months. During this time, there will be an increase in construction traffic. Access to the project will be through existing roads.
We will work closely with M.D. of Taber to ensure dust mitigation measures are in place and impact on local residences is kept to a minimum.
Community Benefits
Solar Krafte values the long-term benefits of working with the local community.
Beyond the clean, renewable power our project will produce for the residents of Alberta, without emissions or waste, the significant property tax revenue from this project will help alleviate costs of municipal services or infrastructure.
Other local economic benefits will include construction jobs, long-term operator positions, and significant, local investment into the hospitality and construction services sector.
