Some Airdrie residents have noticed a solar energy facility being developed north of Airdrie, leading to questions about what it is exactly.
According to General Land & Power's (GL&P) website, the company is developing the Sollair Solar Energy Facility, dubbed a 'cutting-edge renewable energy' project just north of Airdrie in Rocky View County.
The 75-megawatt solar facility is located a half-mile east of the QE2 highway on Township Road 274 and spans approximately 480 acres of GL&P’s 640-acre property. Once fully operational, Sollair is expected to provide clean energy to power an estimated 25,000 homes in the area.
Historically, the land designated for the Sollair project had been used for farming nad the company underlined that in recognition of Alberta’s agricultural heritage, GL&P is introducing a pioneering Agri-voltaic pilot program as part of the development.
Agri-voltaic (or Agri-solar) facilities combine solar energy generation with agricultural use, allowing the land to serve both purposes simultaneously. GL&P has partnered with Olds College and Red Deer Polytechnic to collaborate on this initiative, aiming to create the world’s largest Agri-voltaic project.
The development of Sollair has progressed steadily. In May 2023, GL&P received a permit and license from the Alberta Utilities Commission to construct and operate the facility.
This was followed by Rocky View County granting a development permit in September 2023. By early December 2023, the project obtained energization authorization from the Alberta Electric System Operator, and by the end of the month, Sollair is expected to be partially energized. Full energization of the facility is anticipated by December 2024.
DiscoverAirdrie contacted GL&P for further comments on the project, but the company said in an email statement that they had no further comments.
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