MODL – Oakhill Community Solar Project:
The proposed project is a 7MWac solar facility, covering about 60 acres of land, with an estimated cost of over $14 million. It’s important to note that many details about ongoing costs, such as maintenance and operational expenses, haven’t been released yet—so this figure is just an estimate.
The project is a partnership between MODL, the Municipality of the District of Shelburne, the Municipality of the District of Argyle, the Town of Shelburne, and the Town of Lockeport. These partners will collectively own the solar garden and will sell the generated energy to Nova Scotia Power (NSPI) through a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA).
While residents will have the option to subscribe to the service, they won’t have ownership. In essence, it means we contribute financially but don’t get a share in the ownership of the solar garden.
We also contacted MODL to ask for confirmation of the project’s cost and details on maintenance and operational expenses. Additionally, we inquired about the number of residents who can subscribe to the service. However, they have not responded to our questions.
Do the Math
To estimate how many homes a 7 MWac (megawatt alternating current) solar facility could power, we need to consider several factors, including:
Annual Household Electricity Consumption: The average annual electricity consumption of a home in Canada is about 11,000 kWh (kilowatt-hours), though this can vary based on location and climate.
Capacity Factor: This indicates the actual output of the solar facility compared to its maximum potential output. For solar power, the capacity factor typically ranges from 10% to 20%, depending on the location and weather conditions.
A 7 MWac solar facility with a 15% capacity factor could power approximately 836 homes in MODL area, based on an average annual household electricity consumption of 11,000 kWh. This is just an example.
There are a lot of questions that are not being addressed at this time, but if they are in the future, we will update this post. For example, questions about cost, maintenance, operations, and whether there will be limits on how many homes can subscribe. You have to do the math—the size of the solar garden cannot accommodate all homes in the MODL area. So then, the question arises: who gets to use it and benefit from it and who does not?
One can now understand why they are not providing these details. All property owners in MODL are going to pay for the solar project, but only a small percentage will be able to benefit from it under the current setup they have laid out.
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