DAWSON CREEK, B.C. - Dawson Creek has received approval for up to $100,000 in grant funding for solar installations at the Dawson Creek Art Gallery and Dawson Creek Regional Airport.
“The solar projects are a way for the city to look for efficiencies and to reduce operational costs associated with powering the buildings,” says Ryan MacIvor, the city’s general manager of community services.
The Northern Development Initiative Trust approved the grant October 2 through its Economic Infrastructure Program.
At the Art Gallery, the city is installing a 10-kilowatt solar array on the building’s new entrance roof. The city commissioned Peace Energy Cooperative to complete the installation.
The Art Gallery says the array is expected to be installed by the end of the first week of November, weather permitting.
In a Facebook post Wednesday, the gallery said the panels will help power the building and reduce its electricity costs and carbon footprint for at least 25 years.
MacIvor says the Art Gallery project is about 65 per cent complete, while the airport project remains in the design and regulatory stages.
The grant will cover up to $100,000 combined for both projects, with taxpayers covering any additional expenses, MacIvor says.
The city expects to get a clearer picture of potential operating-cost savings once both installations are complete.
MacIvor says the city will evaluate the results before considering additional solar installations elsewhere in Dawson Creek.