$69 Million Dollar Solar Farm Takes Shape in PEI

A new $69 million dollar solar farm is taking shape in Summerside, covering 30 hectares, and, by the end of this year, featuring more than 65,000 solar panels. The project is called Sunbank, and the city is banking on it moving them one step closer to energy self-sufficiency.

"Around 21-megawatts of total energy when it's all said and done, and then we'll be balancing that off with around five tractor trailers of batteries," said Summerside's Director of Economic Development Mike Thususka.

"So once the energy is generated, we're able to store it, and then use it in the grid."

The Sunbank project is being paid for with funding from all three levels of government, as well as the Federation of Canadian Municipalities and Samsung. (Shane Hennessey/CBC )

Thususka said the 21-megawatts equates to 25 per cent of all the electricity needed in the city.

He called it 'the field of green'.

"This project will take us from currently 42 per cent of our own generation to over 65 per cent. Our ultimate goal is to get to 100, but this project gets us that next substantial step forward in terms of generating our own energy," Thususka said.

"It's always been our ambition to get as much renewable energy as we can, as much green technology as we can, as much innovation as we can."

"One of the first municipal-built wind farms in Canada, one of the first, at Credit Union Place, smart storage systems in Canada," said Greg Gaudet.

"Again here, in Sunbank, is a utility-scale storage and solar system, on the utility grids to help it be more secure, reliable and economical."