A Black Diamond restaurant will get some relief in its energy costs after it was selected to participate in a unique sustainability program.
The Foothills Energy Co-op funded the $8,000 purchase and installed 11 solar panels on the roof of The Westwood in a new program the co-op developed to create alternative energy opportunities for its members. The panels were installed by Blackie’s Goose Creek Renewable Energy earlier this month and are expected to begin generating electricity this week or next.
“We are proud to be participating in this forward-thinking project,” said Erin Kendrick, owner of The Westwood. “It’s all paid for, which is pretty incredible. It will provide a gateway for the community to be better equipped for the future. It’s such a good opportunity.”
Kendrick expects the three kilowatts of solar, which have the capacity to produce 4,000 kilowatt hours a year, will produce up to six to seven per cent of the restaurant’s energy usage. She said the monthly cost for electricity is about $900.
Of the energy savings the solar panels produce, 90 per cent will go to the co-op to help fund the installation of another solar partner in the Foothills and 10 per cent to The Westwood, said Graham Lettner, the co-op’s executive co-ordinator.
The co-op was established in 2016 to market electricity, natural gas and green energy in Alberta, with a focus on Foothills communities.
Profits realized from energy sales from the more than 170 members are pooled in a fund to support community projects that advance the co-op’s goal toward local sustainability.
“This is about generosity in our community and working together,” said Lettner. “It’s about sustainability.”
Lettner said the co-op is looking to launch another solar project with one of its members early in 2020, adding it received interest from about half a dozen businesses in the first project.
“We want to do many,” he said, adding the projected profit for 2019 is $12,000. “As we make more money we’ll do bigger projects.”
Black Diamond Mayor Ruth Goodwin said she looks forward to seeing this initiative grow.
“Anything that helps our local businesses save costs, build on the business and support it is great,” said Goodwin, a member of the co-op. “A small part of being a member is being able to give back with your use of electricity.”
In addition to launching its first solar project, the co-op also funded a water conservation project at the Valley Neighbours Club in Turner Valley.
For more information about the Foothills Energy Co-op go to foothillsenergycoop.ca
