Parkway Solar Farm, Edwards (Under Construction)

[MaxHeadroom]

10MW, fixed ground mounted solar farm on the north side of Parkway Rd between 8th Line and York's Corners. It's a monster.

http://www.sullivan.ca/news/details.php?id=24

They had to bring in new hydro lines extending south of Farmers Way and Mitch Owens.

[gjhall]

10MW, fixed ground mounted solar farm on the north side of Parkway Rd between 8th Line and York's Corners. It's a monster.

http://www.sullivan.ca/news/details.php?id=24

They had to bring in new hydro lines extending south of Farmers Way and Mitch Owens.

OH NO! SOLAR ELECTRICITY! IN A RURAL AREA! NIMBY time! "It's a monster." Better put a coal plant there instead.

[Kitchissippi]

It's too tall! it's going to cast a shadow on the hay fields. Won't anyone please think of the hay?

[eternallyme]

There doesn't seem to be nearly as much opposition to solar power as wind power though. Although I think the rural opposition was more due to the fact most in rural areas are skeptical of global warming...

[MaxHeadroom]

http://www.yourottawaregion.com/news/article/1275215--solar-farm-finalizes-construction-on-parkway-road

It's finished but not connected to anything yet. The power lines are coiled up at Mitch Owens and Farmers Way at the limit of Hydro One territory, awaiting a connection to Hydro Ottawa's system.

Interesting to note that the project is in Hydro One territory, but it will be connected to Hydro Ottawa because Hydro One had no facilities to connect it to!

[waterloowarrior]

There doesn't seem to be nearly as much opposition to solar power as wind power though. Although I think the rural opposition was more due to the fact most in rural areas are skeptical of global warming...

A lot of the opposition was related to the impact on agricultural lands (discussed in MaxHeadroom's article). The province has all sorts of rules to protect prime agricultural land but renewable energy project were exempt... in 2009 they changed the rules to protect lands with Class 1 and 2 soils (and specialty crops) and put a cap on development on Class 3 lands.

The article mentions this project is using an older program for funding that has now been replaced... I checked a soils map and it looks like this is in Class 1/2 farmland and wouldn't have been permitted under the new rules.

[waterloowarrior]

this thing is massive and on some good farmland
http://goo.gl/maps/tGVkq

[waterloowarrior]

great aerial by southfacing 16 feb 2013 of the Arnprior Solar Farm
http://www.flickr.com/photos/23575605@N08/8479638839/in/photostream

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8099/8479638839_4cd7075016_b.jpg

http://www.yourottawaregion.com/community/article/1053171--arnprior-solar-farm-provides-power-for-7-000-homes