Future of renewable energies at the High School in the air, while the trustees decrease in the final decision
ATHABASCA – Solar modules on the roof of the Edwin Parr Composite (EPC) of the school are not sure whether you want to resume you again after completing the necessary repairs.
The trustees discussed the scenario at their meeting on April 17, after the secretary of the department, Amber Oko, had submitted an update over the roof of the building, which was repaired at the end of his guarantee period.
The panels were added when EPC was originally built and was not covered by guarantee or insurance. Oko said the division was confident that the panels would not have damaged the roof damage, but the replacement would be expensive for a product that did not bring the expected returns.
The solar system was expected to take 25 years and saved the department up to 25,000 US dollars a year up to 2021, but the cost savings of the 780 panels did not go as expected.
Four options were presented to the table: they were able to choose the removal of the panels and reinstall them as soon as the repairs for 250,000 US dollars have been completed. They could simply remove the panels and not reinstall them for 45,000 US dollars, or they were able to rent the roof space to a solar company that would sell the energy to a reduced set.
The trustees did not make a final decision about what they wanted to go forward -the urgent problem was the approval of the panels removal so that the repair work could begin -but since the panels only return 6,700 US dollars to discounts per year, they expressed some concerns about payment to replace them.
“If it will cost us a quarter of one million dollars, even if it has a little more than $ 6.700, it takes years and years to regenerate these costs. I have no quarter of a million to spend these panels again,” said CEO Candy Nikipelo.
An option that the trustees discussed and rejected was to replace the roof system with a solar organization on the ground. The cost of the project would have been exponentially higher – precise numbers were not provided – and the shift of the panels to an accessible place would increase the risk of vandalism and other damage.
“It is set up, underground work is also required,” said Oko.
“The room is a problem; we only have limited space because these fields are not us. '
So far, AVPS has received fewer than 1,000 US dollars from the panels in 2025, although this is largely based on the season.
“It was so low that we actually turned to the provider to ensure that it still works.”
While the idea of renting the attic was equipped with advantages, the trustees were not immediately sold for the idea.
“I have a few concerns with a seller who uses our roof as a solar arm, of which we have already heard of problems with panels on the roof and access to roof repairs,” said April Bauer.
“The building is ten years old and we know with our story that from now on we will carry out repairs on the roof until the end of the life of the building. I am not 100 percent against it, but I'm worried.”
The trustees unanimously voted to remove the panels to carry out repairs and dispose of the cladding. The problem will be back to the board at the meeting on May 22.