The municipality has installed solar energy systems on various public buildings, most notably fire stations and community centres. Solar energy systems can typically be categorized as solar electric or solar thermal (hot air and hot water).
Solar Thermal
Solar Thermal systems reduce energy costs associated with hydronic heating. Solar hot air systems offset energy required for space heating while solar hot water offsets energy required for domestic water, pool or space heating.
Solar Hot Water
- Fire Station 03 – West Street (Flat Plate)
- Fire Station 04 – Duffus Street (Evacuated Tube)
- Fire Station 07 - Mainland North (SolarBeam)*
- Fire Station 10 – Millwood (Evacuated Tube)
- Fire Station 12 – Highfield Park (Flat Plate)
- Fire Station 16 – Eastern Passage (Evacuated Tube)
- Fire Station 17 - Cole Harbour (Evacuated Tube)
- Fire Station 36 – Meaghers Grant (Flat Plate)
- Fire Station 38 – Middle Musquodoboit (Flat Plate)
- Fire Station 56 – Black Point (Evacuated Tube)
- Fire Station 58 – Lakeside (Flat Plate)
- Findlay Community Centre (Flat Plate)
- Centennial Pool (Flat Plate)
- Halifax Regional Police Headquarters (Flat Plate)
- Canada Games Centre (Flat Plate)
- Evacuated tube panels
*The SolarBeam is a large parabolic dish that tracks the sun throughout the day heating up a thermal fluid that is circulated through an absorber and into a heat exchanger. The heat exchanger then transfers the thermal energy produced from the solar concentrator to the various applications, in this case, two 120-gallon storage tanks. The cooled water is then recirculated back to the absorber where it starts the heating process again.
Solar Hot Air
- Harrietsfield Williamswood Community Centre
- Lakeside Community Centre
- Ste. Therese Community Centre
- Upper Hammonds Plains Community Centre
-
Wallace Lucas Community CentreSolarBeam
Solar Electric
Solar Electric systems generate clean electricity to be used throughout the building when needed. Additional electricity that is not needed is sent to the grid and credited against the buildings future electricity consumption.
- Alderney Gate Public Library (12 kW)
- Chocolate Lake Beach Washroom (3.9 kW)
- Commons Pavilion (6 kW)
- Dartmouth North Community Centre (68.9 kW)
- Fire Station 03 – West Street (12.5 kW)
- Fire Station 62 - Williamswood (47.4 kW)
- Fort Needham Memorial Park Washroom (8.6 kW)
- Mackintosh Depot (80 kW)
- Northbrook Police Training Facility (12 kW)
- North Commons Public Washroom (3 kW)
- Sackville Public Library (35.3 kW)
- Sir Sanford Fleming Park Canteen (8.6 kW)