The CERP map has been updated to show clean energy test centres and energy generating stations in Canada for hydro, tidal, wind, solar and more.
EcoSmart’s SunMine project is the largest solar plant outside Ontario.
SunMine and solar energy in western Canada by Enviroline
Kimberley, B.C., hopes to leverage solar power pilot project into solar industry in East Kootenay region. Read the
Enviroline article here
The future of SunMine.
CBC interviews Don McCormick mayor of Kimberley about the future of SunMine.
Mayor Don McCormick hopes investors will help expand SunMine to power a future business park, among other long-term goals.
SunMine in the top 15 projects of the Clean 50 award
SunMine has been honoured by the Clean 50 award for outstanding contributions to clean capitalism and included in the top 15 project of 2017.
Since its inception SunMine has won numerous other awards:
- Clean Energy BC, 2015 Community of the Year Award.
- Union of BC Municipalities, 2015 Community Excellence Award for Leadership and Innovation in Green Initiatives.
- Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of BC, Sustainability Award.
- Engineers Canada prestigious award: The National Award for an Engineering Project or Achievement.
Letter from Dianne Watts
Congratulation letter from Dianne Watts, M.P. South Surrey – White Rock, BC, Canada to Michel de Spot, P.Eng on winning the Engineers Canada award for an engineering project of Achievement – the SunMine project.
D. Watts letter
Engineers Canada National Award
Engineers Canada Award National Award for an Engineering Project of Achievement was presented to Michel de Spot, President and CEO of EcoSmart for the SunMine project at a ceremony in Charlottetown, PEI.
Initiated by Michel de Spot, P.Eng. of EcoSmart Foundation Inc., SunMine is British Columbia’s first grid-connected solar facility as well as the first such facility to be built on a reclaimed mine site. With 4,000 solar cell modules mounted on 96 solar trackers that follow the sun, the site provides about 40 per cent more energy than a traditional fixed system. Owned and operated by the City of Kimberley, BC, SunMine’s success was the result of the exceptional collaboration of its key partners, Teck Resources Ltd., the City of Kimberley, BC Hydro, and EcoSmart. SunMine has also become a centre of excellence, showcasing leading edge solar technologies.
SunMine receives the National Award
SunMine received the prestigious National Award for an Engineering Project or Achievement from Engineers Canada.
The National Award for an Engineering Project or Achievement bestows distinction on a team of engineers or for an outstanding engineering project or achievement that has had a significant positive impact on society and/or industry and/or engineering, and recognizes engineering achievements involving Canadian engineers.
The previous years’ recipients were: the new Skytrain lines in Vancouver , the new Port Mann Bridge over the Fraser River, the new Metro in Calgary and a large port in New Brunswick.
That SunMine receives the same recognition as these outstanding projects is an honour, a big achievement and a sign of the time.
In addition to the National Award, since implementation, SunMine received a number of awards:
- Association of Professional Engineers of BC (APEGBC) sustainability award (Michel de Spot, .Eng. – EcoSmart)
- Clean Energy BC (CEBC), 2015 Community of the Year Award (City of Kimberley)
- Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM) Community Excellence Award 2015 (City of Kimberley)
APEGBC sustainability award 2015 video – SunMine
The 2015 Sustainability Award of the Association of Professional Engineers of BC went to SunMine, the first large scale solar power plant outside Ontario. It is also the first redevelopment of a former industrial site into a solar plant in Canada, the first solar project supported by a mining company (Teck) in Canada, the first solar power contract with the local utility (BC Hydro), and the first and only solar plant owned and operated by a Canadian municipality. SunMine showcases many innovations such as dual-axis trackers, distributed inverters, 1000 V DC and more…. The video explains the project.
APEGBC Innovation article on SunMine
From brownfield to SuNfield.
Most people visit Kimberley for the snow; now, perhaps, they’ll visit for the solar power.
On June 22, 2015, the city flipped the switch on the 4,032 solar-cell modules mounted on 96 trackers that make up SunMine, the first redevelopment of a former industrial site into a solar plant in Canada, and BC’s largest-ever solar project. It’s also the first solar project in BC to sell power to the BC Hydro grid, and the first and only solar plant owned and operated by a Canadian municipality.
That’s a lot of firsts, but get ready: there are more.
Read here an excellent article from APEGBC Innovation magazine describing the SunMine solar project in Kimberley, BC.
APEGBC Sustainability Award for SunMine
EcoSmart received the 2015 Sustainability Award presented by the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of BC (APEGBC) for the SunMine Solar project.
The award recognizes recipients for demonstration outstanding commitment to sustainability principles in the practice of professional engineering and geoscience.
