Our Projects

Empress Solar

The Empress solar project covers 270 acres south of the village of Empress, Alberta, and consists of 89,000 solar panels with a generating capacity of 38.5 MW (megawatts). The project produces enough power annually to power over 11,000 homes and offset 43,000 tonnes of carbon.

Category:

Renewables

Technology:

Solar

Capacity:

38.5 MW

Location:

Empress, Alberta, Canada

Status:

In Operation

Operations Start:

November 2023

Ownership:

100% ATCO

The Project

The Empress solar project is home to 89,000 VSUN 540 watt bi-facial solar panels, mounted on the NexTracker XTR single-axis tracking system, with screw pile foundations to accommodate site conditions.

Located south of the village of Empress, Alberta, near the Alberta-Saskatchewan border, the project has a generating capacity of 38.5 MW of energy. This project will produce enough power annually to power more than 11,000 homes and offset 43,000 tonnes of carbon.

This solar facility covers 270 acres, and in addition to solar panels and the tracking system, the facility contains 12 Sungrow SG3600UD-MV inverters, internal roads, weather station equipment, an electrical collector system, and transformers.

ATCO acquired its ownership of the project in September 2021 from a third-party developer and construction began in late 2022. The Empress solar project exhibits the transition to sustainable energy for the people of Alberta and will provide customers with sustainable energy alternatives. The output of the project is currently under a 12.5-year solar virtual power purchase agreement with Lafarge Canada Inc. Under this agreement, Lafarge?s Exshaw cement plant receives 100% of the energy produced by Empress Solar.