City of Markham – Rooftop MicroFIT Solar

Project Description:

Markham’s 1.4MW solar roof top program provides renewable energy leadership for our community.

Generates over $300,000 per year of revenue outside of taxes, while contributing to Provincial goals.

Our Solar Program also helps us move toward our Community Sustainability Plan, The Greenprint’s, objective of net zero energy, water, waste and emissions by 2050.

Markham has implemented solar on our facility roof tops in a variety of manners; we have two less than 10kW solar photovoltaic microFIT projects, one sitting high and proud on the roof our Civic Centre.

Our 250kW solar PV FIT project at 8100 Warden Ave was the first municipally owned FIT project in the Province.

The remainder of our solar projects (just under 1.2MW) are in partnership with PowerStream Solar, a division of PowerStream Inc, the Local Distribution Company that Markham owns with the City’s of Vaughan and Barrie.

The PowerStream Solar projects are covering roof tops of a number of our large Community Centres.

Currently we have one solar kiosk in the lobby of the Civic Centre where visitors can be engaged and educated on our solar program, we looking at additional public monitors at our other facilities as well.

Describe the results achieved   A:Markham’s Solar Projects generate over $300,000 of non-tax revenue for the city, helping to offset our utility costs.

They generate approximately 1,500,000 kWh/yr of clean renewable energy, offsetting nearly 120 tonnes of GHG’s.

Name of executive or team leader who managed the project   Graham Seaman

What 3 things in your mind makes this project most worthy of recognition

Markham’s leadership in stepping up and embracing the Province’s FIT Program.

Markham’s continued engagement and education for its residents and municipal peers. Markham staff regularly speak to the community and at municipal conference to share our lessons learned.

The internal and external teamwork that made this program happen.

Tell us about the team

a:  The Team that deployed this program included staff from Markham’s Asset Management, Finance, Legal, Recreation and senior executives.

Andy Taylor, CAO – Executive oversight and delegated authority to implement leases

Brenda Librecz, Commission of Community and Fire Services – Executive oversight

Gary Adamkowski, Director of Asset Management – Operational oversight

Mary Creighton, Director of Recreation – Operational oversight

Catherine Conrad, Town Solicitor – Legal oversight

Graham Seaman, Senior Manager, Sustainability – Program oversight, main contact for overall program management

Phoebe Fu, Director of Asset Management – Project oversight

Atiq Rahman, Senior Facility Engineer – Project Manager, main contact for project implementation

The program was lead by Graham, with Atiq providing project management. Facility staff at each site were also involved in day-to-day coordination with the solar contractors and PowerStream Solar staff.