County of St. Paul continues to ‘Go Green’
The County is proactively moving towards energy efficiencies and increasing savings in operational costs.
The County has purchased two solar powered FTR golf carts that will be used at the County’s Lac Bellevue and Stoney Lake campgrounds when they open on May 18. The golf carts are equipped with high end solar panels which ensure that the golf carts run longer while keeping the carbon footprint down.
“Purchasing these two units aids the County of St. Paul in achieving our goals in Green House Gas emission reduction targets and long-term sustainability”, says Ron Dechaine, Regional Municipal Energy Manager. “The County of St Paul is excited to be on the cutting edge of technology and innovation. We are looking forward to adopting further energy efficient solutions in the future.”
The golf cart batteries will remain charged all day long when parked outdoors due to the dual-solar panel technology on the roofs and they are less reliant on an electrical power source to charge the batteries.
The cost of each golf cart was $12,900 for a total cost of $25,800. They were purchased through FTR Golf in Wainwright, Alberta. The County of St. Paul will receive a rebate of $7,740 total from Municipal Climate Change Action Centre, a collaborative initiative between the Government of Alberta, Alberta Municipalities, and the Rural Municipalities of Alberta.
Each unit is equipped with a 105 amp-hour lithium-ion battery which has a charge time of five hours from zero to 100%. The solar drive system has a 20-year life span, and comes with a 5-year warranty.
The two golf carts purchased are in addition to electric lawnmowers that were purchased in 2022 through the Municipal Climate Change Action Centre (MCCAC), Electric Vehicles for Municipalities Program which are expected to save approximately $1,800 in fuel costs annually.
The County and regional governments appointed a Municipal Energy Manager (MEM) in mid-2021. The MEM is 80 percent funded by the Municipal Climate Change Action Centre (MCCAC). The goal is to reduce energy costs to the municipal governments and to increase energy efficiencies.
The Municipal Energy Manager program enables municipalities to manage their energy use, become more energy efficient and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in their facilities by providing funding to hire an MEM.
The County of St. Paul, Town of St. Paul, Town of Elk Point and the Summer Village of Horseshoe Bay are partners in the regional municipal energy program with the County of St. Paul being the managing partner.
For more information contact:
Ron Dechaine, Regional Municipal Energy Manager
E: [email protected]