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Solar City

The Southside Park Workshop is one of three sites approved for rooftop solar panels

Three rooftop solar projects in Woodstock will see the light of day.

City Council approved the 10-kilowatt solar projects Thursday night at a cost of $129,000.

They'll be going on the Southside Aquatic Centre, the Parks Storage Building in Southside Park and on the Van Ave Fire Hall.

City Engineer Harold DeHaan says other buildings, like the Library and City Hall that were proposed for possible panels have been ruled out.  "Originally when the application went it, we basically looked at what we thought were viable candidates for where rooftop units could be placed.  However, we had a structural engineer take a look at each one of the buildings.  Four of them he really recommended that the existing roofs without some serious work could not handle the additional weight."

The installations will be done by local company, Arntjen Solar, and will eventually generate a profit for the city in the back half of a 20-year contract.

One question that was asked is if the city would still reap those rewards if Woodstock Hydro is eventually sold.  DeHaan says, "Woodstock Hydro has been helping us with the application and they brought the program to our attention.  But the city made the application, the city got the approval, and it's the city's contract.  The panels will be owned by the city and we will be receiving the funds."

Council also recently approved a ground mounted solar panel system worth $322,000.

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