SOLAR PROJECT  

The Leduc Lion’s Club takes the Lion’s International motto “We Serve” seriously. The local club provides support to the Leduc region and to national and international projects and causes. They are invested in the community - volunteering, providing financial support to individuals and community organizations and operating a successful campground.

Through their efforts more than $100,000 per year is given back to the community. Some of the projects and initiatives fill an immediate need but many are focused on long term sustainable projects that will serve the community for generations, like youth scholarships and infrastructure investments in parks and playgrounds.

One of these long term initiatives is the installation of a ground mounted solar system at the Leduc Lion’s Campground and RV Park presently under construction and expected to be fully functional by the end of February 2020. It consists of 648 panels that will generate 347 megawatts of electricity per year. Enough energy, in fact, to offset 100% of the power consumption needs at the campground. Good for the environment, consistent with the environmental goals of the City of Leduc and providing the club with additional funds to reinvest in the community.

In a partnership with Enmax, the Lion’s Club of Leduc has entered a twenty year agreement that will guarantee a minimum amount of power generation from the solar array.  All solar energy produced is sold into the grid.  The money earned is credited back to the club which will offset the campground’s operational power costs as well as pay off the cost of the installation.  As Enmax’s minimum guarantee is very conservative, solar power generation in excess of that amount is expected.  The panels used are bifacial which means they generate power from both sides of the panel.  In the winter, power generation is reduced, but the angle of the installation sheds snow to keep the surface exposed to the sun and power is also produced from reflection off the snow onto the back side of the panels.

The solar installation at the Leduc Lion’s Campground and RV Park is a tangible example of the value that the Lion’s Club of Leduc provides to the community and the region.  Environmental issues are top of mind today and people are attracted to organizations who are actively pursuing sustainable environmental initiatives.