Case Study
Buckhorn Community Centre
Project Type: Solar Rooftop
Applicant: Buckhorn Community Centre
Grants Awarded: $22,000
Project Size: 74 kW
Status: Scheduled to be Commissioned in July, 2011.
The Buckhorn Community Centre (BCC) started as a small community centre to serve the needs of residents of the Buckhorn Area. Seventeen founding families, some of whom mortgaged their homes to contribute to the building of BCC, were responsible for the doors opening in March of 1978. Programming has evolved from dancing, bingo and floor hockey the centre has doubled in size and expanded to include a full athletic facility and remains a popular art festival destination.
Maintaining the BCC “beehive” of activity requires extensive annual fundraising campaigns, a significant draw on volunteer resources. In 2011, the centre decided to consider solar as a long-term (20 year) investment by becoming solar electricity producers under Ontario’s Feed-In-Tariff program.
As a community-owned, not-for-profit organization, BCC applied the Community Energy Partnerships Program to assist them develop the project. BCC was awarded $22,000 in funding to conduct business planning. project management activities and to navigate Electrical Safety Authority inspections and approvals. CEPP also assisted the centre in reaching out to the larger community for support, the same way the community centre was originally build 34 years ago.
The Sponsor-A-Panel campaign, a solar fundraising campaign is underway to raise $350,000 to cover the cost of the solar equipment. A solar legacy mural with plaques bearing the names community sponsors will be mounted on the south-facing wall, under the solar installation.
In the meantime, a bank loan has made it possible for a local solar company who is managing the project, to move forward on installing the 312 panel, 73 kW solar array on the roof of the community centre. The project is scheduled to be commissioned in July, 2011.
This project has received funding support from the Ontario Power Authority through the Community Energy Partnerships Program. Such support does not indicate endorsement by the Ontario Power Authority or the Province of Ontario of the contents of this material. The views expressed in the material are the views of the Recipient and do not necessarily reflect those of the Ontario Power Authority or the Province of Ontario.
Image 1: Buckhorn Community Centre Solar Installation
Image 2: Buckhorn Community Centre Completed
