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Released: 30 April, 2003

City Maintenance Garage Goes Solar

Today, Councillor David Soknacki was joined by Bruce Sibbitt of Natural Resources Canada and City officials in a ceremony presenting the City's first solar air-heating system at the Central Maintenance Garage, 843 Eastern Avenue.

This newest "green renewable energy" source provides solar-heated ventilation air to supplement an existing natural gas-fired heating system. The Solarwall™ consists of over 600 square metres of perforated dark metal cladding on the south wall of the garage, visible from Lakeshore Boulevard at Leslie Street.

Councillor Soknacki, Chair of the Board of Directors, Toronto Atmospheric Fund (TAF), said, "This green energy project demonstrates the City's eagerness to use innovative, renewable, solar energy technology. The solar wall is an energy-reduction retrofit with long-term benefits to the environment and the City's budget."

The Solarwall™ is expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 160 tonnes of C02 per year. Annual savings are forecast to be 85,000 cubic metres of natural gas or approximately $30,000.

"Developing new technologies are playing a fundamental role in addressing climate change," said the Honourable Maria Minna, Member of Parliament for Beaches-East York. "Solarwall is an example of the type of innovative technologies Canada and the world will need in the years to come."

Additional benefits are increased insulation of the south wall, previously consisting largely of single-pane windows, and improved air quality through the solar-heated ventilated air distributed by fans and ducts.

Support for this project, which cost $277,000, was provided by Natural Resources Canada and by the Toronto Atmospheric Fund. The Toronto Atmospheric Fund is an agency of the City that funds studies and projects designed to help the City attain a 20-percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2005.

Natural Resources Canada plays a leading role in helping to improve the quality of life of Canadians through the sustainable development of our natural resources. Government of Canada funding for the initiative was provided for in the February 2003 federal budget.

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