The Malahat First Nation in British Columbia is testing solar panels embedded in pavement as a source of electricity to power its administrative building.
The C$200,000 pilot project, a partnership between the Malahat Nation and Vancouver-based Shift Clean Energy and Solar Earth Technologies, is part of the community’s effort to build energy self-sufficiency, the Victoria Times-Colonist reports.
“We are basically showing how we can convert typical concrete hardscape and put the solar panel on top of it—you can basically drive on top of it, it can take a beating,” said Colin Doylend, vice-president of business development at Solar Earth. “That means you can monetize a hardscape that was typically a sunk cost to a municipality or a developer.”
Beyond the local benefits if the project delivers as planned, the Malahat Nation will be succeeding where other attempts appear to have bogged down.
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