The Dresden Raceway has gone green.
The Dresden Agricultural Society has teamed up with Strathcona Energy Group to install solar panels on the rooftops of the barns at ‘Little Saratoga.’
The Dresden Agricultural Society started to look for ways that could add “a steady revenue stream to the operations even during the time the track was idle,” said Lucille Laprise, president of the Agricultural Society, in a press release.
“With southern exposure and no obstructions that would cause shading, the six horse barns were an ideal location for solar panels. But before earning money for the clean energy generated on the barn roof, the Society would have to invest in building the arrays.”
Laprise added: “Simply renting out the space came as a turnkey solution that has been earning our non-profit organization money since mid-February. I strongly feel that the innovative use of an existing structure to secure the preservation of our great race tradition is something the race’s founders would be proud of as well.”
The 896 solar photovoltaic (PV) modules were made just four hours east of Dresden in Belleville by Strathcona Energy International (SEI), a manufacturer of premium-quality solar modules, and installed by sister company Strathcona Solar Initiatives (SSI), a multiple award-winning solar integrator.
Each year, the panels will produce over 355,405 kilowatt hours of emission-free energy, which is equal to the amount of 245 metric tons of carbon dioxide avoided and can supply close to 34 homes with electricity.
Strathcona Energy Group, the parent company of both SEI and SSI, is renting the roof space on the barns from the Agricultural Society like a tenant, and in return is selling the energy generated from the panels to Ontario’s Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) under a 20-year FiT (Feed-in-Tariff) contract.
The group’s subsidiary SSI will also be responsible for service and maintenance of the system to ensure highest productivity and optimized yield.
Karl Hollett, the CEO of Strathcona Energy Group, said he is happy to be working with the Dresden group.
“It’s a great reward for us to work with a future-oriented leadership such as the Dresden Agricultural Society that is also keen on preserving an important tradition,” Hollett said in a press release.
“Solar energy can be a key asset in protecting what we value in a sustainable and responsible matter.”
A total of six buildings at the racetrack are covered with high-efficiency solar panels, totaling 250 kilowatts.
After meeting with the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation recently, the Dresden Raceway learned they have been given a five-year reprieve, which will keep racing at the track for the foreseeable future.
Dresden Raceway already has 11 race days confirmed for the 2016 racing season, including:
– Sunday, May 29, 2016 – 1:30 p.m.
– Sunday, June 5, 2016 – 1:30 p.m.
– Sunday, June 12, 2016 – 1:30 p.m.
– Sunday, June 19, 2016 – 1:30 p.m.
– Sunday, June 26, 2016 – 1:30 p.m.
– Friday, July 1, 2016 – 1:30 p.m.
– Sunday, July 3, 2016 – 1:30 p.m.
– Sunday, July 10, 2016 – 1:30 p.m.
– Sunday, July 17, 2016 – 1:30 p.m.
– Sunday, July 24, 2016 – 1:30 p.m.
– Monday, August 1, 2016 – 1:30 p.m.
– Photo credit: Strathcona Energy Group
